Postage machines and scales are perhaps the two most crucial parts of any small company mailing system. Both can come in a collection of models of varied sophistication. Let’s consider some attributes of each.

Your postage machine system handles to print postage amounts based on mail pieces according to the current rates and regulations of the US Postal Service. Since these rates are typically determined based on the weight of the item being shipped, it is necessary to have a postage scale to weigh packages and letters to figure the correct cost.

By utilizing a scale, you can dismiss the likelihood of extra and over payments that occur when you are supposed to affix additional stamps to send packages due to lack of “proper change” so to speak or when indecisive of cost. Studies have shown that savings to the average business can be up to 25 percent.

A number of digital scales have a straight connection to your postage meter, resulting in automatic recording of the postage due. This is advantageious when you often send mail of variety of weights and can also facilitate pricing for other carriers, like Federal Express and United Parcel Service.

Spring scales on the other hand do not offer all the features of digital scales. If however you have fairly low amount and mostly ship just letter and envelopes, spring scales offer an logical solution, sometimes costing as low as $35 as opposed to a digital scale which can run skyward to a few hundred dollars. Scales can also be leased and a small digital scale will run you about $7 each month.

When it comes to service and support for your postage meter system, the meter itself does not require a service contract because the manufacturer is the owner as you merely lease it, and they are responsible for repairs. Prior to leasing a meter, be sure you know how repairs will be handled, whether you must send it or will a repairman come to your business?

In days gone by, you had to carry your postage meter to the post office to add more postage to it. Now, the US Postal Service dictates that refills be completed over the phone. Modern machines have a simple phone jack that let you to download additional postage from your account with the post office, and some will even let you purchase refills online.

As you can see, your mailing system can be quite simple and economical, or very sophisticated and expensive. This can wind up with you spending anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars each year to automate your mailing needs. You can opt to go with a bare bones postage machine solution from as little as $15 a month and watch your cost escalate to one or two hundred dollars a month based on the sophistication of the add on features you elect to implement.