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What are virtual addresses, and how could having one help you?

By LLM Reporters   |  

Fed up with the constant stream of junk mail that gets posted through your letterbox? Or perhaps you just make so many online orders that with your busy, jet-setting lifestyle, you can’t possibly stay at home to receive them all. If you’re regularly off travelling the world or attending important business meetings, then you might well be growing tired of the endless piles of missed delivery cards, or coming home to such huge stacks of unopened mail on your doormat that you can barely open the front door – but thankfully, there is a solution for the overwhelm, and it might just be easier than you think.

An increasing number of people are opting to register for a virtual mailing or postal address, which gives them one or more locations to have their mail sent to outside of their own homes. Then, they can simply log in, view, open and read your post and parcels wherever you are in the world – which means no more waiting until you get home to catch up with any important correspondence, and no need to miss an exciting delivery ever again.

If it all sounds too convenient to be true, then the good news is, it isn’t. Here, we asked the experts at physicaladdress.com to tell us more about virtual addresses and just why they are taking off.

What is a virtual address?

A virtual address is an address that receives your mail and digitalises it for you – it really is as simple as that. And, it’s all done through high quality scanning services, without any third parties involved, so there’s no need to worry about privacy or security issues.

If you run a business that sprawls across multiple cities, it might be easier to simply have all of your mail directed to one place: your virtual address

Who would benefit from having a virtual address?

While picking up your missed post from the local sorting office is still an option, for many, it’s just an extra hassle they could do without. So, if you’ve ever cursed at having to head there after a long and busy day, then this might just be for you.

Still not convinced? Here are some scenarios in which having a virtual address can be hugely beneficial to your life. 

1. If you run a business that has more than one location

If you run a business that sprawls across multiple cities, it might be easier to simply have all of your mail directed to one place: your virtual address. That way, your business will digitally receive all its mail, so that no matter where you are based at that time, your mail will reach you in a fast and efficient way, allowing you to deal with any important matters digitally in an instant rather than allowing yourself to get behind.

If your business is ever-expanding, a virtual address is a particularly great way to keep on top of all your correspondence under one umbrella service. Nobody can be in several places at once, and with a virtual address, you no longer have to.

2. If you travel a lot

If you spend a lot of your time travelling for work or pleasure, a virtual address will allow you to receive and respond to mail without needing to actually be at home. If you’re awaiting some time-sensitive documents to complete, such as banking or tax forms, or any other types of urgent official correspondence, then it will enable you to do so, stress free – because let’s face it, nobody wants to have to wait an extra week or two to get an important matter sorted and spend that much-needed luxury getaway worrying about it when they should be relaxing instead.

An increasing number of people are opting to register for a virtual mailing or postal address, which gives them one or more locations to have their mail sent to outside of their own homes. Image credit: Ben L Molyneux/Bigstock.com

What are the potential problems with a virtual address?

Of course, nothing is perfect, and virtual addresses can occasionally present some challenges. While these services are guaranteed to be safe and secure to ensure customer peace of mind, many people still prefer to keep their documentation completely private rather than having it uploaded onto the web – so if that sounds like you then you might need to weigh up the pros and cons of such a service before taking the plunge.

Similarly, a virtual address does cost money – but if you’re an affluent individual with no need to save your pennies then it is unlikely to be an issue.

Final thoughts

If you are a busy business person or a frequent traveller who has a seemingly never-ending deluge of mail arriving at your premises, a virtual address is a great way to make the process of receiving and responding to it more efficient. Never again will you miss out on receiving an important document on time, or receiving a long-awaited letter – because your virtual address will allow you to keep on top of things anytime, anywhere.