Virtual postal address in London – Why is it good for you?

Have you ever been on holiday for a week or two, only to come home to meet a heap of mail – both junk and important ones – on your doorstep? The thought of sorting through may just be somewhat paralyzing that you end up putting it off for a few days. The downside to that is you may get into the hustles and bustles of business and forget all about them until there’s a notice of an outstanding bill payment… whoops!

To tell the truth, no one wants anything like that even though it seems inevitable, right?

The good news is that the arrival of technology has made it possible to have a virtual postal address – and right in the heart of London – where you can virtually monitor and review all your emails even when you are physically unavailable in the city. London is central to the UK and every business or company wants to be represented in the city, why shouldn’t yours?

What is a virtual postal address?

To start with, a virtual postal address is an address that comes with your PO Box number which is the street address of your post box service provider.

Through this postal address, you can receive your mails and packages. 

Sometimes, the addresses are unique to you and can thus be used for any address-related transaction in the UK such as the registered office address, mailing address, or director service address. This is especially useful during company formation with the Companies House. 

These types of virtual postal addresses are provided by service providers who offer different exclusive packages depending on what you need the virtual address for. A virtual postal address can also be used as the director’s address, mailing address, etc.

The good news is that you don’t even have to be outside London or the UK to use a virtual postal address. You can choose to own one if you do not want your home address listed on the Company House’s website and thus keep your privacy.

How does a virtual postal address work?

The virtual postal address works like any other address in the UK. The scan of any mail or package that arrives for you at that address will be sent to you via email so that you can decide what to do with them.

Some of these service providers give an option of physical pick up at such a location or most often they forward them to you at a predetermined address. This enables you to monitor your correspondence 24/7 from the comfort of your home anywhere in the world.

Most of the time, the mail reception and handling come free when you buy a virtual postal address. Adding other details like renting rooms for occasional meetings, dedicated telephone number, email domain, etc. may come at additional costs. The costs differ from one provider to the other.

Who needs a virtual postal address?

The list is endless. From UK residents to people who do not live in the UK but do transact business in the country, virtually anybody can buy a virtual postal address in London. The simple fact that a London address gives prestige to a business is enough reason to own a virtual postal address in London. For clarity, a London virtual postal address can be used by the following categories of people – 

• People who are relocating out of the UK temporarily or permanently.
• Businesses and companies who need a UK presence.
• Individuals who live outside the UK but transact businesses like buying or selling of goods and services in the UK.
• International students or students who often change their addresses.
• E-retailers and dropshippers who need a UK address.

What are the advantages of a virtual postal address in London?

While a virtual postal address may not give you the same benefits that come with a virtual office address, it still has some advantages. 

• Can be used as a registered office address, director address or mailing address for companies and businesses registering or incorporating with HMRC and Companies House.
• Privacy. Your residential privacy is protected from the public when you use a virtual postal address for your official transactions instead.
• You get to keep track of your mails, packages, and parcels any time of the day from anywhere in the world via your service provider’s website. Some service providers even have phone apps dedicated for this!
• You get to keep your home or residential address private.
• Have access to meeting rooms whenever you want.
• Have access to essentials like dedicated telephone number, email and website domain, secretaries or receptionists for answering and forwarding your official calls, etc.
• Buy prestige for your business at a reasonably low price.
• Give your company a competitive advantage with the big guns in your line of business.
• You can choose to pay on a month to month basis or per year.
• Reduced overhead costs.
• Pay premium for added benefits like mail forwarding, etc.
• Work from anywhere in the world and still retain a UK presence.
• You don’t have to pack up business in the UK if you are relocating.

What other benefits come with the virtual postal address?

Sometimes, the virtual postal address comes with options of meeting rooms for meetings and conferences, phone handling services, or a dedicated phone number or email domain for your business.

These of course would attract extra costs depending on what you need.

In conclusion, using a London virtual postal address is very advantageous in that you can have access to your important correspondences in real-time. This way, you avoid missing targets and deadlines.