What Are Postage Meters?

For businesses that frequently use the U.S. Postal Service, taking time to travel to the post office can be a drain on productivity. Using a postage meter is a possible solution to this problem.

Identification

1. Postage meters allow businesses to print valid U.S. postage on a label that can be affixed to a package or envelope.

Features

2. Postage meters are often used with postage scales that enable businesses to know the exact weight of a letter or package.

Types of Postage

3. With a postage meter, businesses can elect to send a package using a number of different postage classes, including First Class, Priority, Express, Parcel Post and International Mail.

Cost

4. Postage meters can be purchased or rented. Before using a postage meter, a business must purchase a unit of postage from the postage machine dealer, such as $500 or $1,000.

Considerations

5. Postage meters can only be manufactured by vendors authorized by the U.S. Postal Service. Some authorized dealers of postage meters include Data-Pac Mailing Systems, FP Mailing Solutions, Hasler, Neopost and Pitney Bowes.