Optional: Renting a P.O. Box

This is great for business accounts and accounts you want long term.

Another option is to actually rent a P.O. Box from your local post office or any other business that offers postal boxes (i.e. The UPS Store).

Just note for returns that most packages won’t fit into your P.O. Box, so the post office will hold them for you until you pick them up (ID may be requested). And since your drivers license may have a different name then the one you’re using for eBay, the post office might not give you the package unless you have proof that it’s your “business name” on the P.O. Box (ask them, talk to them, maybe explain to them that you will use that P.O. Box to sell on eBay and don’t want to give out your real name on the internet which is why packages might come in for a name other than yours).

Also, make sure you that you can send mail without putting P.O. Box in the address, since PayPal and eBay really frown upon P.O. Boxes. Using a P.O. Box will instantly lower your trust with eBay, thus making it easier for you to become limited. Ask the post office or P.O. Box company if they offer street addresses, where you write “123 Some St #789” and exclude the word “P.O. Box”. If they let you, (try with a test piece of mail first) then you can put that as your eBay and PayPal address.

Note: There are those who create accounts in mass, hundreds of accounts, where P.O. Boxes won’t make a lot of sense. And there are those who have 1-2 seller accounts and having a P.O. Box is much more practical.

The UPS Store

The great thing about the UPS store is that you can receive packages from all carriers.
You can add additional names to the box (sometimes).
Disadvantage is it’s more expensive.
You can purchase a small box and the UPS store will hold anything that doesn’t fit for you until you pick up.

Warning: If you mention to the the UPS store that you will be accepting mail in a business name, they may want you to upgrade to a business mailbox which is significantly more expensive. I suggest leaving that part out.

U.S. Post Office (Postal Box)

A lot of post offices now participate in “Street Addressing“, which allows you to use the post office’s street address. Simply add your P.O. Box number to the end of the address so that it looks exactly like a suite. Not to mention P.O. Boxes are infinitely cheaper than UPS store boxes (at least in my area).

Much cheaper!
UPS and FedEx cannot deliver to USPS boxes.
Mismatched names are problematic for incoming mail.

Alternatively Self Storage stores usually have mailbox rentals cheaper than most post office boxes or UPS stores. You can also go to YELLOWPAGES and do a search for ‘mailbox rentals’ in your area.

Virtual Address Providers (Another Option)

These are usually found in office building. They’re generally more expensive then post office boxes or UPS store boxes but it’s another option. You’re looking for local office buildings in your area that offer virtual or postal boxes for rent.

To find virtual office companies in your area, just Google:
[your city] virtual office OR
[your city] mail forwarding OR
[your city] virtual address

Prices should be around 20-30$ per month.

Next we’ll discuss using ANY address.

Optional: Renting a P.O. Box