Post office box Facts for Kids

Not to be confused with Post box.

A post office box full of mail

PO boxes of various sizes in a German post office, with their number range and postcodes written above them

Outdoor Post Office Boxes (as common in Switzerland) numbers one to six at 9054 Haslen, Switzerland.

A post office box (often called a P.O. box) is like a private, lockable mailbox you can rent at a post office. These boxes are usually found inside the post office building itself. They give people and businesses a safe place to receive their mail.

In some parts of the world, like in many African countries, mail isn't delivered directly to homes. For example, in Kenya, getting a P.O. box has been the main way to receive mail. However, some countries, like Egypt, have started offering home delivery.

Renting Your Own P.O. Box
P.O. Boxes Around the World
Private Mail Services
Images for kids
See also

Renting Your Own P.O. Box

You can rent a post office box from the post office. People and businesses usually rent them for a month or a year. The price depends on how big the box is. Boxes in busy city centers often cost more than those in smaller towns.

In the United States, the cost of renting a P.O. box used to be the same everywhere. Now, prices can change based on the post office's location. Also, some people can get a P.O. box for free. This usually happens if the Postal Service doesn't deliver mail directly to their home address.

P.O. Boxes Around the World

In the United Kingdom, Royal Mail P.O. boxes are often simple slots inside a secure sorting office. Only postal staff can put mail into them. If you rent one, you get a special card. You show this card to staff to pick up your mail. For an extra fee, Royal Mail can even deliver your mail to your home.

In Australia, P.O. boxes that are built into walls come in five sizes. These are small, medium, large, jumbo, and A4. Different sizes can be placed together on the wall. There are also "locked private bags" available, which come in two sizes.

Private Mail Services

Some private companies also offer services similar to P.O. boxes. Companies like United Parcel Service (UPS) or other mail service businesses let you rent a mailbox. The main difference is how the mail is addressed. With these private services, mail is sent to a street address, plus your private box number. A regular P.O. box is just addressed to "PO Box" and the number.

Virtual mailboxes are a newer option. They are like P.O. boxes but offer extra services. For example, they might scan your mail or forward it to another address.