Best Postage Meters For Small Business – Top Affordable Solutions
Are you looking for a postage meter for your small business? Read on to learn about the best postage meters for small businesses.
The average small business spends $4,000 a year on postage. Some larger small businesses can spend as much as $1,000 per month on postage.
Although you can't purchase a postage meter, you can rent them for rather cheaply. While you need to keep them stocked up with ink, labels, and envelopes, owning one can still save you money in the long run.
Prices of the postage meter will depend on the volume of letters or packages you send. It can range from a lease of $20 to $1,000 per month. However, this can still save you a substantial amount of money.
So what are the best postage meters for small businesses?
How Do I Save Money with a Postage Meter?
You may wonder why you would even want a postage meter in your office. If all letters and boxes cost the same, what would the reasoning be renting a meter?
Well, the United States Postal Service gives preferential rates to metered postage. If you simply use stamps or take all of your items to the post office, you'll get billed regularly.
You can save even more money if your postage meter pre-sorts the items.
Let's Break Down the Cost Savings
Postage meters are great for companies who send out high volumes of letters. If you circulate catalogs, for example, or monthly or quarterly newsletters to ticket holders, a postage meter is almost essential.
Per 500 letters or pieces of mail, you'll save $15 with a postage meter. If you pre-sort the items, you'll save almost $60 per those 500 pieces of mail.
If you send out 5,000 letters, you'll save $150 with the meter alone. If you meter and pre-sort the items, you'll save nearly $600.
For huge companies that send out 50,000 letters or periodicals at a time, the savings are exponential. Metered mail alone saves you $1500. If you pre-sort the items, you'll save nearly $6000.
For small businesses, this can add up to huge savings.
Your savings can also be fairly good if you're sending bigger mail. A postage meter can save you 58% on letters weighing 3 ounces.
Using Your Computer as a Postage Meter
If your company doesn't mail things out that often, and mostly relies on the Internet to keep its customers updated, you can use your PC as a postage meter.
This is recommended for only very small businesses who don't circulate a large number of letters per month.
You can use your computer as a postage meter through Stamps.com, Pitney Bowes and Endicia.com. They will allow you to print labels, or print on the envelope, direct from your printer.
You can then drop these items off at your local mail drop.
They don't require a rental fee, so it will save you the money per month on leasing a postage meter.
But if you send out any periodicals with any regularity, you should rent a physical postage meter.
Best Postage Meters on the Cheap: The Four Main Companies
Aside from the online postage meters, you can lease a postage meter from four companies. However, it is technically three as two of them are owned by the same entity.
We'll break down the perks and price for each company to help you decide which is best for you.
Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes is probably the most recognized postage meter service in the United States. They are the “market leader,” and they serve both customers looking to use their computer as a postage meter and a physical postage meter.
You can contact Pitney Bowes and get a quote in about two hours. Their team is known to be helpful and thorough. They also often provide a free trial with mail credits built in. This way, you can start the service and switch if you don't like it.
It rents machines for around $25 a month. This will change depending on your needs.
FP Mailing Solutions
FP Mailing Solutions is good for small to mid-sized companies. Many smaller businesses upgrade to them when they start needing a larger volume of mail sent out. They often offer good introductory rates for those who switch over and are known for their high capacity.
Prices for FP's models start at $19 per month. Like Pitney Bowes, the price will vary depending on your needs.
Neopost
Neopost and Hasler are owned by the same company, so many people group them together. Neopost typically handles larger volumes of mail than Hasler. Both are more common for smaller businesses located out of the United States.
A recommended Neopost model can handle 45 letters per minute and rents out for $45 a month. A Hasler model usually handles a smaller volume, but rents out for around $25 a month.
Both report to have great customer service. Neopost will often send out a representative to help those in your office get to grips with their machines. This ensures that everyone knows exactly what they are doing and that they don't waste time and money.
Which Machine Should Our Small Business Go For?
The best postage meters for your business is entirely dependent on your needs. Since there is a monopoly of only four companies on postage meters in the United States, they all price themselves competitively. If you mention switching to another company, they will often give you a lower rate to keep your business.
Because of this monopoly, you'll always likely find a price and model that works for you, though it may take some researching. Generally, a smaller company should start off with Pitney Bowes and graduate to FP. However, the decision is purely up to you and your staff.
For more information on comparing prices of various items and models, click here.
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