Mailing Meters for Your Business

Cutting unnecessary costs is an important task for businesses. While you don’t want to compromise on quality, using a mailing meter (also known as a postage meter), is a great method. It enables businesses to send large amounts of mailing material while cutting down on mailing costs, tracking mail payments, and also saving valuable time.

Mailing meters are tools that your business can benefit from, provided they are used correctly. In this article, we’ll explain what mailing meters are and how your business can best utilize them.

What Are Mailing Meters?

A postage meter or mailing meter is a device that creates and applies evidence of postage to mailed items. Put simply, it directly prints postage onto mailing material. The user can operate it through an online account after depositing the necessary postage funds. The postage meter then calculates the exact amount of postage needed before printing unique information on the piece of mail. Afterward, it automatically deducts the postage funds from the account.

Using a postage meter eliminates the need for stamps, saves time, and reduces possible errors in the process. However, if you want to use one, you’ll need a license from the postal authorities to make sure the post is sent accurately and appropriately.

How Does a Mailing Meter work?

Mailing meters are relatively simple to operate, saving you time and money. It’s important to note that all postage meters are now digitalized for further convenience.

A postage meter consists of two main integrated parts:

• The Base – This is part of your postage meter is responsible for the envelopes, sealing them and ensuring the indicia is stamped on your mail.
• The Meter – The main component of the meter stores mail and prints the indicia on the designated item. The indicia is the printed information that indicates the amount of postage paid and the services associated with it.

The notable parts of the base include:

•  The Feeder – This helps move envelopes through the meter, which is especially useful for those who send out large volumes of mail.
• The Sealer – A sealer wets the envelope before closing it.
• The Stacker – A stacker helps remove envelopes from the postage meter after stacking.
• The Tape dispenser – Some mail pieces, such as large packages, can’t have the postage indicia printed directly onto them. If that’s the case, a tape dispenser can be used to stamp the item with the indicia or postage amount.

How Much Do They Cost?

When it comes to buying a postage meter, the process gets slightly more complicated. The reason being, postage meters aren’t for sale. They’re heavily regulated by the postal authority USPS. Postage is similar to a currency in this regard and buying or selling a postage meter is against federal law. Postal authorities ensure that postage meets certain standards and requirements, and that they are properly registered and maintained by authorized vendors.

But that doesn’t mean you still can’t use a postage meter to save money for your business. Postal meter dealers will rent or lease them to you. There are specific criteria, however, such as the contract and capacity. In terms of the fees, a general estimate would be anywhere from $25 to $1,000 per month. When renting a postage meter, you may have to pay a $200 annual license fee.

Postage meters also require you to invest in consumables such as printer tape, paper, and envelopes. Furthermore, the user needs to load postage funds on the online account for use.

Should I Use One for My Business?

There can be multiple reasons and benefits to renting and using mailing meters for your business. But it all comes down to your specific needs. Some of the benefits include:

• Saving Money – Postage meters help your business save money. This is because the postage calculation of your typical meter will be much more accurate. Businesses that have switched to postage meters save an average of 20% on their mailing payments. Many meters also allow you to access discounts through the online account connected to USPS.
• Efficiency – Postage meters can be major time savers for your team. Operating a postage meter is more convenient and faster than manually affixing stamps to your mail. You won’t run out of stamps, as you can always access the account for more provided you have the funds, and you won’t need to waste time going to the post office.
• Minimizing Errors – When it comes to repetitive processes such as sticking stamps and sending mail, mistakes are bound to occur. That’s especially true if your business is sending out a high volume of mail such as newsletters. Going digital with a postage meter minimizes the chances of errors.
• Tracking Postage Cost – A postage meter helps you keep a close eye on all your expenditure through every campaign, next to the overall cost of postage. Many postage meters also have the option of printing a report or receipt, showing you the cost of postage for each piece of mail. You can also run reports that show your postage usage by department, project, or mailing type. This can help you to identify trends in your postage activities.
• Helping your brand and image – A postage meter helps your professional image and brand go that extra mile. Your indicia can also include your business’s logo. You can opt to include a brand message or for the campaign you might be doing, or a slogan. This makes your brand appear more professional in the eyes of possible clients.

If your business sends a lot of mail with marketing campaigns and newsletters, then a postage meter would be a perfect choice for reducing costs while improving efficiency and convenience.

The Optimal Mailing System

Businesses spend countless hours annually sorting, preparing, and sending mail. Not having an efficient mailing system can result in a loss of time and added expenses. That’s why Duplicator Sales & Service provides mailing system solutions such as reliable mailing meters, software, and folder insertions. Contact Duplicator Sales & Service if your business is located in Louisville, Lexington, Elizabethtown, London, or Paducah for mailing systems and solutions built for both large and small companies.