10 Best Anytime Mailbox Alternatives for Your daily Professional Life

Anytime Mailbox Alternatives. In this digital age, fewer and fewer people are using physical mail as a primary means of communication. The rise of email, SMS, social media, chat apps and other online services has, for the most part, replaced snail mail. But the impact it’s had on our day-to-day communication isn’t all bad news – there are some positives to this digital shift. As a result, there are now many Anytime Mailbox Alternatives available that can be used as an alternative or alongside your traditional post box. Read on to discover 10 great options for you to consider when judging how and where you receive personal and professional correspondence in your day-to-day life.

What is a Mailbox?

A mailbox is a place where items of mail are delivered. More specifically, mailboxes are the boxes that are mounted outside residences and businesses to receive items such as letters, parcels, newspapers, and magazines. A mailbox has one or more slots into which mail is placed and is often adjacent to a postbox (or letterbox) used for receiving larger items such as parcels and magazines. Mailbox design variations include wall-mounted, freestanding, drawer, and alcove mailboxes. With the rise of online communication, physical mailbox usage has declined significantly, especially when looking at younger generations. In recent years, companies have taken advantage of this reduction in physical correspondence by introducing mailbox alternatives. These Anytime Mailbox Alternatives allow you to receive real-world mail, such as bills and statements, online.

Gmail

Gmail is one of the most popular Anytime Mailbox Alternatives worldwide. Originally created in 2004 as an invite-only email service, Gmail now boasts more than 1 billion users worldwide. For many, it’s become their default email client thanks to its unlimited storage, smart search functionality, and easy-to-use interface. Gmail offers users the ability to integrate a virtual mailbox for receiving physical mail. To do this, you’ll need to connect your Gmail account to a third-party postal service. Once connected, Gmail will automatically convert physical mail such as bills and letters into digital items. This is possible thanks to a technology that Google calls ‘Postal Access Transformation’ (PAT). PAT enables digital scans of physical mail to be sent to Gmail and automatically converted into digital documents. These can then be organized, searched, and shared in a way similar to emails.

Mailbox by Dropbox

Created in 2011 as a collaboration between Dropbox and the Japanese company Dai Nippon Printing, Mailbox by Dropbox is a great alternative to a physical mailbox. It’s a cloud-based email service that allows users to organize, store and view their emails from a variety of devices. Mailbox works by allowing users to take advantage of the “snooze” function. With this function, you can delay the delivery of any physical mail until the time you choose. This offers an alternative to just ignoring mail completely. It’s particularly useful for crucially important letters and bills that you don’t want to miss out on receiving.

Google Voice

Google Voice is an internet-based telephone service that offers users a variety of features, including voicemail, call forwarding, and a virtual mailbox. With a Google Voice mailbox, you can receive physical voicemails as an email attachment. Google Voice is a great Anytime Mailbox Alternatives for receiving important voicemails in your inbox instead of your junk inbox. If a call comes in and the caller leaves a voicemail, Google will transcribe it and send it to you as an email. You can even choose to have the voicemail transcribed in a variety of different languages.

Skype

Skype is a popular online voice and video communication service. It allows users to send text, audio, and video content between one another, either in one-to-one or group calls. Although it’s primarily used for online communication, Skype also lets users receive voicemails as an email. This is particularly useful for receiving important physical voicemails such as bills, reminders, and medical advice in your inbox.

iOS Mail Apps

Mail apps are pre-installed on iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices. These apps can be used as mailbox alternatives for receiving physical mail as emails. There are two ways an iOS device can receive physical mail as emails. The first way is to install a software called ‘Popular Postal Barcode Scanner’. Any physical mail with a barcode can be scanned using this software and emailed to you. The second way is to use an email account such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo. Simply forward your physical mail to the email account and it will be sent to you as an email.

iPhone Email Apps

Email apps for iPhones can be used as Anytime Mailbox Alternatives. These apps allow you to receive physical mail such as bills, statements, and letters as an email. There are plenty of email apps available for iPhones, but the most popular options are Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. To receive physical mail as an email, open up an email app and forward the physical mail to your email address.

Microsoft Outlook

As a Anytime Mailbox Alternatives, Microsoft Outlook can be used to receive physical mail in your inbox. Depending on your internet service provider, you can set up an email account that receives all physical mail. Then, forward all physical mail to your email account. These emails can then be archived and organized in the same way as emails.

VIP Voice Mail and Video Calling

VIP Voice Mail and VIP Voice Mail Plus are Anytime Mailbox Alternatives that can be used to receive physical voicemails as an email. Similar to Google Voice, these mailbox alternatives will transcribe physical voicemails and send them to you as an email attachment. VIP Voice Mail Plus is particularly useful because it can also receive physical voicemails and send them to you as an email or a text message. This is a great feature for those who aren’t interested in receiving voicemails in their inbox. It’s perfect for those who want to save their inbox for emails only.

Summary

Mailboxes have been around for centuries, but their popularity has decreased thanks to the rise of email. However, there are many Anytime Mailbox Alternatives that can be used as an alternative or alongside your physical mailbox. Gmail, Mailbox by Dropbox, Google Voice, Skype, iOS Mail apps, Microsoft Outlook, VIP Voice Mail and Video Calling are all great mailbox alternatives worth considering.