Postal Regulations: The Dos and Don’ts of Using USPS Postage Meters
If you run a business and have a lot of outgoing mail, you know a trip to the post office is inevitable. What if there was a way to better manage your time while getting your mail taken care of in a quick and accurate way?
Postal regulations might seem difficult to estimate on your own. If you don’t know how much something weighs, how can you tell how much postage it needs?
Thanks to postage meters, this problem gets solved in a quick and easy manner. Discover more on how one can help you avoid long lines at the post office and what it takes to get your own meter.
You Can Only Lease Postage Machines
In 2009, the USPS changed rules so that you can only lease postal machines.
You need to contact a provider who is authorized to lease a postage machine in order to get one. The good news is, the provider can assist you with setting up and installing the machine.
Providers come in and inspect the machines on a regular basis. It normally doesn’t take long and is simply how they manage the machines they lease out.
Even though you’ll need to lease your machine, you can still write off the expenses as part of your office equipment.
Know What You’re Allowed to Drop in the Post Box
You likely got a postage machine to avoid the long lines and get items mailed in a timely manner. When it comes to mailing letters large and small, you’ll get to weigh them, have the correct postage printed out, and drop them off in a USPS-approved mailbox when you’re done.
However, there are some things that you cannot drop off in the mailbox. Knowing what items not to weigh and drop off saves you time and money, since you’ll repeat the cycle all over again.
Periodicals, such as magazines, cannot get stamped by the meter. If you have bulk mail, you’ll need to follow additional rules to ensure everything’s done according to USPS regulations.
Customers who plan on using bulk mail need to fill out a specific form for it. They need to weigh their mail and pay the difference at the post office.
Bulk mail must go directly to the post office and cannot be dropped off like other letters.
If direct mail is one way you advertise your company, make sure you understand how this affects bulk mail and other types of mailings. Doing so helps you avoid additional expenses and saves money and effort.
Postal Regulations Mean You Sometimes Need the Post Office
Bulk mail means you need to visit the post office, but what other occasions require it?
If you cannot locate a mailbox near you but don’t want to stand around in a long line, you can always drop off items inside the slots. Because these aren’t serviced by people and act as drop slots, there’s usually no wait.
If you have pre-sorted first class mail, that requires going directly to the post office as well.
You can avoid unnecessarily long waits by going to the post office in the middle of the day. Find out if there’s more than one location in your town; this allows you to pick the least busy location or have a back-up to go to in case the line gets too long.
When it comes to adding postage, this gets put directly on your machine, making it simple for you to add extra with the touch of a button. The post office knows most people don’t want to come in unless they have to, and they’ve attempted to make it as easy as possible for you to get work done without fitting in unnecessary errands.
Understand the Cost of Licensing
Because your machine is leased, you’ll need to pay yearly fees, just as you would for any piece of equipment that you borrow for a certain length of time. If you take care of renewing your lease on your postage meter, you can keep this from becoming a hassle.
Leasing meters normally runs around $200 a year. This is just for the machine itself and does not include the amount of postage you need to add on.
The process starts out by filling out an application form, which you don’t pay for initially. If your application gets approved, you’ll then pay the $200 fee. This allows you to have and use the meter for a full year, as much or as little as you need.
To help you get a better idea of expenses, keep track of how much you spend on postage. This allows you to decide if having a meter helps you save money rather than spend it.
Thanks to different types of meter machines, you can decide what’s best for your business. Picking the right machine not only saves money but makes your job easier for you with fewer trips to the post office.
Learn More Today
If you have a business and plan on doing a lot of mailing, it makes sense to cut down on extra work for yourself and invest in a postage machine. This gets rid of annoying trips to the post office, allowing you to get letters and packages mailed without waiting in line for long periods of time.
By using a USPS-approved machine, you can ensure you’re following postal regulations and none of your mail gets returned to you.
If you’re ready to get started finding the best machine for your needs, let us help you. Get in touch and request a quote today, and we can help you find the right machine for your business.
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