As your eBay business grows, you might consider getting a post office box through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Post office boxes provide a cost effective way to boost privacy, security and convenience. Here are five benefits of renting a post office box for your online business.
1. Post office boxes add a layer of privacy
Did you know that all of your transaction history on Paypal is saved forever? That means your buyers can search through the Paypal transaction history and find your address whenever they feel like it. Can buyers always find your address? Yes. Will they bother to look up your address? Probably not. Still, using a post office box address on Paypal and with any of your online transactions adds an extra layer of privacy.
2. Post office boxes increase the security of your incoming packages
If you buy any of your inventory online, your postal carrier might leave your packages in an exposed and insecure area like on your doorstep or inside an unlocked mailbox. Exposed packages are vulnerable to theft and poor weather conditions (i.e. rain, snow, extreme heat, wind, flooding, etc). If you get a post office box, your packages will either be placed inside your box or held for you to pick up.
3. Never miss a delivery again
A big downside of shipping items to your home address is missing deliveries when you’re out and about. When you have a post office box you’ll never miss a delivery again! The post office will accept the package for you and you’ll be able pick it up later.
4. Post office boxes now can use a street address and accept Fedex, UPS and DHL packages
In the past post office boxes could only receive mail from the USPS since the boxes did not use a street address. In 2012 the USPS unveiled a street address format for post office boxes. That means now customers can receive packages from private carriers like Fedex, UPS and DHL. Ask your local post office for more information on their policies on the street address format.
5. Post office boxes are cheaper than you may think
Pricing and availability for post office boxes vary from post office to post office. A 3 by 5 inch box ranges in price from $50-$132 per year depending on the post office. Boxes are priced competitively and are often cheaper than mailboxes through private companies like The UPS Store (formerly Mail Boxes Etc.), Pak Mail, Postal Annex, etc. The USPS offers five mailbox sizes from small (3 in by 5.5 in) to large (22.5 in by 12 in). Even if you pay for the smallest (and cheapest) box, the post office will still hold larger packages for you. The downside of paying for the small box is you may need to wait in line to pick up your packages.
How to get a P.O. box
You can either go to the post office in person or fill out an online application on the USPS website. Choose an available mailbox size (from 3×5 inches to 22.5×12 inches) and contract length (from 3-12 months) and pay for the box. After you’ve filled out the application, bring two forms of acceptable ID to the post office. Now you’ve got yourself your own post office box!