Frequently Asked Questions

ShieldMailBox is a virtual mailbox service. We receive eligible mail at your assigned mailbox, log it, and let you request available actions such as scanning, forwarding, pickup, or shredding through your dashboard.

Only the personal and business names registered to your mailbox may receive mail. Keep these names current so that mail can be correctly identified and handled.

Yes, absolutely. Your assigned suite number at our commercial facility is an official physical street address (not a PO Box). You can use it for:

• Government & Corporate Filings: Federal incorporation with Corporations Canada, Ontario provincial business registration (ServiceOntario / OBR), and online filing services (Ownr).
• Tax & Regulatory: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Business Number (BN), corporate income tax (T2), GST/HST accounts, and payroll accounts.
• Banking & Finance: Opening Canadian business bank accounts with RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC, or credit unions.
• Payment Gateways & Merchant Processors: Stripe, PayPal, Square, Shopify, and Amazon seller accounts.
• Commercial Operations: Invoices, client contracts, marketing materials, website footers, and courier package intake.

Yes, absolutely. You will have your own unique private suite number at our physical commercial building which you can expressly use as the official registered office of a federal corporation under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) as well as provincial corporations (e.g., under the OBCA). As long as your account is maintained in good standing, our on-site team accepts official government notices (Corporations Canada, CRA) and service of legal documents—including court documents delivered in person by process servers, registered mail, or commercial couriers—on behalf of your registered corporation. All received legal notices and corporate correspondence are securely logged in your online dashboard immediately upon arrival.

Public Storefront Pins are Prohibited: You cannot publish our facility's address as a public physical storefront pin on Google Maps. Under Google's official Business Profile guidelines, virtual offices, mailboxes, and PO boxes cannot display a public map pin because customers cannot walk in unannounced during business hours to meet your permanent on-site staff. Publishing a public storefront pin violates Google's policies and will cause Google to permanently suspend your business profile. It also violates our facility Terms of Service.

Permitted Compliant Option — Service Area Business (SAB): You can still use Google Business Profile to build local SEO and collect customer reviews by configuring your profile as a Service Area Business (SAB). When setting up your profile, specify the geographic cities or postal districts you serve (e.g., Mississauga, Toronto, GTA) and select the setting to hide your physical street address from the public. This gives your business map search visibility, local ranking, and customer reviews while remaining 100% compliant with Google's guidelines and our facility rules.

If you previously published a public pin with our address, you should update it immediately to prevent Google from suspending your listing:

• Open your Google Business Profile dashboard.
• Go to Edit profile > Location.
• Turn "Show business address to customers" OFF.
• Add your service areas under the Service area tab (e.g., your city, province, or target market regions).
• Save changes. Your listing will remain active and verified, but the physical address will be hidden from public map viewers.

Choose a plan, provide the requested account and registered-name information, then complete checkout through Stripe. Choose between monthly or annual billing. Your first billing cycle begins upon checkout. After checkout is completed, your mailbox is provisioned immediately and you can log in to your dashboard.

Yes. Use the cancellation option in your dashboard. Your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period unless we tell you otherwise.

Eligible incoming items are logged in your dashboard. From there, you can request the actions available for that item and your plan. You are responsible for keeping your account and forwarding details accurate.

We hold physical letters for an unlimited period of time as long as your account is maintained in good standing. This unlimited letter storage is one of the distinct features that sets ShieldMailBox apart. You do not need to rush to collect letters immediately; you can review incoming envelopes in your digital dashboard, request interior document scans to inspect contents right away, and arrange to pick up your accumulated physical letters in person every 2 to 3 months (or on whatever schedule works best for you). Note: While letter mail is stored indefinitely with no expiration, parcel and package holding duration depends on your selected subscription plan.

No. Picking up your mail in person at our physical commercial facility is 100% free with no per-pickup fees or handling surcharges. Envelope logging and digital mail scanning are included according to your subscription plan. We take pride in 100% transparent pricing—there are no hidden onboarding charges, unexpected storage penalties for letters, or surprise handling fees beyond your stated monthly subscription price.

When you request a scan, a staff member uploads the requested document to your mailbox dashboard. Scan files are scheduled for deletion seven days after upload. Download any document you need before that deadline.

Yes, where forwarding is available. Provide a complete destination address and select or supply the relevant carrier details. Carrier charges, delivery times, tracking, and carrier service terms apply.

Our primary application data—including account profiles, mailbox logs, and requested scan files—is stored in our MongoDB Atlas Canada Central (Toronto) deployment. The application is hosted by Render. Stripe processes payments, and Resend sends transactional emails. See our Privacy Policy for more detail.

Primary application data is stored in our MongoDB Atlas Canada Central (Toronto) deployment. However, some providers that help operate the service, such as payment, email, analytics, application-hosting, or delivery providers, may process limited information in other jurisdictions. Information handled there can be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions.

No. Stripe handles checkout and recurring payment processing. ShieldMailBox does not receive or store full payment-card numbers.

We use password hashing, authenticated access, role-based staff permissions, restricted database network access, and other safeguards designed for the sensitivity of the information. Use a unique, strong password and do not share it.

You can update certain details in your dashboard. For access, correction, deletion, or privacy requests, email [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

Email [email protected] with your account email and a description of the issue. Do not send passwords or payment-card details by email.