3 hours
Starting duration for a new inbox
The timer starts when the inbox is created, not when the first message arrives. Changing your address creates a new 3-hour inbox and invalidates the old address.
Expiration planner · Estimate the wait before sharing your address
Plan for when your coupon arrives
with the right expiration time
A disposable email address lasts 3 hours by default, but that doesn’t mean every message will arrive within 3 hours. Estimate when the store expects to send it, then choose a temporary address, extend it in advance, or use a long-term forwarding alias.
+3 hours per extension
Added with each extension
Extend from the inbox on the home page before it expires. An extension doesn’t reset the remaining time to 3 hours. Near the limit, rely on the expiration time returned by the service.
24 hours
Maximum duration for one inbox
You can’t keep the same email address indefinitely by extending it. If you expect to wait until the next day or don’t know when the message will arrive, use a long-term address.
This is the time the inbox remains available, not a delivery promise from the store. A verification code may expire sooner, so check the validity period stated in the email too.
Wait time planner
Estimate how long you need before checking your inbox
Estimates are based on a newly created inbox. Choose a task to fill in a suggested wait time, or enter the time given by the store. The estimate won’t create, extend, or change any email address.
Your time plan
The default 3 hours should cover this wait
Estimated wait: 2 hours. A new inbox starts with 3 hours, so no extension is needed for this estimate.
Estimated wait
2 hours
Planned duration
3 hours
Created24-hour limit for temporary email
- Estimated extensions
- 0
- Plan details
- About 1 hour to spare; email may still be delayed.
Short wait · Temporary email should work
This is only an estimate and doesn’t guarantee delivery. Use verification codes promptly, and save anything you need before the inbox expires.
From estimate to action
Extend before the inbox expires
The planner estimates how much time you need. To extend, use the inbox on the home page; each successful request adds 3 hours. Check the inbox’s expiration time and success message to confirm the extension.
Check time remaining-
1
Check the time remaining, not this estimate
Go back to the browser where you created the inbox and open the inbox on the home page. The available time keeps counting down; refreshing the page won’t give you another 3 hours.
-
2
Select “Extend +3 hours” before expiration
Allow extra time in case a promotional email is delayed. If the network request fails, don’t assume the inbox was extended—check the message and try again. An expired inbox can’t be restored by extending it.
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3
Confirm the new expiration time
After a successful request, use the expiration time returned by the service to update your countdown. Each inbox has a 24-hour maximum, so don’t plan on extending it indefinitely as you approach the limit.
Example
The promotion says the coupon will arrive “in about 8 hours.” A new inbox starts with 3 hours, so you’ll need two 3-hour extensions before it expires, for a planned total of 9 hours. If the store changes the timing to the following day, switch to a long-term address instead of waiting for the old inbox to expire and creating another one.
A new address isn’t the same inbox with a new look
Expiration, extension, and changing addresses are different
Changing your address is useful for starting a new task, not for recovering mail sent to an address you’ve already submitted. The store will still send follow-up messages to the original address, and a new inbox can’t receive them.
| What happens | Extend before expiration | Inbox expires | Get a new address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email address | Keep the same address and add 3 hours, up to the 24-hour limit. | The old address expires, so you can no longer rely on it to receive email. | Create a new address and 3-hour inbox; the old address is invalidated. |
| Messages already received | Kept in the original inbox until its new expiration time. | Deleted with the inbox and can’t be recovered. | Not transferred to the new inbox. The old inbox will be deleted, so save anything you need first. |
| Access credentials | Keep using the credentials for the original inbox. | Old credentials can’t restore an expired inbox. | You get new inbox credentials, which can’t access the old inbox. |
| Future messages | Messages can still be sent to the original address and viewed before it expires. | You can no longer view new messages in the old inbox. | Only messages sent to the new address may reach the new inbox. Messages sent to the old address won’t be forwarded. |
Choose how long you need to receive email before sharing your address. If you’ve already given the old address to a store, you’ll need to change it separately in your store account and complete any required verification. A new address can’t receive messages sent to the old one. Before signing up, check the coupon signup checklist.
Use a long-term address for important follow-ups
Not every shopping email arrives within a day
Choose an address based on the last message you’ll need, not just the first verification code. If you don’t know when a message will arrive, or need the email account to recover your store account, don’t rely on the 24-hour limit.
Points, tiers, and member pricing
Membership-day offers, expiring points, and account updates may arrive weeks later. Consider using a separate long-term forwarding alias for each store. You can disable it later if you no longer want promotional email.
Shipping and delivery issues
Dispatch, transit, and delivery can span several days. Use a long-term alias for shopping updates and keep another way to check your order. Don’t rely only on a confirmation email in a temporary inbox.
Refund updates and requests for more information
Refund reviews can take more than 24 hours, and customer support may ask you to reply. Use an email address you can access long-term. Mailtock temporary email can’t send or reply to messages.
Keep account recovery within reach
Use a reliable email address you can continue accessing for accounts you need to keep. Use your real email for important accounts, rather than relying on a disposable address for future account recovery.
Uncertain timing · Use a long-term address
Forwarding aliases keep each store’s messages separate and send them to your real inbox, but forwarding stops when you disable an alias. If you keep an alias for account recovery, make sure your real inbox stays accessible too. For help choosing, see the shopping use-case guide.
Back to your signup
Need one message or ongoing updates?
For verification codes and coupons that should arrive within the current expiration period, keep using the inbox. For waits spanning multiple days or ongoing updates, sign in without a password using your real email and create a long-term forwarding alias.
Check the coupon checklist before submitting your email