SMB Guide to Postage Meters

SMB Guide to Postage MetersCredit Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock As noted by USPS, a postage m prints postage directly onto mail or onto a m tape. It can be used for all mail services except periodicals. Small and midsizebusinesses that send bulk mail should consider postage meters to save time and money. Forget the cumbersome task of sticking stamps onenvelopes or wasting money by putting multiple stamps on a thick envelope that may only need one. Postage meters take the guessworkout of required postage, reduce time at the post office and streamline the way you send mail.Where can I get a postage meter, and how much do they cost?There is no such thing as purchasing a postage meter.Youll have to lease a machine instead. Federal law prohibits the purchase of postage meters because it sees stamps and indicia as a legal tender. Therefore, when inquiring about a postage meter, you cant walk into just any office supplies store postage meters must be ordered throug h an authorized vendor. Lease rates and most other fees associated with the machines are set by the authorized vendors.The best place to look for a postage meter is via BuyerZone, which will walk you through the process and help you choose the type of meter you need.Editors note If youre looking for information to help you choose the postage meter thats right for you, use the questionnaire below to have our sister site BuyerZone provide you with information from a variety of vendors for free.Popular vendors include Pitney Bowes and Neopost. Pitney Bowes offers a 60-day free trial forthe SendPro C200 model, which starts at $36.99 per month. The SendPro Plus has a 90-day free trial and costs $75 a month after that.Neopost offers low-volume postage meters, mid-volume mailing systemsand high-volume mailing systems. Prices vary by systemand are available upon request.A good starter model for offices that send a lot of bulk mail is the IS-280 Postage Meter. The IJ-15K Digital Mailing Syst em, by contrast,is considered a high-endsolution.In general, businesses that need midlevel postage meters can expect to pay a lease fee of around $35 a month. A business that requires high-volume meters should expect to pay upward of $1,300 per year.Your complete mailing systemUnderstanding the parts of a postage meter helps you make a mora informed decision about your lease. A postage meter is just one part of a mailing system. These are some of its additional partsBase has been called the envelope handler.This is the hardware that the postage meter sits on. In addition, it helps transport envelopes that need to be stamped.Feeder guides envelopes through the meter. Not all models include a feeder, but sending a lot of mail takes extraeffort without one.Postage scale weighs postage and tells you how much postage eachpieceof your mail requires.Sealer moistens the flaps of envelopes and closes them. Some models have a sealer built into their feeder.Stacker stacks envelopes, helpi ng to clear mailings from the equipment. Some low-volume and cheaper models use a tray as a stacker.Tape dispenser applied through the meter when indicia cantprint directly onto a mailing piece, stamping the tapewith the indicia or postage amount.Anything I should be aware of when ablokation a postage meter?Regardless of which model you choose, its important to know that the meters come in small, medium and large, and theres a meter for every business. Typically, a long or short contract is required. Its also important to know that, in addition to service and leasing fees, youll need to pay actual postage fees, the cost associated with compatible tape or labels, a reset of postage rates, property taxes for mailing equipment, and for possible machine add-ons, according to geschftliches miteinander.com.The USPS sets all the rates and regulations for postage meters. When postage prices increase, your vendor representative is advised to notify you. At the end of the day, no matter whic h postage meter you choose, having oneis always helpful for sending bulk mail. Marisa Sanfilippo Marisa Sanfilippo is an award-winning marketing professional who has mora than six years experience developing and executing marketing campaigns for small and medium sized businesses with a focus on digital marketing. After graduating Stockton University with a B.A. in Communications and minor in writing, Marisa worked as a freelance journalist for numerous publications, ultimately earning a position as an e-marketing specialist for a credit union. While in that position, she earned HubSpots Inbound Marketing Certification and helped build the organizations digital marketing strategy from the ground up. zu sich efforts helped lead the credit union to success on and offline including a 200%+ organic increase in Facebook followers, a sales generating blog, and much more. 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