Checks have always been a problem. What you wind up doing is sending the checks to France (to be signed and set up for deposit) and then mailing them back to your bank.

I see if you google "mailbox services" there seem to be some that offer more or less what you're looking for (including the scanning for online review) - for a monthly fee. But some of those seem to only offer PO Boxes.

It has been a LONG time since I've had to worry about receiving mail from the US, so I'm not all that aware of what is currently on offer. Some folks have mentioned mail services that provide a street address and then send things on to you - primarily for ordering merchandise from the US. Maybe we can flag down one someone with information on those options and they can tell you whether they'd serve your purposes.
Cheers,
Bev

 

Checks have always been a problem. What you wind up doing is sending the checks to France (to be signed and set up for deposit) and then mailing them back to your bank.

I see if you google "mailbox services" there seem to be some that offer more or less what you're looking for (including the scanning for online review) - for a monthly fee. But some of those seem to only offer PO Boxes.

Thanks. I've checked a couple of services, like the ones I mentioned. They seem OK... but one never knows.

If anyone has USED a service that scans and posts and liked it (or hated it), I'd REALLY like to know.

Or if someone has a different system of managing paper mail from the US that works for them, I'd like to hear about it.

Thanks.

Ray

 

Our primary home is in the US so all mail goes there.

We have someone who monitors the house with twice-weekly visits and picking up mail from our mail box. She throws out the obvious junk mail (~95%), then emails me a list of the remaining suspects and we decide via email if she will open and handle, or forward to us. She will deposit personal and business checks directly at our bank by prior arrangement. We are ready to scan and forward by email but haven't had to do it so far, and the only bits of mail I would require forwarding are anything to do with taxes. Nothing else is so confidential that I wouldn't want her to look at first.

An alternative for small check deposit from overseas is now available from some banks; for example our bank JP Morgan Chase has an iPad app from which you can scan and deposit checks below a certain limit. I can't remember what it is, but it's in terms of hundreds rather than thousands.

Within the US we have previously tried the post office's own mail forwarding service which was an absolute disaster, mail went missing constantly. Over the last few years I've worked hard on cutting down on the amount of 'real' mail we should expect to be receiving (all bills, utilities, insurance, business tax filing etc) so it's only unexpected stuff that remains to be handled.

 

For mail, we have all mail sent to a family member who discards the junk and forwards us the rest. For checks that are not direct deposit, it comes to us for signature and sent back to the States for the relative to deposit into our US bank accounts.

The issue is that for credit cards and bank accounts, you must show a US address as your main residence or they can close the account. I have been told this by my bank and two credit card companies. Makes little sense but we go with the flow. Hope this helps. Cheers!

 

Weird that your bank and credit card companies would threaten to close your account like that. Then again, I changed over my US credit cards years ago, simply by filing a change of address. Figured it was their problem how to jam my foreign addresses into their computers. <g>

Perhaps the rules have changed since I've been over here, but I have simply changed my credit card billing address a couple of times now without a squawk from the credit card companies.

My US bank account was opened after I moved here to France, so the bank knew full well what they were getting themselves into. But I must say, they have been very good at accommodating my foreign "quirks." I think it really helped that my Dad was a long-time customer at the bank - and I opened my account after my Dad put me on his account so I could handle his financial affairs.
Cheers,
Bev

 

I use the "hold mail" service via USPS on a every 30 days interval, then a friend goes to pick up and scan all stuff, throw away the junk, bank in check in any, scan and email me for water bills and property tax bill. I compensate for the gas and time. Most bills or statement are already an on-line arrangement.

I still keep my bank a/cs in USA and one bank says the policy does not allow overseas address or they close the a/c.

Even though I sent letters more than once to the companies/sender stop sending any further mails, they still continue so I still receive junk and advertisements.

 

I use the "hold mail" service via USPS on a every 30 days interval, then a friend goes to pick up... I still keep my bank a/cs in USA and one bank says the policy does not allow overseas address or they close the a/c.

Thanks for posting. Sounds like we're going to need either a PO box and the kindness of a friend to keep a US address in our home state. None of the mail services I've found so far offer an address in Massachusetts.

All of our bills except utilities (which we'll lose when we sell our US house) are electronic, so that won't be difficult to manage.

But it sounds like it would be good to check with our banker now about whether having a French address will work or not.

Ray