Whether you’re out of the country for weeks, months, or years, you still need to find a way to get your mail. Moving out of the state is a massive change, and such a move is riddled with challenges.
Getting your mail shouldn’t be one of these challenges.
You can keep your UK address and receive all your mail and important documents. So what you’re looking for is a simple Virtual PO box.
What is a Mail Forwarding Service?
A mail forwarding service is provided by a private business that provides businesses and individuals with a prestigious address to receive your business and personal mail and have it forwarded worldwide to an address of your choosing or scanned and sent electronically to you. According to your instructions, this mail will be collected and sent to your office or house, or they will scan it and email it to you.
Best Mail Forwarding Companies in the UK
- Forward2Me
- Royal Mail
- ForwardVia
- Mailbox UK
- UKPostBox
- MyUKMailBox
- ExPost UK
With that in mind, let’s dive into our list of best mail forwarding UK services.
Forward2Me
Forward2Me is a package forwarding company in the UK. After creating an account, you get a UK shipping address, can shop online on UK websites, and get your purchases shipped to your door worldwide. They are typically notable for their customer service and fast shipping time.
Forward2me has no monthly or yearly fees and no extra fees as well. Their services are fast and affordable shipping. You can regularly have Free 30-day package storage (you may call them for an extension).
They also offer UK tax-free shopping, as you can shop at any of the biggest UK online stores, then ship your parcels worldwide. In addition, save the 20% Value Added Tax (VAT) from UK retailers, including Amazon and John Lewis.
Forward2me’s tax-free warehouse is based in Guernsey and is ideal for saving you money on tax before re-shipping your items to the US, the EU, Asia, and all around the world.
The combine & repack service for forwarded packages is just £2+VAT per package, and as long as your packages arrive within 30 days, it won’t cost you any more on top of that.
Forward2me Pricing
- You are charged based on package weight—no extra fees.
Cons
- It doesn’t offer photos of packages
Royal Mail
The Royal Mail offers a mail forwarding service to redirect your mail to any UK address or overseas address for 3, 6, or 12 months.
Arranging the mail forwarding takes about five working days. You can apply six months before your actual moving date, which means you can get it over with before you get incredibly busy with all your other preparations.
The Great thing about the Royal Mail redirection service is that it goes a long way in minimizing the risk of you falling victim to identity fraud since your mail won’t reach your UK home before it gets redirected. In addition, the convenience of setting it up months before moving can’t be understated.
Royal Mail Pricing
It depends on what country you are going to and how long you will need the service.
Mail Forwarding Cost
Within the UK
- 3 Months – Costs £33.99
- 6 Months – Costs £46.99
- 12 Months – Costs £66.99
Overseas – International Standard EU
- 3 Months – Costs £144.99
- 6 Months – Costs £204.99
- 12 Months – Costs £292.99
Overseas – International Standard Non-EU
- 3 Months – Costs £120.99
- 6 Months – Costs £169.99
- 12 Months – Costs £243.99
Cons
The main disadvantage of the Royal Mail redirection service is that they will send you everything, including all your junk mail and unimportant letters.
That’s something that many of its competitors avoid, so if you receive a lot of junk mail and hate going through tens of envelopes to find the one you’re looking for, then you better look at other options.
URL: https://www.royalmail.com
ForwardVia
ForwardVia provides affordable package forwarding and shopping services to international shoppers. You can shop at any British and European stores and let ForwardVia ship it to you worldwide.
You can create a free account and get your UK address. With this address, you can shop online at UK and European stores and add your ForwardVia UK address when you finalize your order checkout.
The company will notify you when the shipment arrives at its warehouse. You can choose to consolidate your shipments, take a photo of your packages, and choose the shipping carrier.
If shipping, you can get 30 days of free storage or 60 days for Premium members.
ForwardVia Pricing
ForwardVia has two plans for registration;
Free Plan & Premium Plan, which costs £ 90 / year. The premium plan has many options for FREE and low pricing for consolidation and shipping.
Cons:
- ForwardVia UK address can’t be used for Credit, Debit, Bank Cards, and any financial-related letters or applications.
- The service can’t be used for letters or mails related to any kind of service application.
- Some users complained about the shipping services; getting their packages took too long.
Mailbox UK
If you need a temporary or permanent address in the UK with a mail forwarding service to your country, this service is ideal for you. UK Mailbox Service is available to businesses and individuals. Their addresses can receive most mail, bank statements, or renew any existing facility. However, you can’t use it to open bank accounts, apply for a UK driving license, or enroll with the NHS.
UK Mailbox service allows businesses to trade in the UK from anywhere globally, opening up new markets to the UK.
Mailbox UK has two UK Addresses, London and Wakefield. MailboxUK accepts parcels but only at the Wakefield Business Address. They do not accept parcels at the London Address.
Mailbox UK Pricing
Wakefield Mailbox
- 1 Month (£35.00)
- 6 Months (£125.00)
- 12 Months (£185.00)
London Mailbox
- 6 Months (£140.00)
- 12 Months (£220.00)
Cons
- MailboxUK accepts parcels but only at the Wakefield Business Address. They do not accept parcels at the London Address or the Residential Address.
URL: https://www.mailboxuk.com
UKPostBox
If you sign up with UKPostBox, you can choose from free PO Box addresses in some of the UK’s major cities or from their original London street addresses.
You get a virtual address that automatically gives you their mail and package forwarding service.
You can also get UK Postbox addresses linked to your choice’s online cloud storage, where you can receive mail items and check them.
Also, choose for them to store your mail until you can pick it up yourself if you want, and the cost will depend on the weight of your mail package, which is independent of your payment plan.
UKPostBox Pricing
Pay-as-You-Go: This plan will cost you £0.60 per item. £0.90 per for each item scan, and £5.95 to receive a parcel. No recurring monthly fees.
Lite Plan: Costs £41.85/3 months. What you get is 10 to 35 letters/per month.
After your plan ends, extra items are charged at:
- £0.30/ letter received
- £0.50/letter scanned
- £4.50/parcel received.
Standard Plan: Costs £80.85/3 months. What you get is 35 to 100 items/per month.
After your plan ends, extra items are charged at:
- £3.50/ each time you wish to have your mail forwarded.
Premium Plan: Costs £209.85/3 months. What you get is 100 to 350 letters/per month.
After your plan ends, extra items are charged at:
- £2.50/ item received
Extra Costs:
Forwarding Costs:
- Forwarding costs you £0.89/letter plus postage costs.
- Sending a letter costs £0.89/letter plus postage cost.
- Parcel forwarding costs £1.50/parcel plus postage.
Cons
- Some users have reported a considerable delay in approving accounts, and in rare cases, users have reported lost packages.
- Their pricing is not as simple as possible, leading to confusion and customers not knowing exactly how much they will pay for their service.
URL: https://www.ukpostbox.com
MyUKMailBox
MyUKMailBox offers a wide range of services. You can get a UK street address, mail & package forwarding service, and more.
You can ask them to scan and email you any documentation that arrives with your packages, and they offer parcel storage. The package storage option is free for 20 days or more, depending on your plan.
They offer a photo service where you can view images of your mail package once they arrive, and you can request photos of the contents of your packages are well.
Online Mailbox Management is done the same way; you get photos of your parcels and the details of your parcels (weight and volumetric weight). Again, you can choose to repack your package if you receive multiple packages and want to save on shipping by combining them into one shipment.
You can also use it to shop at your favorite online retailers and get your parcels even if retailers don’t ship outside the UK.
A unique feature they offer is the BuyForMe service, which is a service in which they act as a personal shopper to you.
MyUkMailBox Pricing
They offer the following plans:
Standard – Costs £4.99/mo, and you get:
- UK Address
- Package’s photo
- 30-day free storage
- Multiple package shipments
- Courier choice
- Package Repacking
Premium – Costs £14.99/mo, and you get all the benefits of the Standard plan, plus:
- 60-day free storage instead of 30
- Address Book
- Ship Parcels outside the UK
- Cheaper Shipping
Extra Costs:
Package Consolidation & Repacking:
- £4.99 for the standard plan members – Unlimited Parcels
- Free for the premium plan members – unlimited parcels.
The BuyForMe Personal Shopping Service:
- 10% for standard members + £15.00 per transaction
- 8% for premium members + £15.00 per transaction
Cons
- Certain services come at a cost, and some users are confused and can’t identify which services are free and which are not.
- BuyForMe personal shopping service costs extra, and how much extra depends on your payment plan and the item you buy. A Transaction Fee is also added for each transaction for this service.
URL: https://www.myukmailbox.com
ExPost UK
ExPost UK offers virtual mailbox and mail forwarding services for businesses and individuals. They will give you a real UK street address and receive all your mail at their headquarters.
After that, ExPost will sort your mail, store it, register it in your virtual post box, and wait for your decision on how they should proceed. You can let them open the mail, scan it, and upload it to you or make them forward your mail to you.
When they receive items, how it is handled and how much it will cost will depend on the weight of your things. For example, your standard mailbox service includes items weighing up to 20 KG, and you will pay an extra £2 for each package.
They can consolidate larger mail packages into smaller ones to save you some money on shipping costs, which coincides with their goal of saving users as much time and money as possible.
ExPost Pricing
ExPost costs:
- £90.6 – 3 months subscription
- £120 – 6 months subscription
- £200 – 1-year subscription
Extra Costs:
Handling charges are:
- £0.50 – for each letter received
- £2.00 – for each item received
- £0.60 – scanning an item (4A images)
Cons
- Their website needs some work and hidden fees here and there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use a Mail Forwarding Service?
You see, running a business, even a small one, isn’t easy or cheap. There are many small things and hidden costs that you don’t expect when you start a business. One problem that small business owners often face is business mail and packages.
A simple and cheap alternative is to run your business from your own home, saving the money that would’ve been spent on office space and office equipment. Still, it also comes with some drawbacks, such as not having your business and home address separated, neither ideal nor professional.
Who can use a mail forwarding service?
Anyone can use a mail forwarding service. It’s particularly useful for people who travel frequently, live in different locations throughout the year, or want to maintain privacy by not sharing their physical addresses.
How does mail forwarding work?
When you sign up for a mail forwarding service, you will be given a unique address to use as your mailing address. This address is usually a physical address or a PO box. When your mail is sent to this address, the service will then forward it to your desired address.
What types of mail can be forwarded?
Mail forwarding services can forward most types of mail, including letters, packages, and magazines. Some services may have restrictions on certain types of mail, such as hazardous materials or oversized packages.
Is a mail forwarding service secure?
Most mail forwarding service providers take security measures to protect your mail, such as using secure facilities and employing background-checked staff. However, choosing a reputable provider with a good track record for security is important.
What is the best parcel forwarding from the UK to Australia?
- Forward2me
- Skypax
- ForwardVia
- MyUKMailbox
In conclusion, a mail forwarding service can be a valuable solution for anyone who wants to receive their mail at a different address than their physical address. Whether you’re a frequent traveler, live in different locations throughout the year, or simply want to maintain your privacy, a mail forwarding service can provide you with a convenient and secure way to manage your mail. By understanding how mail forwarding works and what to look for in a provider, you can choose the right service that meets your needs and gives you peace of mind. So why not try a mail forwarding service and see how it can make your life easier?
We hope you enjoyed this article. If so, you might enjoy these resources:
- Best Japan Package Forwarding Services
- Benefits of Mail Forwarding for Your Business
- Virtual Office Services for Businesses and Startups
- Best Mail Forwarding Services in the US
- Best Virtual Mailbox Services in Canada
So now you know the best UK mail forwarding services to manage your mail and packages in the UK.
