Correspondence Address vs Courier Point Address

We were recently asked the difference between Correspondence Addresses and Courier Point Addresses and how they are used.

UK Postbox handles both letters and parcels at scale. In 2025 we received 540,216 mail items. We support individuals, businesses and organisations with their every day scanning, forwarding and shipping.

We offer address types that are suited towards different customers and needs, including Correspondence Addresses and Courier Point Addresses.

What are Correspondence Addresses used for?

UK Postbox addresses are correspondence addresses, not residential addresses. The difference is a residential address is where you officially live for a minimum of 183 days of the year and can prove residency there, a correspondence address is where you send and receive all mail items.

We have no restriction on how the address is used, it's 100% whether the organisation accepts.

When providing your correspondence address, UK Postbox can act as your:

Individual's address
Correspondence address
Business trading address
Registered office address
Directors service address
Royal Mail redirect address (with a valid Royal Mail Redirection)

Most organisations will accept a correspondence address but if they require your actual residential address, no virtual address service can offer this.

Why are they used in this way?

Correspondence Addresses enable UK Postbox to receive personal and businesses letters on your behalf. From here you can decide what to do with the item.

What happens if they aren't used correctly?

If parcels are sent a correspondence address they will not be accepted and if they are, they may be returned to sender. And this is where Courier Point Addresses come in!

What are Courier Point Addresses used for?

A courier point address is a specific location where someone can physically receive and sign for items, during business hours. With UK Postbox, it’s straightforward. Every account has a dedicated Courier Point Address, where your parcels/stock can be sent to. We can receive and scan your parcels, then notify you as soon as they arrive.

To view your dedicated Courier Point Address you can find this information at Settings > Address Details.

Why are they used in this way?

Courier Point Addresses enable UK Postbox to receive parcels on your behalf. From here, we'll store, scan and forward the item on your behalf.

What happens if they aren't used correctly?

In 2025, we forwarded 19,093 parcels and 84,231 letters, working with a range of postal services and couriers. Because of this, we've seen all scenarios and catered for all sorts of requirements:

If parcels are sent to a correspondence address they will not be accepted and if they are, they may be returned to sender.
For safe, secure delivery, what you should do is always ensure you're using your courier point address and not your correspondence address for parcels.

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