What’s included in a London virtual office?

A London virtual office can give your business an address and take the work of handling post off your hands. But packages with the same name can cover quite different things.

One may handle official company letters. Another may also receive everyday business correspondence, scan its contents and send you the originals. To compare costs properly, start with what you need the service to do, then look at what you’ll pay for that combination.

1. Start with the post your business receives

Think about who will write to you. Alongside official letters, will you receive customer correspondence, supplier documents or other day-to-day business post?

A registered-office-only package may cover official mail from organisations such as Companies House and HMRC, while ordinary business mail requires a different package. Other providers include both within their core service.

This is the first useful question to ask: does the quoted price cover the mail my business actually receives? If you only need an address for official company correspondence, a simpler package may suit you. If you want to give customers and suppliers the same address, check that ordinary business mail is covered too.

2. Choose how you want your mail handled

Receiving a letter and getting its contents to you are separate parts of the service. Check what happens after an envelope arrives.

• Mail scanning: useful when you want remote access to the contents of your business mail. Check that the contents are opened and scanned, rather than receiving only an envelope notification.
• Mail forwarding: useful when you want the physical originals sent to your chosen address. Check postage and any handling charges.
• Scanning and forwarding: useful when you want a digital copy and the paper original, without choosing between them each time.

Consider your usual working day. If you’re often away from your forwarding address, emailed scans may be more convenient. If paperwork is part of your routine, originals may matter more. Also ask how items that cannot be scanned are handled.

3. Compare the cost over a full year

A price shown “per month” may be a monthly equivalent of an annual payment. Check the amount due at signup, how often you’ll be billed and the commitment you’re making.

For each package on your shortlist, check:

• VAT: is it included in the advertised price or added separately?
• Billing and renewal: is the price monthly or annual, and does an introductory offer change at renewal?
• Setup and extras: are there setup fees or services you need to add?
• Mail charges: what will scanning, forwarding and postage cost for your expected use?
• Deposits and usage: is a postage balance required, and what happens if your mail needs exceed the package’s terms?

Compare the subscription plus the services and mail charges you expect to use. Show a prepaid postage deposit separately as money needed upfront; don’t count both the deposit and the same postage paid from it as two separate costs.

Paying for optional services can work well when your needs are limited. A broader package can be simpler when you know you’ll use its inclusions. Read the cancellation terms alongside the price.

4. Check which address services are included

Before ordering, confirm whether the package includes a business correspondence address, your company’s registered office and service addresses for its directors. These can be bundled together or offered separately.

If you have several directors, ask whether the quoted fee covers them all. If you run more than one company, check how each company is charged. This small check makes the quote relevant to your business, rather than an assumed single-company or single-director example.

5. Choose an address and service that fit your business

The address will appear wherever you choose to use it for approved business correspondence. Look at the actual street and postcode, not just the word “London”. Consider whether that location suits the way you want to present your business.

For a business drawn to Soho, an address on Greek Street may feel more relevant than a London address chosen solely on price. You can work from home, on location or elsewhere while keeping a consistent place for your business post.

Then consider the practical support: how mail reaches you, how to contact the team and what needs to happen before you can start using the address.

6. What’s included with City Virtual Hub?

Give your business a Soho W1 address while you work from home, on location or elsewhere. With CVH, your company’s address services and chosen mail-handling option come together in one package.

Every CVH mail package includes:

• A business address at 49 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 4EG.
• Registered-office address service for your company.
• Director service address use for your company’s directors, at no extra fee.
• Business mail handled according to your chosen package: Mail Scanning, Mail Forwarding or Combo.

Get digital access to your business-letter contents with Mail Scanning, have physical originals sent to you with Mail Forwarding, or choose Combo for both. You can keep working wherever suits you while our team takes care of the post that arrives in Soho.

Before you start

Choose monthly or annual billing, with no additional setup fee. CVH’s package prices exclude VAT, and postage is charged separately when mail is forwarded. Our team processes post on business days; usage and service conditions are set out in our Terms and Conditions. Complete signup and identity checks, then wait for our activation confirmation before using the address.

Compare CVH’s packages and prices to find the right fit for your business, or tell our team how you’d like to receive your mail and we’ll help you choose.

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