Traveling Mailbox vs iPostal1: Which is Better?
Both are strong nationwide options with real street addresses, scanning, and forwarding. Your best fit depends on overage math, forwarding fees, check deposits, and whether you need a specific address.
Quick Summary
Traveling Mailbox (TM) is the easy default for RVers, expats, and small LLCs: predictable fees, clear overage math, and solid support. iPostal1 shines if you care about a very specific city location or want to shop many addresses for price/features—just remember fees can vary by the local partner running that address.
What Actually Changes Your 12‑Month Cost
- Included vs. overage: Plans include a fixed number of envelopes and scanned pages. If you routinely exceed limits, overages (often $0.25–$0.50/page and ~$0.25/envelope) dominate. Budget tax/renewal months separately.
- Forwarding fees: You always pay postage plus a handling fee per shipment. Consolidating weekly or twice monthly reduces handling fees significantly.
- Check deposit: If you deposit monthly, this single line item can outweigh small plan differences. Confirm per‑deposit fees and processing time first.
- Extra recipients & storage: Adding a partner or longer storage windows can add a few dollars monthly that compound over the year.
Tip: temporarily upgrade tiers during heavy months instead of paying lots of per‑page overages.
Picking the Right One for Your Situation
- Choose Traveling Mailbox if you want a “set it and forget it” setup with fees that are easy to predict and workflows that don’t require micromanagement.
- Choose iPostal1 if the exact city block (or a certain building) matters to you, or you want to shop multiple locations for the best combo of base price and add‑ons.
Either way, turn on consolidation, set open/scan defaults, and mark priority senders (banks, DMV, insurers) to scan immediately. That’s 80% of the hassle gone.
Simple 12‑Month Cost Framework
(Plan × 12) + (extra pages × fee × 12) + (extra envelopes × fee × 12) + (shipments × handling × 12) + postage + (check deposits × fee). Run two scenarios: a “typical” month and a “busy” month. If busy months last 2–3 months, a temporary tier upgrade often beats per‑page charges.
Bottom Line
You won’t go wrong with either if you configure consolidation and open/scan rules on day one. If you value address choice and don’t mind shopping, go iPostal1. If you want fewer surprises and a smooth daily experience, Traveling Mailbox is usually the better default.