A PO box is a mailing point. A street address is a physical location. Many forms accept one but not the other, and some carriers will not deliver parcels to a PO box.
What a PO box can do
A PO box receives letters and some flat-rate parcels at a postal facility. It is inexpensive and private, but it is not a residence or a staffed office.
When a street address is required
Banks, many marketplaces, and some government forms ask for a physical address. Courier deliveries often require a street address too. Check the requirement before you fill the form.
Test the validation
A good form should reject a PO box where a street address is required, and it should not silently convert one into the other. Try both formats in your QA pass.
Questions
- Often for mail, but check the rules of the bank, marketplace, or agency that will see the address.
- Usually not for residence. It can be a mailing address, but it does not show where you live.
Can I use a PO box for a business?+
Is a PO box proof of address?+
Examples are synthetic. Do not use a generated address for identity checks, account registration, or delivery.