Postage Meter Cost Guide

Since you can only rent or lease postage meters for your company for a year or more depending on the needs of your business, the first thing you have to consider is to acquaint yourself with the prices in terms of the type that you are going to operate and the volume capacity of this equipment.

Also known as franking machine, a postage meter is a mechanical machine that imprints on your letter or parcel an amount of postage or postage stamp. It also marks your letter once it is cancelled or dated postmark. Mainly used for bulk mailing, postage meters are utilized by companies for their mailing needs and are regulated by the country’s postal authority. Postage stamps become the proof of payment instead of using adhesive stamps. The equipment varies on the speed of the processing, the type of materials it handled, and the capacity of its storage.

The USPS authorized providers of postage machines to charge rental prices based on the type of postage meter that you plan to rent. Each postage machine has its own function and capacity. There are two types of postage meters, which will give you an idea on how they are being priced. Here is a quick guide to these machines based on their functions:

• Digital Meters – These machines print postage through an inkjet cartridge that uses special postage ink. They provide additional security by using a two dimensional barcode which identifies the sender and the destination. The rental price for these postage machines ranges from $10 to $200 per month. It can cost even more for high capacity machines.
• Internet and Stamp Based Meters – These machines allow the user to print postage from a computer or stamps printers. Newer technology even allows eBay and PayPal users to print postage using completely browser-based online postage solution. The rental price for this machine ranges from $15 to $30 per month.

You can also categorize this equipment based on the following volume capacities:

• Low Capacity – This postage machine is for companies who send less than 1000 items per month. Its rental price range starts from $10 to $35 per month.
• Medium Capacity – This postage machine is for companies that send around1000 – 5000 items per month. Its rental price can range from $50 to $200 per month.
• High Capacity – This postage machine is for companies that send more than 5000 items per month. Its rental price can reach up to $1000 per month.

While usage on the machine is the number one basis of some companies in determining their rental price, be mindful that the direction of these rates is upward. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the rental price ranges mentioned above do not include the actual shipping or mailing fees. In the end if you want to get the best postage meter deals, you must evaluate the mailing and shipping needs of your company. This will help you know the right type of postage meter based on its function and capacity.