How does the Business Address Service work?

Contents 1. Where is scanned mail sent to? 2. What are the benefits of the digital business address? 3. What does one item count as? 4. Can I have mail scanned and emailed, as well as posted? 5. How long do we hold customer's mail for, until it is shredded? 6. Can customers pay on a monthly, quarterly or 6 monthly basis? 7. How much is scan and email, per item? 8. How much is it to forward my mail by post? 9. Where do customers see their scanned mail? 10. Getting a Business Address displayed online Where is scanned mail sent to? Scanned mail is sent to the primary email address we have on file. Should customers wish to change this email address, they should follow the steps below: Log in to your online client area Select ‘My Details’ In the ‘Email Addresses’ section, enter the email address you wish for your Business Address Service mail to be scanned and emailed to Select ‘Update Details’ to save these changes Back to Contents What are the benefits of the digital business address? Reduce delivery time – receive your mail on the same day we receive it instead of waiting 1-2 days for Royal Mail (within UK) or over a week for international delivery. Reduce costs – 20p cheaper per item than mail forwarding within the UK, and on average over £2.00 per item cheaper than international postal delivery. View your business mail in one place – anytime, anywhere – all scanned mail can be viewed in your mail log – never misplace an important piece of business mail again.   Back to Contents What does one item count as? One item counts as the contents of one envelope (i.e. if the contents of an envelope has 3 A4 sheets, these 3 sheets scanned together will constitute one item   Back to Contents Can I have mail scanned and emailed, as well as posted? The business address can only be set to scan and email OR to be posted. Customers are welcome to request that the mail item be sent to them via post within 7 days of receiving the scanned document.    Back to Contents How long do we hold customer's mail for, until it is shredded? We hold mail for 7 days.   Back to Contents Can customers pay on a monthly, quarterly or 6 monthly basis? Customers can pay for their services on a monthly or annual basis.   Back to Contents How much is scan and email, per item? RF: £0.50 1st: £0.50 QCF: £1.00   Back to Contents How much is it to forward my mail by post? It costs Royal Mail postal charges + 15% handling fee to forward your Business Address Service mail.   Back to Contents Where do customers see their scanned mail? Instructions: Log in to your online client area Select ‘My Mail’ Select the PDF icon next to the item of mail you wish to see. Back to Contents Getting a Business Address displayed online When customers purchase our Business Address service, they want their new business / trading address shown everywhere online – including the Royal Mail website / Postcode Finder search facility. Unfortunately, this will not happen automatically and customers require being pro-active with regards this matter. The Royal Mail website is a good starting point, as directory websites take company address information from it, so by updating Royal Mail, the new business address will most probably start showing on other directory websites. Google Maps only display business locations where businesses are actually located; this is to ensure the ‘map’ function is used properly. This is listed as part of their Google My Business terms and conditions and there is no way to get this changed. OUR RESPONSE Unfortunately, directory websites do not automatically update changes of business addresses or include new business addresses – they need to be informed by the companies. A good place to start is the Royal Mail website, as a lot of directory websites take company address information from it. You can update the Royal Mail website by calling them on 08456 011 110. Please select Option 3 followed by Option 1 and then give the details as directed. It normally takes 24-48 hours to show on the Royal Mail Postcode Finder search facility. OUR RESPONSE SHOULD A CUSTOMER ASK ABOUT GOOGLE MAPS Google My Business operates a policy of not placing a business address on Google Maps if the business is not actually located there. This appears to be intended to ensure the map is as accurate as possible. Unfortunately, we are unable to assist with getting your business address displayed on Google Maps. To verify that you are creating a Business Profile for your actual, real-world location, Google will ask you to record a video of the location, equipment, and proof of management. Please note, our virtual address services do not include access to our physical location or the use of our equipment. Our facilities are utilised by our staff and other clients, and allowing a large number of people to enter for filming purposes would not be safe. Additionally, proof of management documentation is in our name and cannot be used as a valid document to verify your business. Google Business Profile operates a policy of not placing a business address on Google Maps if the business is not actually located there. The Google Business Profile Guidelines state “if your business rents a physical postal address but doesn't operate out of that location, also known as a virtual office, that location isn't eligible for a Business Profile.” This policy appears to be intended to ensure Google Maps is as accurate as possible for its users. Therefore, unfortunately we are unable to assist with getting your business address displayed on Google Business Profile.   Back to Contents