It wasn’t long ago that many touted the benefits of digital mailboxes. Offering an array of services from storing electronic versions of mail to warehousing digital copies of passports, driver’s licenses, and other important documents for greater accessibility on the go, digital mailboxes were set to become a staple in a modern lifestyle. Not every staple, however, has a place in the future, and one particular service recently announced its withdrawal from the business.

Digital Post Australia (DPA) was a promising startup three short years ago when digital mailboxes were seen as the next evolutionary step in mail delivery. As reviewed in a 2013 article, the service, replete with bank-level encryption, was offered free to customers. Times have changed, however, and a recent email to subscribers proves that the service may not yet be a viable business model.

In its letter, DPA states, “After three years of working to revolutionise the way mail is delivered in Australia, we have made the very difficult decision to close Digital Post Australia. All of us at Digital Post Australia think that digital postboxes are a great idea, but without enough senders supporting this channel our service is just not sustainable at this point in time.”

The email also announced July 31 as the official closure date of the service. In a related article, Zumbox, another digital mail service provider, recently announced the closure of its service.

While the concept of digital mail might be an interesting one for individuals who want to access their documents anywhere in the world, the business model may not yet offer a compelling solution for profitability.