You may require more than one address if you are setting up a small startup or a large limited company. Between documentation and deliveries, you may be asked for a variety of addresses, including mailing addresses, physical addresses, business addresses, registered addresses, and even street addresses, and each of these may mean something slightly different.
Here, we explain the differences and similarities between mailing and physical addresses – and when they can be the same – so you can use the correct address for the proper reason and have all of the correct type of addresses for your business.
What is the distinction between a mailing and a physical address?
The primary distinction between a mailing address and a physical address is that a physical address is where a company is physically located, typically a commercial or residential address, whereas a mailing address is where that business’s mail is delivered, such as a Post office box or mailbox service.
For smaller companies, these can frequently be two separate locations. For businesses that do not want to use their physical address for mail, there are a number of mailing options available. Traditionally, these are PO boxes or mailbox services, but some virtual address services may also provide additional mailing services.
If you started a small business from your home, a PO box, mailbox service, or virtual office with mailbox services can provide your company with a centrally located mailing address, a more viable business address, and a more valuable postal code. These services frequently require you to travel to their location to collect mail, but some also provide mail forwarding postal services for a fee.
However, if your company has a dedicated commercial space, your physical address could be used as a mailing address as well. This means that all business mail is delivered straight to you at the physical address of your company.
In a few key ways, mailing addresses differ from physical addresses. Knowing the distinction can help you determine what type of address you require for your business.
What is a mailing address?
A mailing address is an address where people can send you postal mail. This is your house or office address for many people and businesses. However, for some individuals or businesses, a mailing address is not the same as their home or business address.
A P.O. box is a famous example of a mailing address. A post office box is a mailing address, not a physical address. Senders can ensure that postal mail reaches you by using a P.O. box. Your precise location, on the other hand, remains a secret.
What is a Physical Address?
A physical address is an actual street address that can be used for both personal and business mailings. A physical address is not subject to the same delivery limitations as a PO Box. A physical address, unlike a PO Box, can obtain unrestricted mail and items from carriers other than USPS, such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, and Amazon. Get pricing for Physical Addresses.
Addresses are provided by iPostal1 at skilled pack & ship stores and executive business centers in highly ranked office buildings, where your postal mail and packages will be obtained and securely stored.
With our innovative technology, iPostal1 provides over 2,000 physical addresses in all 50 states, allowing you to monitor and manage your mail and packages from anywhere using our app or online:
(a)Notify senders and/or file a Change of Address request with the USPS to redirect your mail to your physical address.
(b)View a photo of the outside of each mail product and schedule a pickup, shred, or discard mail with a single tap or click.
(c)Submit an Open and Scan request to obtain a PDF of your mail content in your Digital Mailbox within a few hours.
Why Choose PhysicalAddress.com?
PhysicalAddress.com takes pride in being one of the few virtual mail, virtual address, and virtual business address service providers that manage and control all physical address locations. This means that Physical Address associates work at each location/address. So, whether you sign up in California, Texas, New York, Florida, or Nevada, your mail is delivered to a PhysicalAddress.com location and processed by Physical Address colleagues on-site. Mail management and physical address are not exported to third-party mail centers, and mail is not transferred to another location and analyzed later; these are industry common procedures. We also do not use PO Boxes as addresses; instead, we use real physical addresses. We offer premium online and phone support seven days a week and do not rely on third-party vendors to assist our clients, which is another industry standard.
Can I use a Physical Address for my Business?
Many home-based companies use a physical address rather than their home address for professional purposes. The physical address gives the home-based business privacy as well as a professional-looking address to use on postcards, marketing materials, corporate files, and their website. The physical address also eliminates the delivery restrictions linked with a PO Box.
You require a Physical Address if you use your home address for business, want to broaden your business presence to various sectors, or travel frequently for business or pleasure. You can select from over 2,000 real street addresses provided by iPostal1 at professional bag and ship stores or executive business centers in a highly ranked office building.
Transfer your mail and receive mail and packages from any carrier, including FedEx and UPS, at a secure location. Manage and control your postal mail using our app or online.
(a)Home-based businesses:
Consider the benefits of a Physical Address with iPostal1 for only $9.99 per month if you are currently using your home address for your business to save money. Use your physical address to register your business, improve your image, and safeguard your privacy. Take your company to the next level without incurring the expense and commitment of an office lease.
(b)Multiple market presence:
If you want to grow your business into multiple markets, iPostal1 has the most addresses available across the country, as well as international locations.
(c)Register for as many addresses as you want and develop quickly without incurring the expense of an office lease:
For a full office presence, add a local or toll-free phone and fax. Promote your addresses through your website, search engines, and directories.
(d)Frequent travelers:
If you travel frequently for work or pleasure, or are away from home for weeks or months at a time, get an iPostal1 Physical Address with Digital Mailbox technology so you can see and manage your mail with our app or online.
Keep in touch no matter where you are. Forward mail to any address, on demand, with the carrier and level of service you prefer, with a single click. Request a mail content scan to read a PDF delivered directly to your digital mailbox. Unwanted mail should be shredded or discarded. You can even deposit a check by mail.
Can I use a Physical Address as a Personal Mailing Address?
Yes, travelers, students, military personnel, and anyone else who wants to access their postal mail from a computer or smartphone can use a Physical Address from PhysicalAddress.com. Frequent travelers can be confident that they can control and manage their postal mail from anywhere in the world at any time.
Can I get a Physical Address near me?
All of the physical addresses on iPostal1 are real street addresses. These addresses are perfect for getting packages or serving as a business address. Most large cities have multiple iPostal1 physical address locations, including Atlanta, Boston, Delaware, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, and San Francisco.
With over 2,000 address locations, you can also get a physical address in many small towns and cities. We are constantly expanding our global network with new street addresses. If we don’t have a physical address near you right now, we might have one very soon.
Can I have more than one Physical Address?
Yes. When you log into your digital mailbox after signing up for your first iPostal1 physical address, you’ll see a ‘Add Location’ button. Use this button to add more physical addresses. From a single account, you can handle all of your physical addresses.
For each latest physical address, you must submit a separate USPS Form 1583. If you use our online notary service, you will receive a discount on any extra notarizations finished during the same session. All 1583s and IDs completed online will be instantly uploaded to the appropriate physical address for processing.
Can a Physical Address be a PO box?
No, a Physical Address cannot be a USPS PO Box. This is due to the fact that a post office box is not a real street-name address, which is a prerequisite for a Physical Address.
When a Physical Address is supported by Digital Mailbox service, as is the case with iPostal1, you get a whole new level of convenience and service when compared to a traditional Postal Service PO box.
Why is a Physical Address important?
Specific things can be done with a physical address but not with a post office box. If you have a home business, for example, you can sign up it, apply for credit, and receive packages from any carrier, such as UPS or FedEx.
With iPostal1’s Digital Mailbox service, you will be updated via mail or smartphone alert when new mail comes at your Physical Address, allowing you to monitor and manage your mail and packages using our app or your laptop.
Receiving mail and packages at a secure location, whether at home or away, is a personal preference. When you’re on vacation or away for the summer, you don’t have to worry about porch pirates or how to get your mail.
When does a Business need a Physical Address?
Your company requires a physical mailing address that is a real street address in order to:
(a)register your business
(b)apply for credit
(c)receive packages from any carrier, such as UPS or FedEx.
You cannot do any of these things with a Post Office PO box.
Furthermore, using a real street address for your company rather than your home address gives your business a more professional image while also protecting your privacy. Do you really want all of your customers and business partners to know your address?
With iPostal1, a company can easily add more addresses to establish a business presence at any of the nearly 2,000 iPostal1 places with a few clicks. It is an excellent way to scale a growing business without incurring costly leases or renting a business executive center office.
To create a virtual office address, include a local or toll-free phone number as well as a fax number.
What is a Mailbox with a Physical Address?
A mailbox with a Physical Address is a real street address that you select as a mailing address for your personal or business use. When you rent a mail box at an iPostal1 Physical Address, you will be assigned a unique mailbox number for your company mail and packages. All mailing addresses on iPostal1 are skilled retail pack and ship stores, coworking spaces, or executive business centers in commercial buildings, where your mail and packages are securely obtained and stored until you are ready to pick them up or forward them.
Does I need a Physical Business Address to register an LLC?
Yes. The United States Postal Service PO box cannot be used to register an LLC. Your company’s mailing address must be a real street address.
Can I rent A Physical Address?
Yes. With iPostal1, you can rent a Physical Address. Choose from nearly 2,000 addresses in the United States and other countries. Monthly mailbox fees begin at $9.99 per month, with no long-term contract required. When you sign up for a yearly plan, you will receive two months free. Using our app or your laptop, you can manage and control your mail and packages. View sender data and have mail delivered, opened and scanned, held for pickup, discarded, or shredded with a few clicks.
Different purposes:
A mailing address, also known as a postal address, is frequently governed by postal authorities, which are usually connected with services related to the sending and receiving of mail. In the United States, this would be USPS. Royal Mail is the postal service in the United Kingdom. Deutsche Post DHL Group is responsible for Germany, and JP Post or Japan Post is responsible for Japan. These postal officials can be public government agencies, such as the US Postal Service, or privatized companies, such as Royal Mail, Deutsche Post, and JP Post, which were sold off by their respective governments.
A physical address, also known as a street address, is used to describe the geographical location of a location. It frequently refers to a geographical location that falls under the authority of an administrative area or region and serves some government function. The physical address should have an identified and governed geographic boundary. If an address is in an incorporated area, the municipality is commonly responsible for delivering some public services, such as law enforcement, public schools, sanitation, and water works, among other things. If an address is in a rural or unincorporated area, these services are sometimes provided by the governing state, territory, province, county, or municipality. Certain services are not always available.
Location, location, location:
The geographical location of a physical address often determines which public and private services are available to it. A rural address, for example, may not have easy access to public transportation or high-speed internet, whereas a metropolitan address most likely does.
Choosing the right route:
Mailing address datasets are typically used to aid in the facilitation and delivery of mail, and they are not always one-to-one similar with geographic datasets such as TIGER. The main reason for this is that these datasets are intended to serve various purposes. Take, for example, USPS ZIP Codes. ZIP Codes are not geographical areas as defined by the US Postal Service. They are a network of mail delivery routes that aid in the identification of individual post offices and delivery stations connected with mailing addresses.
ZIP codes assist the US Postal Service in determining the best route for delivering mail. It is not unusual for a physical address located in one locality to be appointed to a different locality in its mailing address. This is popular in parts where a single post office or delivery station serves several municipalities.
Here are some examples of mailing addresses that are not physical addresses:
(a)Post Office Box (PO Box) and Private Mailbox (PMB) – Many people and businesses use PO Boxes and Private Mailboxes in terms of a physical address. Postal agencies such as UPS provide PMBs, or Personal Mailboxes, and while they promote that their PMBs include a street address, this is not the recipient’s physical address.
(b)Centralized Mailboxes – Cluster mailboxes, also known as community mailboxes, are essentially large communal mail boxes consists of multiple individual boxes clustered together. Because each box in the cluster has its own unique identifier, the mailing address for a centralized mailing box does not have to represent the recipient’s physical address.
(c)Unique ZIP Codes – These are ZIP codes designated to single high-volume addresses, such as universities, government agencies, and large businesses. Postal carriers will deliver packages to the organization’s mail department, which will then deliver it to the end destination, which could be in a completely different geographic location.
(d)Military Addresses – Are being used to route mail for military mail services like the United States Military Postal Service (MPS), the British Forces Post Office (BFPO), and the German Armed Forces (Feldpost). Civilian postal carriers deliver mail to military post offices, which then deliver it to recipients.
Which address to use:
Some people’s physical address and mailing address are the same, so when questioned for their address, they don’t have to worry about which address to give because they are both the same. Some thought should be given to those who do not have matching mailing and physical addresses. If the address’s purpose is to receive mail, the mailing address should be provided. If the address is required to determine where a location is geographically located, then the physical address is required.
The answer should be clear, but there are times when there are misunderstandings and confusion on the part of the party asking the address. The person requesting the address may be unaware that not all mailing addresses are physical addresses, and that not all physical addresses have mailing addresses. If the purpose of how an address is to be used is not made clear, the person providing it may provide the incorrect one if the two are not the same. Sometimes the person giving the address will directly ask if they want the mailing address or the street address, but the person asking may be unaware of the distinction and ask for the wrong one unknowingly.