By the end of this guide you’ll have a working US street address that accepts packages from every carrier and letter mail from USPS — managed entirely online, with no monthly fee. The whole setup takes about ten minutes.
If you’re still weighing whether a virtual mailbox is the right fit, start with What Is a Virtual Mailbox? and come back here when you’re ready to get one. This guide is the actual steps.
Step 1: Register for a Free Account
Head to portal.inoutparcel.com/register and create your account. You’ll need a name, email address, and a phone number. Registration is free — there’s no setup fee and no monthly fee. You pay only when something arrives.
Once your account is created, you’ll be assigned a Customer ID. That number becomes part of your US address, and it’s how the facility routes your mail and packages to the right place.
Step 2: Get Your US Address
As soon as you register, your US mailing address is ready:
145 Tyee Dr, #(your Customer ID), Point Roberts, WA 98281
Replace (your Customer ID) with the number from your account. That’s a real US street address — not a PO box — so it works everywhere: US retailers, banks, subscriptions, government forms, Amazon, you name it. Every carrier delivers to it: USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Amazon Logistics.
This is the address you’ll give to any sender or retailer that needs a US shipping or mailing address.
Step 3: Verify Your Identity
Before the facility can release mail to you, you’ll need to complete identity verification. This is a federal requirement — the US Postal Service requires every commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA) to have a signed USPS Form 1583 on file for each customer who receives mail through the service. It’s a one-time step.
In-person verification is recommended. Visit the In Out Parcel facility in Point Roberts, WA with two forms of ID. It’s free, quick, and the staff will walk you through the form on the spot. The facility is minutes from the Tsawwassen / Boundary Bay border crossing.
If an in-person visit isn’t practical, an online verification option is available through the portal.
Once verification is complete, your account is fully active and your address can receive both packages and letter mail.
Step 4: Start Using Your Address
Your address is live. Use it anywhere you’d use a US address:
- Online shopping — US retailers that won’t ship to Canada will ship domestically to your Point Roberts address without a second thought.
- Banks and financial accounts — open or maintain US accounts with a real street address.
- Subscriptions and services — streaming trials, loyalty programs, anything that asks for a US address.
- Return addresses — ship returns back through your US address when needed.
- Letter mail — receive statements, cheques, correspondence, postcards, and gift cards. (Magazines are not accepted.)
Every carrier delivers: USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Amazon. Packages land in one of 2,000+ secure automated lockers at the facility. Letter mail is received and logged the same way.
Step 5: Manage Your Arrivals
When something arrives, you’ll see it in your online account. From there, you decide what happens to each item:
- Pick up — if you’re near the BC border, collect your package 24/7 from a self-serve locker using a 6-digit PIN. No lines, no business-hours restrictions.
- Forward — have it shipped onward to your home in Canada or anywhere in the world. You’ll get a live quote in the portal before you commit. (More on forwarding.)
- Scan to PDF — for letter mail, have it opened and scanned so you can read it online the same day, from anywhere.
- Hold — leave it in storage until you’re ready to deal with it.
- Shred — securely dispose of mail you don’t need.
Everything runs from the same account. Forward a letter this week, pick up a parcel next month, scan a statement the week after — your call, every time.
What It Costs
There’s no monthly fee. The pricing model is pay-per-use:
- $4.25 per package or letter received — that’s the core charge, applied only when something actually arrives.
- $0 in the months nothing arrives — your address stays active at no cost.
- Credit never expires — prepay if you want; what you load stays yours indefinitely.
- Forwarding, scanning, and other services are priced separately and quoted before you commit.
No subscription to manage, no plan tier to pick, no fee running in the background. (Full rate details.)
What You Can Do With It
A quick summary of what your virtual mailbox handles once it’s set up:
- Receive packages from any carrier at a real US street address
- Receive letter mail — bank statements, cheques, correspondence, gift cards
- Scan letters to PDF and read them online from anywhere
- Forward packages and mail to Canada or worldwide
- Handle returns through your US address
- Pick up 24/7 from 2,000+ self-serve lockers if you’re near the border
- Hold or shred items on your instruction
It’s a full service virtual mailbox — the pickup option is a bonus for those close to the BC border, but the core service works from anywhere in the world.
The Bottom Line
Setting up a US virtual mailbox is five steps: register, get your address, verify your identity, start using it, and manage what arrives. The whole process takes about ten minutes, and from that point forward you have a permanent US address that handles packages and mail — online, on your terms.
In Out Parcel has been serving the border since 2014, with a 4.9★ rating from 700+ reviews. No monthly fee, no commitment, no minimums.
Get your free US address and start receiving in minutes, or see exactly how it works first.