Should You Invest in a Postage Machine for Your Business?

Online shoppers have come to fast delivery of the items they order, whether in 24 hours or sometimes even faster. They expect to be able to track their delivery as it makes its way from the warehouse to their door. Call it the Amazon effect, but now every business that relies on any kind of delivery for their online sales needs tools to optimize delivery times while minimizing postal costs. A postage machine can be one of the essential solutions available to save businesses time and money.

What Is a Postage Machine?

A postage machine, also known as a postage meter or mailing machine is a device that calculates the exact cost of the postage you’ll need to mail an item with your preferred postal service. It then prints labels in the appropriate amount to affix to your package for delivery. The machines can be leased from authorized providers.

A postage machine has built-in scales to calculate the exact postage based on the weight of the package and the distance of the delivery address. In addition to printing the required label, some also feature the ability to seal the package as well.

When your business uses a postage machine from an approved provider, you may also receive a discount (a minimum of 1%) on all USPS postage. That might not seem like a lot, but when if you send a significant number of packages, the savings can add up significantly.

Postage machines come in a variety of shapes and sizes for different types of businesses. The simplest machines let a member of staff individually weigh a letter and print the specific postage needed to send it. More sophisticated machines might have the mechanism (an automatic feeder, etc.) to process hundreds or even thousands of packages a day.

All postage machines must be digital and Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) certified to send and receive updated data from USPS. The provider must also be licensed to function in your region.

Benefits of a Postage Machine for Your Business

There are a variety of benefits that make a postage machine a worthwhile investment for your business.

Gives Your Business a Professional Appearance

Branding has an enormous impact on how people feel about your business, and what your package looks like when it arrives at your customer’s door matters. Handwritten labels and several hastily affixed local stamps aren’t likely to impress potential repeat customers or influencers doing unboxing films for their followers. A postage machine helps make your delivery process look more professional and increases trust in the goods and services that your business delivers.

A postage machine can also make bulk mailing of marketing materials more affordable and accessible. It can help you communicate and build your brand with preferred customers through a medium that still captures attention more than a mass email. Responses to “snail mail” are reportedly 37% higher than for email campaigns. Some postage machines may even be able to print corporate marketing messages right onto your envelope to further spur engagement.

Reduce Postage Costs

The biggest consideration for most businesses is reducing postage costs, and a postage machine can do this in a variety of ways. First, accurate weighing and calculations make postage costs accurate and predictable, making it easier to calculate monthly expenses.

The machine can also save your business a significant amount of time, as there is no need for anyone to personally address packages. Regular delivery destinations can be fed directly from your order system to the machine. There is also less of a chance for a wrong delivery, as your packages will have the correct information for pickup and swift transport.

In addition, in many cases, delivery services offer discounts to businesses that use postage machines, as it saves them time and money in preparing packages for the post. In fact, USPS offers businesses a 1% discount when they use authorized postage machines.

Accurate Budgeting and Spending

Postage costs can be one of the biggest variables for your business, as each order has its own unique cost based on the size of the item, delivery destination, etc. Access to a postage machine means that you can record your exact postage cost per item more accurately and predict future postage costs based on sales trends. This can result in better budgeting and investment within your business.

Integrated software is also available to automatically connect postal costs with orders and budget, and feed into the wider collection of data you have available to assess and analyze your business needs.

Key Features When Selecting a Postage Machine

There is a simple but essential checklist you need to consider when choosing the right postage machine for your business. Ask yourself these questions when making an assessment.

• Is the machine Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) verified by USPS, and is the provider permitted for your city and region?
• How much mail do you send a week, and what types of letters and packages do you send? Different machines are designed for different usage levels.
• How much of your postage requires a “hands-on” approach to processing? This will indicate the features your machine will need.
• How much space do you have? Machines come in a variety of different sizes, from desktop to warehouse.
• What is the full cost of leasing the machine, including installation fees, minimum credit balance required, cost of refills, and cancellation fees?

These are all essential questions that you should be asking our potential supplier before committing to a lease agreement.

Finding Postage Solutions in Kentucky

If you are in the Kentucky area, contact Duplicator Sales & Service to find the postage solutions that fit your business. We are authorized by the federal postage system and have permits for major Kentucky cities.

Request a quote or discuss bespoke solutions with our teams in Louisville, Lexington, Elizabethtown, and Paducah. Ask about corporate mailing systems, including mailing meters, folder inserters, and MailOne for real-time, in-depth reporting.