A mailbox is a common sight in most houses in the country. The delivery of mail began in the year 1775 and has since come a long way. In 1863, the United States Postal Service (USPS) started its free city delivery service. The process followed was very simple. A postman would ring the bell or knock on your door and hand over your mail. In case no one is home, the mail is left outside.

Mailboxes make things easier, as all your mails can just be put into them. Mailboxes have changed a lot over the years and now match USPS requirements and convenience. The various kinds of mailboxes now prominent in the country include the following.

• Wall mount mailboxes
  A wall mount mailbox is fixed on a wall in front of a building or house. These mailboxes are ideal for people that opt for a walk-up mail delivery service. Such mailboxes can easily hold a large amount of mail at a time. These cheap mailboxes are not only easy on the pocket, but also can be locked. So, only those with access to the mailbox can view its content. However, they do not offer an option to put in outgoing mail.
• Post mount mailboxes
  In postal areas where deliveries are made outside, without the postman visiting the house, post mount mailboxes are installed. These mailboxes are very useful, come with several features, and make it easy for postal workers, as they do not need to knock on each door. However, before opting for this kind of mailbox, make sure that the pole is cemented properly in the ground so that it does not fall over.
• Mail slots
  These are cheap mailboxes ideal for apartments and smaller houses. You only see this kind of mailbox where the delivery of walk-up mail is zoned. Mail slots offer various advantages. They are simple, economical, convenient for mail delivery, and all your mails and parcels are sent right into your home.
• Column mount mailbox
  Usually, mailboxes are pictured as long, rectangular-shaped boxes. However, column mailboxes are different. They are flatter recessed mailboxes that are mounted on columns made of stucco, concrete, stone, or brick. They are generally free-standing and give a professional look to your residence. If you choose a column mount mailbox, make sure that it is durable, weather-resistant, and sealed properly, or your mail might get damaged.

A virtual mailbox is a digital mailbox service that is accessible using any PC or smartphone. This kind of service is usually employed by those who travel frequently, own small businesses, or have just started a new business. Using a virtual mailbox, you can check your mail without physically checking your mailbox. Here are a few cheap mailboxes you can use virtually.

• PostScan mail
  This is an economical virtual mailbox service that can be accessed from anywhere at any time. You can manage all your mails remotely while offering your street address as well as PO Box address. Your privacy is protected while your mails are delivered. More than a few users can be added to your PostScan Mail account. Features like filtering out mails and scanning images you received are also available.
• Anytime Mailbox
  Using this virtual mailbox service, mail center businesses and operators can offer an online mailbox to their customers within minutes. The service lets you assign mails to others or capture images by operating the existing tablet, mobile device, or any such device. You can check the digital address for any selected location.
• Incfile
  Using this virtual mailbox service provider, your address remains private, and you get a fixed address to send and receive correspondence anywhere. You can conveniently read all your important mails, as they get uploaded to a secure portal after getting scanned. You will also receive a notification when a new email is uploaded. Review your email from any laptop or smartphone before sending it.
• Earth Class Mail
  This is one of the few virtual mail services that let you upload mail to Google Drive, Dropbox, or a few other Cloud services. Using this online mailbox service, checks can be uploaded into QuickBooks Online or other similar accounting software. You can manage, search, tag, and integrate with the Cloud service using this mailbox.
• Traveling Mailbox
  You can manage your mail virtually using the Traveling Mailbox service, as your packages and mails can be sent anywhere across the globe. The service provides unlimited customer support via phone and real physical addresses for your mails. Once a mail is scanned, you can view it as a PDF file or send the file to Google Drive, Dropbox, or Evernote. Email notifications are sent for every new mail.

You can analyze the features and plus points of all these virtual mailboxes and choose a suitable one.