A postage meter is a machine businesses or institutions use to print postage on envelopes without using physical stamps to apply to their packages. It also comes in handy at home to streamline postage and reduce mailing costs. Postage meters benefit both small and large-scale businesses as they send all mail with the aid of mail equipment, no matter how bulky or few. The postage meter provides a convenient and easy way to send all your mail, from first-class to priority mail, express mail, and international mail.
How can a business get a postage meter?
The United States Postal Service is the regulatory body overseeing postal meter provision. As it is seen as currency, businesses cannot purchase meters but only lease them for a particular time from an authorized dealer. Postage meter rental includes a monthly rental fee in the contract between $20 and $50 and can rise to $200 depending on the additional features you add. Also, you pay a $200 per year fee for the license to use a postage meter. With both the license and rental fee concluded, you will need to invest in ink, printer tape, paper, and envelopes, and with that, you can start using your postage meter.
Postage meter rates
Postage meter rates vary depending on the mail type. 2023 recorded a remarkable rise in rates due to inflation and the USPS trying to get its finances back on track. Here is an example of a rate breakdown depending on the size:
- Sending priority flat-rate envelope mail costs about $8.05
- A priority medium flat rate box goes for about $14.05
- A priority large flat rate box mail costs $19.90
It is also worth noting that postage meter rates depend on how heavy the item weighs. To save money, it is always advisable to stuff as many items as possible into the same package as long as they are considered similar.
Pitney Bowes postage meter
This is practically the most well-known name for postage meters and mailroom equipment. The ease with which you can send letters, large envelopes, and packages directly from your office to any destination of your choice, with automatic postage savings, is the most significant benefit of the Pitney Bowes postage meter. It offers a personalized service, and its sending technology efficiently processes your mailing and shipping. It uses the best software for innovative, accurate weighing and easy-to-operate postage work. Also, Pitney Bowes postage meters are all up to date and comply with the upcoming 2024 IMI USPS mailing requirements. Some examples are the SendPro mail station, SendPro c lite, and SendPro c/+, which are all easy to use and designed to fit your specific needs and sending volumes.
Postage meter labels
These are inserted into the machine and contain all the information required to ship that parcel to the designated address. Postage labels make mailing quicker and more convenient. Once assigned, they guarantee exemplary service, as it helps the sender track their parcel throughout the journey before reaching its destination.
Benefits of Postage Meter to a Business
- Using a postage meter primarily ensures that you will save money as you become eligible for the discounts the USPS offers regarding express and priority mail for businesses that use a postage meter.
- The postage meter helps increase your business productivity as it calculates rates automatically, thereby increasing the speed at which you work.
- Postage meters are time-saving, as those trips to the queue at the post office to send mail become a thing of the past.
- It is easy and convenient as countless emails can be sent quickly, even from the comfort of your home.
- Postage meters reduce fraud by eliminating cash and checks.
- It is a quick process as thousands of mail can be sent in less than an hour.
The selection of an appropriate postage meter is contingent upon several factors, including the meter’s processing speed, the envelope feeder it utilizes, and the method it uses to weigh items. Is it dynamic or differential in nature? Upon obtaining this information, ask your vendors, “When does my lease expire?” How do I monitor my postal and spending activity? All of these provide insight into the operation of the postage meter that you are considering leasing. Consider that you require assistance enhancing your business’s productivity and are searching for precise information to optimize the company’s workflow and cut expenses. Immediately contact Sissine’s Office Systems.