Mail

5 best mail scanning services for digitizing mail

March 7, 2023
Sarah Ahmad

For small businesses, a lot hinges on physical mail: There’s critical communication from banks, the IRS, and other agencies that can only happen through traditional postal mail. But when you’re scaling and moving around, switching addresses (and staying on top of these communications in the process) is hectic and takes time away from growing your business.

But even within large companies, physical mail can be a major sticking point. Some receive tremendous volumes of physical mail and checks —  so much that it requires  dozens of staff hours each week to manage it. 

But there’s good news: Mail scanning services can drastically reduce the time and costs spent on mail management, no matter the size of your business.

Today’s innovative mail scanning services streamline business mail operations, keeping you organized and removing the tedious manual element from many mail-related operations (like depositing checks and shredding junk mail).

Here, we’ll take a closer look at mail scanning services and their many benefits. Then, we’ll examine the key features and advantages of five leading services to help you identify which best align with your business’s unique needs and goals. 

What is a mail scanning service?

Exactly what they sound like, mail scanning services handle mail management, allowing businesses to leverage automation that eliminates the time-consuming burden of manually sorting, storing, and disposing of mail items. 

Research shows that the average business owner spends about 68% of their time handling day-to-day administrative duties. Only about 32% of their time is spent on tasks that focus on moving the business forward (like strategic planning and long-term goals). With a mail scanning service that reduces the manual work involved in mail management, business owners have greater flexibility to focus on those more important matters.

Mail scanning services also let you quickly and easily identify important mail so you can make expedient business decisions. When your mail is digitized, instead of rummaging through physical mail manually looking for items from a certain sender, you can use a quick keyword search for the sender’s name. 

From scanning incoming mail and forwarding packages to depositing checks and extracting key information, mail scanning services securely handle all mail and packages delivered to your own virtual business address. 

The benefits of a mail scanning service

The benefits of utilizing a mail scanning service are manifold, including the following: 

Enhanced mail management

Mail management services receive, sort, and manage mail on your behalf. If your business receives large volumes of paper mail, a mail scanning service can help save on storage space, costs, and the time you (or a staff member) would spend manually organizing it.

Meanwhile, digitization services further save time and space by eliminating physical mail. Not only is this an eco-friendly solution, but it also makes it easier to locate documents — when mail is digitized, you can pull up the document you’re looking for with a quick keyword search. 

Greater accessibility and convenience

More than half of office professionals spend more time “digging for files they need” than they do on actual work, according to Wakefield Research and Elastic. 

Furthermore, 58% of office workers identified the ability to quickly search for files and documentation as a “top-three problem.” 

By scanning and digitizing incoming mail, mail management services make accessing incoming digital mail from anywhere easy and convenient via user-friendly software. Rather than searching through physical files, employees simply conduct a quick online search. 

And unlike with a P.O. Box, scanned mail can be easily accessed from wherever you are — 24 hours a day. 

More security and privacy

Physical files are inherently at risk, from fire and theft to environmental damage and human error. In the best-case scenario, the result is wasted time. But in the worst case? Sensitive data falls into the wrong hands to the detriment of your company, employees, and customers. 

On the other hand, converting files to digital form minimizes these threats while protecting and preserving documentation. Some mail scanning services, like Stable, include permission and roles management, allowing you to give certain departments access to certain mail. 

Improved efficiency and productivity

We’ve already touched on the inconvenience factor associated with handling physical mail. However, the impacts can be profound when amplified across your organization. 

The Wakefield report concludes that this “loss of time negatively impacts companies and cultures as workers waste energy that would be better spent on planning, strategy and overall company growth.”

The takeaway here is that keeping up with physical mail isn’t just a hassle; it can actually harm employee morale, erode company culture, and detract from your bottom line. 

Top 5 mail scanning services

More businesses choose to work with mail scanning services because of their powerful potential. Which begs the question: How do you select the best mail scanning service for your operation? 

Here’s a breakdown of five leading mail scanning services to consider. 

1) Stable

With the mission of making it simple for businesses to operate from anywhere, Stable simplifies and streamlines mail management by providing a permanent address and virtual mailbox for scanning mail, forwarding packages, depositing checks, and more. 

Key features and benefits

  • Hands-on onboarding, including handling the pre-filling and verification process of the mandatory USPS 1583 form to ensure compliance
  • Free change of address guidance, including a customized checklist for your business with instructions on how to update your address, pre-filling all paperwork, and assigning a dedicated team member to ease the transition. 
  • Mail handling automations and integrations that make the process as intuitive, easy, and seamless as possible. Plus, Stable is constantly iterating based on real customer feedback. 
  • Stellar customer experience (A net promoter score of an impressive 70-plus speaks for itself, as does a client roster including reputable companies like Indiegogo, Airbyte, and IFTTT.)
  • Transparent pricing with no hidden fees. Stable provides an at-cost mail forwarding service and will provide quotes at any time prior to shipment. Plus, no cancellation fees — a rarity in this space. 
  • Speedy turnaround times with all new mail and mail requests typically delivered within a day.

Pricing

  • Offers three plans with varying features and functionalities: Grow ($49/month), Scale ($89/month), and Enterprise (custom).
  • All plans include one permanent address, unlimited mail reception, and guidance on the change of address process.
  • Backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

2) PostScanMail

Offering more than 600 local mailing addresses for receiving mail, PostScanMail gives businesses complete control. The company receives, scans, and uploads the front of mail to an online portal, which customers access to request opening and further scanning, recycling, or forwarding. 

Key features and benefits

  • Online mail management, including scanning, forwarding, and free storage for up to 30 days
  • Local pickup option available in lieu of mail forwarding
  • Free mail archiving as long as your account is active
  • Safe, secure, and environmentally friendly recycling
  • Multiple recipient functionality
  • Customizable filters and folders
  • Convenient mobile app for Android and iOS devices

Pricing

  • Offers three plans for different users and needs: Starter ($10/month), Standard ($20/month), and Premium ($30/month).
  • All plans include core functionalities like a real U.S. street address, 24/7 online access, email notifications, and a mobile app. 

3) Anytime Mailbox

Anytime Mailbox is a secure cloud-based platform makes viewing and managing your mail from your computer or mobile device easy. After selecting a physical street address from the Anytime Mailbox network of locations, users choose a service plan that suits their needs. 

Key features and benefits

  • Secure, cloud-based platform 
  • Native app alerts, text messaging, or emails when mail arrives or a requested action has been completed
  • Free unlimited online storage
  • Customizable plans including real street addresses, mail and packaging forwarding, check deposit, and shredding
  • International network of mailbox addresses

Pricing

  • Service plan rates vary depending on the location. (To access rates, first choose your location.)
  • Prices start as low as $5.99/month.

4) US Global Mail

US Global Mail provides virtual mailbox solutions for individuals, small businesses, enterprises, and expats — all via a convenient virtual mailbox. Services include viewing, scanning, and shipping. 

Key features and benefits

  • Multiple addresses let you forward mail from multiple homes and/or businesses to one virtual address
  • Bank-graded encrypted privacy
  • Pre-sorting to minimize wasted time on junk mail and spam
  • Eco-friendly (all junk and discarded mail is recycled and the company plants a tree for every new member sign-up) 

Pricing

  • Service plan rates are available for individuals and businesses from $9.99/month to $39.99/month with custom Enterprise plans also available. 
  • A 30-day free trial is available. 

5) iPostal1

A pioneer in virtual mailbox forwarding and mailroom management software, iPostal1 is a digital mailbox service that also includes scanning, mail forwarding, and other mail management services for everything from streamlining business operations to package theft prevention. 

Key features and benefits

  • More than 2,500 domestic and international addresses, including both mailbox locations  
  • Discounted international forwarding for up to 80% savings on international shipping rates
  • Receive mail and deliveries from all carriers, including UPS and FedEx
  • Access via app or web
  • See real-time shipping prices
  • Shred or discard unwanted mail

Pricing

  • Four Virtual Mailing Address Plans, ranging from entry-level Green ($9.99/month) to comprehensive Gold ($39.99/month). 
  • Four Virtual Office Plans (business address + phone and fax) are also available ranging from entry-level Office 60 ($39.99/month) to Office 240 Toll Free ($69.99/month). 
  • Optional add-ons like check deposits, additional insurance, and extended storage are also available. 

Secure mail scanning services within minutes with Stable

Looking for help managing your physical mail from anywhere with a premium business address? Whether you’re looking for the best virtual mailbox and best virtual address for individuals and businesses, the best corporate mailing services for receiving and sending mail, Stable’s premier mail management services are an innovative solution to the challenges of running a remote, distributed, or fast-scaling company. 

Stable provides permanent virtual addresses and mailboxes to streamline your business’s mail operations. We securely digitize your mail so that you can scan, forward, shred, or even deposit checks from anywhere in the world through our intuitive web dashboard. To start saving time and resources by joining them, create your Stable address today.

Get 50% off your first year with Stable

Get a special discount on our virtual address + mailroom sent to your inbox
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
A virtual address + mailroom for businesses
Learn More

Get 50% off our Grow plan

Get a special discount on our virtual address + mailroom sent to your inbox
Thank you! We'll email you soon with the referral code.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.