Mail Scanning Services in the UK - Virtual Post Solutions

Mail scanning services turn physical letters into digital files for the recipient to read online. It offers a modern way for individuals and businesses to access and manage their post. Mail scanning is a secure solution that we’ve been delivering for over 10 years, learn more about it by reading our blog.

What is a secure mail scanning service?

Mail scanning is the process of having letters you receive scanned so you can access them virtually. Using our online mail management platform or app, you can take many actions with your mail items, such as reading them online, forwarding them elsewhere and more. 

Our post scanning service provides you with a virtual address for your post to be sent to. If you don’t need a virtual address, then our collect and scan service may be better suited to you. If you’re concerned about someone else accessing your mail, we use modern encryption software to ensure the privacy and security of every letter received.

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How does a post scanning service work?

For our mail scanning service, you’ll need to choose a virtual address. We offer several options from free PO Boxes to business addresses for company use. No matter what address type you choose, you’ll have access to our mail scanning service. When entering delivery information, just use your UK Postbox virtual address instead of your home or office location. This is what happens next:

  1. New mail is delivered to your virtual address, which we’ll receive at our secure mail sorting facility.
  2. We’ll assign a barcode to every mail item and input this into our mail management system.
  3. We then do one of three things, depending on your preference:
    a. Scan the envelope, leaving it unopened.
    b. Open the envelope and scan the inside documents.
    c. Forward the physical post to another address unopened.
  4. We’ll let you know via your account that post has arrived for you.
  5. You can then log in and decide what happens next, such as the following:
    a. Ask us to open any unopened envelopes and scan the contents.
    b. Read your letter scans online.
    c. Ask us to destroy the physical copy of your letter.
    d. Tag, manage and store your mail in digital folders.
    e. Request that we forward your item on to another address.

You have total flexibility over what happens to mail on a case-by-case basis. Assuming that you’ve got an internet connection, you can access your post quickly any easily at anytime, from anywhere in the world.

How secure is post scanning and virtual mail management?

How secure post scanning is depends on the company you choose. We take the security of your mail and identity extremely seriously, and we’ve invested heavily to protect you and your confidential information.

We have made a conscious decision to operate out of a single UK sorting and scanning facility. This means that we don’t have satellite offices placed around the UK that we need to monitor, meaning we can focus on making our head office (on the south coast of the UK) as secure as possible. We’ve taken these extra steps to ensure we’re the best mail scanning service in the  UK that individuals and businesses can trust to handle their post.

Anonymity, confidentiality and security. Your post scanning protection

People often question the anonymity and confidentiality when talking about post scanning, as it relies on someone else opening and scanning your mail. We’re used to hearing questions about this and we understand why our customers may have concerns.

We process upwards of a million letters and parcels each year, every working day of the year. Our team are professional, trained and ultimately uninterested in the contents of your mail - their goal is to scan and upload your documents for you to access online. We’re also governed by a number of legislations including the EU GDPR legislation, Money Laundering Regulations, and we’re registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO No. ZA038907). If you still have any concerns, please visit our in-depth privacy notice.

How can I access my scanned post online?

There are a few ways you can access your scanned mail, and how you do this depends on your personal preferences. Here are some of the options available to you:

  1. Log in from a computer or laptop from anywhere and use our desktop platform.
  2. Using an iOS or Android smartphone, download our mobile app.
  3. Integrate your UK Postbox account with cloud solutions such as Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Evernote or Dropbox to have mail automatically stored in your online storage system.

If you have other requirements, we offer as much flexibility as possible and we’ll try to accommodate your way of working.

Can I get my scanned letters by email?

You can set up scan-to-email which our service, but it’s not something we recommend. Email is not a secure technology for transferring personal documents. Data transmitted bia email isn’t encrypted and can easily fall into the wrong hands. While you can choose to have your letters sent to you this way, we’d always recommend accessing them through our secure platform instead. This will help to ensure you have the best protection and security over your digital mail.

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What happens with parcels, you can’t scan those can you?

You’re right, parcels are tricky to put through a scanner. Instead we take a photo of the outside of the box, or of the contents inside (depending on your preference). Much the same as when you receive a letter, we’ll let you know via your account when something has arrived. You then have a number of options:

  1. Have us forward your parcel to wherever you are.
  2. Ask us to open and photograph the contents so you can decide what happens next.
  3. Request that we open your parcel and consolidate its contents with another parcel, reducing international carriage charges.
  4. Ask us to store your parcel in our secure mailroom until you’re ready to receive it.
  5. Request that we store it until you’re ready to receive it.

Increasingly, we have people all over the world looking to buy products from the UK for us to ship abroad. We’ve called this service UK shop & ship. every UK Postbox account comes with a courier point address for your parcels, so even if you only get a single parcel in a year, or you just use the service around Christmas or sale periods, that’s fine by us. Just pay as you go and use the service as and when you need it.

I’d like to find out more about mail scanning, where should I go next?

We’ve mentioned a few different services in this post, and it’s important to understand that they’re all closely related to one another. If you’re looking for some additional information on any of the features or services we’ve mentioned, then please follow the links below. We’re also always on hand to answer any questions you might have, so contact us using the method most suited to you and we’ll be in touch.

UK Mail Forwarding Service

UK Parcel Forwarding Service

Free PO Box Address

London Street Address

Free Royal Mail Redirection Address

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Allan Chester
February 20, 2018
Services