Successfully obtained a Capital One credit card! Tutorial on renting a US address and long-term cost analysis | Applying for a US credit card [001]

My US credit card application process has finally reached a milestone: the Capital One card has been successfully approved, and after a 33-day wait, it has arrived and been successfully activated. It's also linked to my Wise Checking account for automatic payments. Therefore, I feel I can continue to share my application experience.

Starting with this video, I will share my own operations and usage experiences. It's important to note that I'm not someone with extensive knowledge of the US credit card ecosystem; I'm simply sharing my experiences in video format, not providing expert advice or a tutorial. Furthermore, I'm not a big fan of tutorial videos, so there will likely be some mistakes. Please approach this with a critical eye.

In this video, I'll first discuss the primary prerequisite for applying for a US credit card: an ITIN, or US Taxpayer Identification Number, and how to obtain a US address. These two things are interconnected; you need a US address to apply for an ITIN. Of course, it's said that some people have obtained ITINs by filling in Chinese addresses. As for whether it's necessary to do this, that's a matter of opinion.

* Capital One Application:https://i.capitalone.com/G0oCatE39
* Anytime Mailbox Invitation Link (includes $10 Amazon Gift Card):https://dlj.playfulzone.top/w8r9ds
* Topcashback cashback platform link (up to $20+ cashback):https://dlj.playfulzone.top/z2wamw

Okay, let's begin!

I. Definition and Lease of US Addresses

1.1 Address Introduction

Regarding US address types, I...Shipping Company SeriesAs detailed in the previous article, here's a brief overview: Unless you have relatives or friends in the US who can provide a genuine private residential address, most addresses we can rent directly online are private mailbox numbers rented from Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies (CMRAs) within the USPS (United States Postal Service, similar to China Post) system. These are typically PMBs (Private Mailboxes).

For example, Anytime Mailbox, which we often talk about, is CMRA; the email address of the franchisee under its platform is PMB.

According to U.S. federal regulations, as a PMB renter, you must fill out Form 1583 and have it notarized before you can authorize CMRA as your agent to receive and forward mail, which is equivalent to PMB's real-name registration system.

In other words, to use a PMB email account normally, you need to undergo two notarizations: one for the receiving address, proving that the address belongs to you; and another for the forwarding address, also proving that the address belongs to you. The simplest notarization method is to download Form 1583 through the notarization link provided in the system backend, fill it out, submit two sets of identity documents, and then have it notarized online.

1.2 Approximate Cost

How much does it cost to hold a US address long-term? It mainly includes three parts: notary fees, monthly rental fees, and usage fees. Here's a brief breakdown:

• Notary fee: $50/2 times

I got the certification done in August 2025. The notarization fee was $25 per notarization, and I spent a total of $50.

Online tutorials suggest using Fiverr to find Chinese notaries, which can solve the problem of not understanding English and is also cheaper ($15), but I haven't found many.

It won't cost more than $20 in total. I personally think that using the default notarization option in the Anytime Mailbox system is sufficient. If you really want to go through the hassle, you can search for it on Fiverr.

• Monthly fee: From $7.99/month

Anytime Mailbox operates on a franchise model, so different franchisees and different services offer different prices. Currently, the most affordable monthly fees I've seen are mostly between $7.99 and $9.99 per month.

The main differences lie in the types of emails received, the number of free emails received, the cost of forwarding emails, and the duration of free email storage. You can choose different plans based on your specific needs.

[You can watch this video to learn how to choose Anytime Mailbox.][https://youtu.be/_i3hBODgXhY]

• Daily usage fee

Generally speaking, there are three scenarios when we rent a US address:

(1) Not much email: I only occasionally receive emails from the IRS, as well as credit card applications, etc. Then choose the cheaper monthly plan;

(2) There are many emails, but most of them are ordinary documents that only need to be scanned: pay attention to the number of emails received and scanned for free;

(3) There are many emails, but they need to be forwarded back to China: Pay attention to the forwarding fees and the free storage time for emails to facilitate merging and forwarding;

Generally speaking, as long as the address detection is not CMRA, you can choose the one with the lower monthly fee.

1.3 Application Notes

The reason I'm focusing on precautions instead of the process is because I didn't record a video or take screenshots when I applied, so I can't show the entire process. However, there are so many tutorials online, my example is definitely not missing.

So, I'll talk about some things that you might not easily see outside of the application process.

(1) Which city or prefecture to choose?

I'm afraid all I can show you about this problem is a lesson that's neither too big nor too small.

While a specific answer cannot be given, it is generally recommended to consider a few principles when choosing a region in the United States:

• Avoid popular cities: service fees are high.
• For areas surrounding major cities with well-developed logistics systems: shorter delivery times
• Tax-free states: If you do a lot of online shopping from overseas, you might consider Delaware.
• Special reminder: Some banks do not mail bank cards to specific states. If you are unsure, select California; or enter your address on the bank's pre-approval page.

As for myself, I was quite casual about choosing an address. Since my static residential IP address was in Los Angeles, I found a cheap address nearby, which was Anaheim, California. Later, by chance, I applied for an ITIN and got a C1 visa.

But it wasn't until making this video that I systematically learned about my address. And don't laugh, I'd actually forgotten what my subscription plan included; I had to go back and look up the details while making this video.

Fortunately, the Anaheim address I chose was in a relatively old commercial building, not a small street-side shop, so it looked more legitimate. The reason I didn't choose a tax-free state was that I didn't want to look at the maps of each one individually, fearing I might end up with a warehouse address.

Unexpectedly, Anaheim is also a logistics hub with a large number of mixed commercial and residential buildings. Fortunately, its proximity to Los Angeles International Airport makes handling international parcels relatively inexpensive and fast.

I forwarded four letters, including one credit card, four phone cards, and one letter from an unknown sender, all packaged and shipped back to China, for a total cost of only $30. I feel like I made the right choice in choosing this forwarding service.

Since Anytime Mailbox allows you to request a quote before forwarding, there are other ways to save money if you find the forwarding fees too high. We'll discuss that in point 4, "Hidden Costs."

(2) Address type: CRMA detection

In the Anytime Mailbox address selection section, I've already demonstrated in detail and compared the detection results for three different address types. I won't go into detail here. Please remember the following two websites:

Testing website:

USPS official detection tool:

https://tools.usps.com/zip-code-lookup.htm?byaddress

Third-party testing tools:

https://www.smarty.com/products/single-address

Then, focus on two key data points.

• CMRA: N
• RDI: Residential

Finally, a reminder: after the address verification is passed, just to be on the safe side, check the actual view of the address on Google Maps. It should at least look like a normal residence, not a warehouse or convenience store.

(3) Implicit selection association: residential IP

Why talk about addresses or IP addresses?

There's actually a matter of order here. Ideally, for the sake of consistency in the application environment, the residential IP address and mailing address should be the same. If they can't be completely identical, it's best if they're not too far apart.

From a cost perspective, renting a genuine American home broadband connection, even in a shared rental, is not cheap. Of course, we can also use static or even dynamic residential IPs from a residential IP service provider as alternatives.

In this situation, if you already have a good residential IP address, it's best to choose a US address in the city where your IP is located. If you don't have a residential IP address yet, it's best not to choose a city that's too remote. Try to choose a city near one of the major international airports or logistics centers in the US. This will reduce shipping costs and save time.

It's okay if you don't know the locations of cities in the United States. Just ask the questions to Gemini and ChatGPT, cross-reference the answers, and choose the appropriate one.

Additionally, regarding US residential IP addresses, don't be misled by various testing websites. Besides trust scores and fraud scores, the most crucial factor is the ISP, or broadband service provider. Spectrum, Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, etc., are the mainstream home broadband service providers, similar to China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Mobile.

If you don't know, that's okay. Just ask the AI, "Who is the mainstream home broadband service provider in a certain city in the United States?" and you'll find the answer.

1.4 Make good use of the cashback: $30

Since renting a US address costs money everywhere, I'll simply share two methods to recoup some of that money.

(1) Invitation to register

Registering through my referral link will get you a $10 Amazon gift card, which is a small bonus.

Whether you like it or not is up to you.

Anytime Mailbox:https://dlj.playfulzone.top/w8r9ds

(2) Topcashback $20 cashback

For new users, you can open the Topcashback cashback website to register.

If you are a new user, you can get extra rebates when you complete a certain amount of purchase; see the website for specific promotions.

If you are an existing user, you will receive $20.20 cashback when making your first Anytime Mailbox purchase through Topcashback.

This is equivalent to waiving two to three months' rent for the address, which is a significant amount of cashback.

Topcashback:https://dlj.playfulzone.top/z2wamw

II. 1583 Certification Process and Techniques

Under U.S. federal law, renting a PMB email address requires filling out Form 1583 and having it notarized before the address can be activated. This is essentially a form of real-name registration for the email account.

Then, for each additional forwarding address, notarization is required.

In short, the United States is a country where you have to pay for everything.

There are many detailed tutorials online about filling out and verifying Form 1583, but I was too busy at the time to take screenshots or record the verification process. So I can't, and I don't think it's necessary to, go through the process again.

However, I think it would be more helpful to focus on the difficulties in the application process and the solutions.

2.1 Proof of Address

I wonder how many people are like me, whose ID card address doesn't match their actual residence. In this case, proving that the forwarding address belongs to you can be quite troublesome. Here's a simple solution: buy a home insurance policy through Alipay, which costs about 10 yuan per month.

As long as the insurance policy contains your name, ID number, and home address, it counts as proof of address.

As for the English version, I simply had Gemini generate one, which saved me time and effort.

Later, I felt that the insurance wasn't expensive, so I kept renewing it, just in case.

2.2 Spoken English

Since 1583 notarization requires a live video, it poses a considerable challenge to English listening and speaking skills.

The most immediate solution is to find a real-time translation software and keep it nearby; at the same time, prepare a few commonly used English phrases, such as:

• Hello, my English isn't very good, please speak slowly.
• I applied for this email address primarily to receive emails from the United States.
• Goodbye, have a nice day

For the rest, it's mostly "yes, yes, yes..." Finally, in the lower right corner of form 1583, find the place to sign your name and write it with your mouse or touchscreen.

At the time, my computer webcam just wouldn't connect, and I ended up completing the authentication using my phone. That's why I wasn't really in the mood to record a screenshot.

While making this video, I discovered that Chrome also has a built-in real-time captioning and translation function. So, there are quite a few methods to choose from.

2.3 Fiverr Platform

If you're really unsure about your English listening and speaking skills, you can search on Fiverr for Chinese 1583 certifications. However, I've noticed that there are far fewer people offering similar certifications on Fiverr now, and most are just bundled services.

Another way is to look for tutorials on applying for an ITIN on YouTube, Bilibili, or Xiaohongshu; they usually offer similar services. Try to find popular bloggers with large followings; they might be more reliable.

If spending a little more money can solve the problem, then don't waste too much energy on notarization.

III. Three Hidden Costs in Actual Use

In actual use, we may face three hidden costs: consumption tax, service fees, and shipping fees.

3.1 Consumption Tax

Normally, we don't use Anytime Mailbox addresses as forwarding addresses.

However, if you're looking to go against the grain and use this type of address for your everyday online shopping, or if you want to maximize the use of your rented address to receive products that forwarding warehouses can't ship, then you should consider tax-free states.

I've discussed tax-free states in my series of videos on international shipping and forwarding, so I won't go into detail here. If you're interested, please refer to that series.

Of the five tax-free states, I would prefer Delaware, for your reference.

3.2 Service Fee

In the fee structure of CMRA organizations like Anytime Mailbox, several rules are typically followed:

• The larger the city, the more expensive the toll.
• The lower the monthly rent, the more detailed the charges.

In the previous video, I roughly divided the needs into three categories: those who receive emails occasionally, those who receive emails frequently but only need to scan them, and those who receive emails frequently and need to forward them.

If you make the wrong choice, you might lose all the money you saved on the monthly fee with just a few scans and one forwarding.

3.3 Shipping Fees

I'm not really qualified to share this part because I haven't had any hands-on experience with it. But for the sake of completeness, I'll just share what I currently know.

First, as I mentioned before, I forwarded four items, including a credit card, four phone cards, and one letter from an unknown source, which cost a total of $29.95 to ship back to China. This cost is acceptable to me; in fact, I think it's a bit low.

However, based on Anytime Mailbox's official website and other users' experiences, if you accidentally choose the wrong package, such as the Los Angeles package I demonstrated in the video, you'll incur a $15 service fee on top of the normal postage each time you forward something. This means that forwarding even a small item could easily cost you $70 or $80.

In this situation, a common way to reduce forwarding fees is to find discounted packages from courier companies or low-discount third-party forwarding services. In short, find cheaper forwarding services online and mail the electronic or paper waybill to your local forwarding station. This reduces postage costs and may even reduce service fees.

However, the only problem with this approach is whether the site you choose, or your landlord, offers this service or is willing to do it. Since some landlords make money by forwarding emails, they naturally won't offer "third-party forwarding" services.

So if you have this need, you can send an email to the landlord to confirm.

The only slightly inconvenient thing is that before purchasing a package, we can only see the service provider's name, not their contact information. At this point, you have to search for the service provider's official website first, and then find their contact information.

Typically, the service provider's email address should be: [email protected]

Once you find their contact information, you can email the landlord to ask if they offer a "custom waybill" service.

I've generated an email template using AI. You can rewrite it yourself if you don't like it. For reference only.

Email template

Subject: Inquiry regarding Customer-provided Shipping Labels and Handling Fees

Dear Freedom Mailbox Team,

I am a current mailbox user (Mailbox # [Enter your PMB number here]).

I am writing to inquire about your policy regarding customer-provided shipping labels for international forwarding to China. Specifically, I would like to clarify the following:

1. Handling Fee: What is the handling fee per shipment if I provide my own shipping label (eg, from Pirate Ship or Shippo)?
2. Procedure: If I choose to use my own label, what is the correct process to provide the PDF label to you after the items are consolidated?
3. Documentation: Do I need to provide the customs declaration form separately, or is it sufficient if it's integrated into my own shipping label?

I have several items (one credit card and four SIM cards) that I plan to consolidate and forward soon. I would appreciate it if you could provide the detailed cost breakdown for this service.

Thank you for your assistance.

Best regards,

[Your Name] Mailbox # [Enter your PMB number here again]

Key points explained (a message for you):

• Why mention the PMB number?They process tens of thousands of emails every day, and including your email address in the first line allows them to quickly locate your account and respond more accurately.
• Regarding the Handling FeeTypically, Freedom Mailbox's standard processing fee is... $14.95If the user provides a waybill, the fee may be reduced according to their published policy. $9.95However, it's best to have them confirm in writing via email.
• Regarding Customs DeclarationIf you use a third-party service, the customs declaration form is attached to the shipping label (usually half an A4 sheet of paper). Asking in the email confirms that you don't need to fill out an extra paper form.

IV. Summary

Finally, as usual, let's summarize.

Personally, I think this video should clearly explain the difficulties, techniques, and money-saving methods of renting a US address, including address selection, practicality, forwarding, and more.

It's important to note that if your primary purpose is applying for credit cards, you should carefully choose a tax-free state. Make sure to confirm that the bank you're applying to can mail the card to this address before you pay the fees.

As for how to save money in the long run, here are some tips: choose a small city near an international airport; remember to use my invitation link and Topcashback cashback website when placing your first order; scan electronic versions whenever possible instead of forwarding them; when forwarding, save several emails together. For example, if I need to forward a credit card, I order a few phone cards from eBay and forward them together; if forwarding fees are too expensive, use a third-party logistics provider, etc.

Later, when I have time, I'll record some short videos on specific operations, such as how to scan and forward emails after receiving them. I'll see how things develop.

Okay, that's all for this video. If you found it helpful, please subscribe to my channel.