Virtual Mailbox & Parcel Receiving FAQ
Everything you need to know about receiving, paying for, and picking up your packages at In Out Parcel. Can't find your answer? Send us a message.
No questions match your search. Send us a message and we’ll help.
How do I add money to my account?
- Deposit in the portal.
- Pay with cash at the counter during staffed hours.
- Pay by card at a pickup terminal or the counter — card payments may include a small processing surcharge.
Guide: how to pay by Interac e-Transfer.
When are packages logged and lockered, and what if I get no email?
What are your hours?
- Mon–Fri: 10:00am – 4:30pm
- Sat: 10:00am – 3:00pm
- Sun: Closed
The lockers are accessible 24/7 with your pickup PIN.
Can someone else pick up my package?
Why should I include my Customer ID on shipments?
Your Customer ID enables fast automatic logging and lockering of your packages. Without it, we have to match the package to you by hand, which can take an extra business day. If a store’s checkout strips out or rejects the PMB number in the address, put your Customer ID in the last-name field instead (for example, “Jane Smith 4321”) so it still prints on the label.
How does pickup work?
Your account must be verified to use the self-serve lockers.
Do I have to prepay?
No. Prepaying gives you full automatic retrieval; otherwise you pay at a terminal or the counter. Credit never expires, and there are no monthly or yearly fees.
Do you charge a monthly fee?
No. Unlike subscription virtual mailboxes that bill around $10 to $30 every month, In Out Parcel is pay-per-use — there is no monthly or annual fee. You only pay the per-package receiving fee when something actually arrives, so quiet months cost you nothing, and your prepaid credit never expires.
What does an account cost, and what are the receiving fees?
| Package Weight | Receiving Fee |
|---|---|
| Under 20 lb | $4.25 |
| 20–35 lb | $5.75 |
| 36–50 lb | $8 |
| 51–80 lb | $13 |
| 81 lb and up | $18 |
Other fees: tires $8 each · letter $4.25 · letter scan +$2.50 (10 pages; then $0.15/page) · freight $25 per 2 days · pallet disposal $10 · box disposal from $1 · inspection minimum $5.
What are tokens?
A token is a free credit that covers receiving a parcel of any size, except freight. Tokens are deducted before your paid credits. Adding a new token extends all your tokens to a fresh 45 days.
What are the locker sizes?
Can multiple people share one Customer ID?
For a business account, people who receive mail for the business are listed on that business's own Form 1583 — ask us about adding someone when you set up or update your business account.
A valid address looks like this:
Your Name 145 Tyee Drive, PMB _____ Point Roberts, WA 98281
The PMB number is your Customer ID. It is required for logging, lockering, and for USPS compliance.
Can I receive a package addressed to a friend or relative?
Do you accept letter mail?
We accept bank and credit statements, postcards, gift cards, and regular correspondence. Magazines, catalogs, junk mail, and flyers are discarded.
Held letters wait for you at the service counter, not in a locker, unless you ask us to move one into a locker. Scans are posted to your portal Letter Box — they aren’t emailed. If letter mail is set to Do Not Accept and a letter you want arrives, you have about 72 hours to tap Recover on it in your Letter Box, for the one-time $4.25 letter fee.
Guides: set up letter mail and reading your letter scans.
What can't you accept?
We do accept freight and pallets (human-liftable — no forklift needed), large TVs, tires, and refrigerated or perishable items. Customs inspections from US CBP or Canada Customs are welcome.
Do you offer cold or refrigerated storage?
Yes — we have on-site refrigerated storage, and it costs $8.00 per 2 days. Packages marked as needing refrigeration are automatically placed in our fridge as soon as they arrive, and if you know an item needs to stay cold you can request refrigeration after it arrives. Most temperature-sensitive shipments are labeled, so we catch them on intake.
Cold storage is billed from the moment the item goes in the fridge, and there are no free days — the usual 14-day window does not apply while an item is refrigerated, because fridge space is limited and perishables need to move fast. If we move an item you’ve already received into the fridge, we credit your receiving fee back first, so you pay $8.00 per 2 days rather than both fees. When it comes out of the fridge it returns to the normal rate and the 14-day window starts again from that day.
Do you have a fitting or change room?
Yes — there’s an on-site fitting room where you can try on clothing before you decide to keep, return, or forward it, which is handy for cross-border apparel orders. It doubles as a self-serve bay for picking up oversized items.
How do I update my information?
How do I verify my account / complete Form 1583?
Federal law requires a signed USPS Form 1583 for us to continue receiving mail on your behalf, and the easiest time to sign it is when you come to collect your first parcel. Locker access, forwarding and online payments all follow from it.
In person is free. Bring two pieces of ID (one government photo ID, plus one showing your address) to our Point Roberts counter during staffed hours, and we complete the form with you in about 3 minutes — no appointment needed — then hand you your parcel in the same visit.
Or verify online in the portal instead (small one-time convenience fee) — handy if you’ll mostly use letter scanning and forwarding, or can’t make it during office hours.
Step-by-step guides: verify in person (free) or verify online by video.
How are tires charged?
- Bike tires: 4 unboxed bike tires, 35 lbs total → weight fee $5.75 (20–35 lb) vs 4 × $8 = $32 → you pay the lower $5.75.
- Auto tires: 2 tires, 30 lbs each = 60 lbs → weight fee $13 (51–80 lb) vs 2 × $8 = $16 → you pay the lower $13.
Can I pay the exact amount instead of prepaying?
Yes. You can pay the exact amount at a terminal or the counter. Your PIN works whenever your balance is zero or positive.
Can I get a receipt or invoice for my accounting?
How do I close my account or get a refund?
What is dimensional weight?
Dimensional weight measures how much room a package takes up rather than how heavy it is: length × width × height in inches, divided by 166 (the divisor USPS uses). For most packages it changes nothing, because your fee is based on what your package actually weighs. Size only matters when a box is unusually big for how little it weighs: lots of box, not much inside. Then the price can go up to what its size would weigh, never more. A package with no weight to go by is priced by its size.
What happens if I refuse a package?
If it’s a package you ordered but no longer want, receiving and storage fees still apply once it arrives. To avoid this, arrange with the sender or carrier to stop the delivery before it reaches us. (A package that isn’t yours, or that you didn’t order, is different — tell us and we reverse the receiving fee.)
I got a package I didn't order. What do I do?
Do you handle outbound shipments and returns?
What if no locker is available for a large item?
We email you to say the item is on our staffed shelf, and you pick it up at the counter during staffed hours. Storage terms are the same as any package: your receiving fee covers the first 14 days, then storage renews weekly.
Need it after hours? Reply to your arrival notification to arrange an after-hours pickup — your account must be verified first. Collect it at the arranged time; if it isn’t picked up by then, it’s re-filed as a new arrival with a new receiving fee. Staff are happy to help you load during staffed hours — for very heavy items, please bring a helper. Guide: freight, pallets, and oversize items.
Can you consolidate my packages?
- Into one box to ship: yes. Pick several packages in one Quote Me request and we pack them into one shipment. A consolidation fee applies, and it’s shown before you submit.
- Into one locker for pickup: we do this as a courtesy when we can, normally once you have 4–5 or more packages waiting. It isn’t guaranteed. Contact us to ask.
Either way, every package is received and billed on its own. An order that arrives split across three boxes, each with its own tracking number, is three receiving fees.
How long do you hold packages?
There’s no rush — pick up on your own schedule. Your initial storage fee covers the first 14 days; after that, storage renews at a simple flat weekly rate for as long as your balance covers it. We never dispose of a parcel while you’re funded — a package is only disposed of after 80+ days AND only if you owe more than $50, and we send weekly reminder emails well before that. Guide: storage fees explained.
I was charged storage on a package I already picked up. Why?
What about box disposal?
Leave boxes under the inspection table and we dispose of them from $1 each. You can also take boxes home — note there is no commercial recycling in Point Roberts, and littering carries a $5–$20 fine per box.
Is this a virtual mailbox?
Yes. You get a real US shipping address with mail scanning, online management in the portal, package receiving, secure storage, and worldwide forwarding — everything a virtual mailbox does. The added twist is 24/7 self-serve locker pickup in Point Roberts, so you can grab your parcels on your own schedule instead of waiting for staffed hours.
Ready to Start Receiving Packages?
Get your free Point Roberts, WA address and start shopping US stores today.