A drop mailbox is a mailbox other than a post office box into which letters or small packages may be deposited. They usually have a slit in the front approximately an inch to two inches in height through which the letter or small package can be slipped so that it falls into the main compartment of the box. Sometimes a drop mailbox has a handle in front that that is pulled down. Drop mailboxes thus are called drop mailboxes because the user literally drops their letter or package into them.
Drop mailboxes come in all shapes and sizes, and they are made from many different materials. Usually a drop mailbox is metal, but it also can be made of plastic. They can be mounted on posts, secured to walls or stand alone and they may be plain or elaborate in design.
Drop mailboxes can be used as communal mailboxes, in which case they are prominently placed in a public location. These drop boxes are checked by postal workers, who retrieve their contents. Drop mailboxes also can be used by individuals, who may opt to place them at the end of their driveway or near their house so that a postal worker can leave incoming mail in it as they would a normal mailbox.
Drop mailboxes can be used outside of the post office. For example, an apartment complex might install a drop mailbox so that tenants can drop off rent checks when the apartment office is not open. Restaurants, hotels and other businesses may use them for customer service comments, and other businesses might use them as decoration, such as a "mailbox" for letters addressed to Santa Claus at Christmas time.
The main benefit to drop mailboxes is that they can provide added security when compared to traditional mailboxes. This is because most drop boxes have a lock mechanism included in their design. This means that only an individual with a key can obtain the contents of the drop mailbox.
Drop mailboxes can cost anywhere from $200 to well over $1,000, depending on the style, size and material of the box. For this reason, they usually are used more by businesses than by the average consumer---a regular mailbox typically costs only $30 to $100, which most people find much more affordable.