US Global Mail and In Out Parcel both give you a real US street address, scan your mail to PDF, and forward packages worldwide. Both work entirely online — you never have to visit. Where they split is how they charge and who they’re built for.
US Global Mail runs on monthly subscription plans starting at $49/mo, with enterprise features like SOC2 compliance, team roles, and API access. In Out Parcel charges no monthly fee at all — the full virtual mailbox toolkit is free to keep, and you pay only $4.25 per package or letter received. Here’s the honest side-by-side.
The Quick Comparison
| In Out Parcel | US Global Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $0 — pay per item | $49/mo (Scale) or $99/mo (Teams) |
| What you pay | $4.25 per package or letter received | Monthly plan + overage scan fees ($3 each past your annual cap) |
| Quiet months | $0 — credit never expires | Full subscription, whether mail arrives or not |
| Locations | One: Point Roberts, WA | Primarily Houston, TX |
| Mail scanning | Yes — scanned to PDF | Yes — included in annual scan allotment (360/yr on Scale) |
| Forwarding | Yes — worldwide | Yes — worldwide |
| Shred / dispose | Yes | Yes |
| Check deposit | No | Yes — free on all plans |
| In-person pickup | Optional: 24/7 self-serve with 2,000+ automated lockers | Not available — mail-forward only |
| Use without visiting | Yes — scan + forward from anywhere | Yes — fully online |
| Track record | Serving the border since 2014 · 4.9★ from 700+ Google reviews | Operating since 2000 · SOC2 + HIPAA compliant |
| Best for | Anyone who wants full virtual mailbox features with no monthly fee | Businesses needing compliance certifications, team accounts, or API integrations |
Where US Global Mail Shines
US Global Mail’s genuine strength is enterprise readiness. SOC2 and HIPAA compliance, team roles with granular permissions, API and webhook integrations, and dedicated account management on the Enterprise plan — these are features built for businesses with regulatory requirements and multi-person mail workflows.
The platform also offers free check deposits on all plans — a real convenience if you regularly receive paper checks and want them deposited without forwarding the originals. Their AI-powered mail summaries can categorize and summarize scanned documents automatically.
For a company that needs auditable mail handling with compliance certifications — say, a healthcare organization or financial services firm that processes sensitive documents — those enterprise features are a genuine edge that a simpler service can’t match.
The Catch: Entry Price Is Steep for Personal Use
US Global Mail’s cheapest plan starts at $49/month — the highest entry point of any virtual mailbox provider we’ve compared. That $588/year buys you 360 scans, one user, and 30 days of storage. Here’s what that means in practice:
- The Scale plan ($49/mo) includes 360 scans per year — roughly 30 per month. Go over, and each additional scan costs $3.
- Storage is free for 30 days. After that, daily fees kick in: $0.05 per mail item and $0.10 per pound for packages.
- Want a second user? Add $25/month. Extra recipients cost $5 each.
- The Teams plan ($99/mo) doubles your scan allotment to 600/year and extends storage to 60 days, but you’re now at $1,188/year before any overages.
For someone who just needs a US address for online shopping, bank statements, or occasional mail, $49/month is enterprise pricing for a personal use case.
Where In Out Parcel Shines
In Out Parcel does everything a subscription virtual mailbox does — receive mail and packages, scan letters to PDF, forward packages anywhere in the world, shred what you don’t want — and charges no monthly fee for any of it. You pay $4.25 per package or letter received and $0 in the months nothing arrives. Credit never expires.
That’s not a stripped-down free tier — it’s how the entire service works:
- No monthly fee, period. Your address stays active and ready whether you use it this month or not. No subscription ticking in quiet months. See the full breakdown.
- Full service, not lite. Scan letters to PDF, forward packages worldwide via FedEx, UPS, USPS, or international options, hold or shred — all from the online portal.
- Or pick up yourself, 24/7. If you’re near the BC border, grab packages from 2,000+ secure automated lockers any time — no postage, no counter wait, just a 6-digit PIN. The Point Roberts crossing via Tsawwassen is typically shorter than the Peace Arch or Pacific Highway lineups. (How pickup works.)
- Proven at scale. In Out Parcel has been serving the border since 2014 and holds a 4.9★ rating from 700+ Google reviews — built on over a decade of in-person and virtual mailbox service.
The Cost Difference, Concretely
Example — 5 items in a year (occasional user):
- In Out Parcel: 5 x $4.25 = $21.25 for the year. Nothing else.
- US Global Mail ($49/mo plan): $588/year subscription — even if you only scan 5 items all year. That’s $117.60 per item received.
Example — 3 items per month (moderate user):
- In Out Parcel: 36 x $4.25 = $153 for the year.
- US Global Mail ($49/mo plan): $588/year — comfortably within the 360-scan allotment, but still nearly 4x the cost.
The subscription model only makes sense if you need what the subscription buys beyond mail handling: SOC2 compliance, team permissions, API access, or HIPAA-grade document security. For most people using a US address for online shopping, bank statements, or seasonal purchases, pay-per-use costs a fraction of an enterprise plan. Full pricing details are on our rates page.
What About Switching?
Already on US Global Mail? Switching is straightforward:
- Register with In Out Parcel — free, takes a few minutes. You get a real US street address (145 Tyee Dr, PMB your Customer ID, Point Roberts, WA 98281) immediately.
- Update your shipping addresses at retailers, banks, and subscriptions.
- Keep your US Global Mail account active for a month or two to catch stragglers, then cancel.
There’s no commitment and no monthly fee ticking while you decide — your In Out Parcel address stays ready whether you use it this month or not. (Step-by-step setup guide.)
So Which Should You Choose?
- Choose In Out Parcel if you want a full-featured US virtual mailbox with no monthly fee — scan, forward, or pick up 24/7 near the BC border. Best for occasional, seasonal, or unpredictable mail volume where an enterprise subscription costs more than it’s worth.
- Choose US Global Mail if you need SOC2 or HIPAA compliance, team-based mail workflows, or API integrations for a business with regulatory requirements — and you’re prepared to pay $49+/month for those capabilities.
For comparisons with other subscription providers, see PostScan Mail vs In Out Parcel, iPostal1 vs In Out Parcel, Earth Class Mail vs In Out Parcel, and Anytime Mailbox vs In Out Parcel.
Same full service, no monthly fee. If you’re paying $49/month just to keep a US address alive, get your free US address — receive, scan, forward, or shred, and pay only when something actually arrives.