What It Is
A mailbox is a real email account that stores messages on a mail server. It has its own password and storage space, and you can open it in webmail, on your phone, or in a program like Outlook or Apple Mail. Think of it as a physical mailbox with a key: mail is delivered to it and stays there until you read it, file it or throw it away.
Why It Matters for Your Business
Knowing the difference between a mailbox and an alias or forwarder can save money and confusion. Most email providers charge per mailbox, so a small business does not always need one for every address. A three-person cleaning company might need three mailboxes for its staff, plus free aliases like info@ and billing@ that deliver into one of them.
Good to Know
Mailboxes have storage limits, and a full mailbox will start bouncing new messages back to senders, sometimes without you noticing. Watch for warning emails, archive old messages with large attachments, and ask your provider what happens when the limit is reached. When someone leaves your business, keep or convert their mailbox for a while rather than deleting it outright.