Recently updated on June 20th, 2024 at 07:06 am
You are very excited that you are moving to a new place only to realize at some point that your old address will still be receiving your mails.
No one loves it when important mails are sent to the wrong address. This may put their sensitive information, important documents, or packages at significant risk.
At this stage, you may start wondering, ” will I have to start calling and informing the government, IRS, my bank, my credit card company, my family members, or friends of my new address?”.
The good news is you don’t need to go through all that stress. You can simply opt for a mail forwarding service to help redirect your mails from your old address to the new one.
You may probably not have heard so much mail forwarding service and how it works. This article is perfect for you!
What’s Mail Forwarding Service?
A mail forwarding service is responsible for redirecting all mail (bills, journals, checks, paper statements, magazines, federal notices, tax from IRS, health care information from insurance companies, etc.) from the old address to a new address.
This way, you will be able to keep in touch with correspondence from banks, government agencies, family members, or friends from anywhere you are in the world.
Who Needs Mail Forwarding Service?
People who may need a professional mail forwarding service to get their mails forwarded nationally or internationally include:
- Individuals or families relocating temporarily or permanently within or outside the US
- International shoppers looking to get US billing address
- Expats and college students
- Individuals who want to keep their home address strictly private
- Vacationers and travelers
- Small-sized business owners, entrepreneurs, or freelancers
How Does Mail Forwarding Service Work?
Instead of having your mail delivered to your old address, a mail forwarding company will receive all incoming mail addressed to you on your behalf at their mailbox location. Their operators will scan and upload all the received mails to your virtual mailbox. You can now select the mail to be forwarded to a different address.
If you intend to use a USPS forwarding address, you should make sure your mail redirection location is available upon request.
However, if the thought of using your home address as a forwarding address makes you feel uncomfortable, you may consider using a business address for LLC.
How To Change Mail Address and Forward Your Mail
A more cost-effective way to forward your mail to a new address is to file for a change of address. To do this, you have two options:
- Online.
- In-person.
Online
This is the fastest way to forward your mail upon relocation. If you use USPS forwarding service, simply visit USPS.com and go to the “Quick Tools” tab. Once you select the tab, “Change My Address” will pop out. Click on it, and you will be redirected to the USPS Change of Address Form.
The form incorporates spaces to enter the new address, old address, and date to start forwarding your mail.
Please keep in mind that changing your address online carries a $1 fee charged to your credit card. This is to verify that you are the one changing the address, not a scammer. You may also be required to complete your voter registration application.
In-Person
To change the address, go to a local post office and obtain the official change your address form 3575. Please fill out the form and submit it to a postal worker on duty. Expect to get a letter from USPS confirming your new address within a week. Please note USPS doesn’t charge the $1 fee for the in-person method.
What To Consider When Choosing a Mail Forwarding Service
There are several things to consider if getting your mail on time and your private information protected means a whole lot to you.
A few essential tips to help you make an informed decision include:
- Reputation
What are people saying about the company? What’s their BBB or Google rating? How long have they existed? How safe is your mail with them? Doing a little research online will go a long way. Customers’ reviews and reservations will help shed more light on the above questions. - Customer Service
If you send an email, will you get a quick response? Do they provide live chat? Visit the company’s website and check out their chat and email services. Send them emails to see how fast their response is! Will it be fixed as soon as possible if an issue comes up? - Price
While it is important to prioritize quality over cost, you don’t have to break the bank. Here are a few tips to save costs without sacrificing quality:- Read up on different mail forwarding companies. Compare and contrast their services, shipping costs, membership fees, customer plans, etc. Then, figure out what suits your budget and needs.
- Keep in mind that additional services like repacking, package consolidation, or assisted shopping might incur extra charges.
- Find an obvious and transparent company about their payment so you won’t have to pay hidden fees that pop out in the long run.
- Check for any free mail forwarding service available.
- Flexibility
Will the company permit you to use their address, particularly virtual mailing address, for billing? Some of the best mail forwarding services offer their customers access to an official PO box with a street address. Their international customers can use the provided addresses to shop at US online stores.
- Required Documents
What documents do I need to bring? What purpose does each document serve? Why is a change of address through USPS not sufficient? If I eventually submit all this information, how do I know they are secured in your system? Ask as many questions that come to your mind.
- Countries’ Forwarding Regulations
Find out what cannot be forwarded to the country you are moving to. What’s considered normal where you are coming from might be unacceptable in the destination country. Don’t be in a hurry to pay a mailing forwarding service provider only to discover that you have to forfeit your package or pay again to have it back.
Conclusion
A Mail Forwarding Service Provider you choose will handle all your mails for you, from private documents, important parcels, and packages to sensitive information. So, the need to get a professional and trusted forwarding company cannot be overemphasized.
You Might Also Like:
- How to Forward Postal Mail to Someone
- How to Change Mailing Address With USPS?
- All You Need To Know About A Forwarded Package
- How to Get a Physical Mailing Address?
- The Benefits of Mail Recycling
