The Top Postage Meter Companies in 2023

Using a postage meter will save your business time and money, allowing you to focus on other important tasks rather than licking stamps. However, you can’t just buy one.

Instead, you’ll need to lease one. There are only four companies authorized by the USPS to lease postage systems: Pitney Bowes, Quadient Inc, Francotyp Postalia Inc (FP USA), and Datapac. In this review, we'll show you each company's range of postage meters, including each meter's processing speeds in LPM (letters per minute).

Lease prices start from just $25 per month, and if you currently spend more than $50 per month on postage, then switching to a postage meter is sure to result in savings – you can use our quick quote finder to discover how much. For detailed information on pricing and range of models for each postage company, read on.

Best Postage Meter Companies Roundup

We’ve reviewed the four leading postage companies to help you hone in on the best mailing solutions for your needs. Here’s our roundup:

FP USA Postage Meters – Best for Reliability

FP is the fastest-growing mailing solutions provider in the US, with an excellent reputation for producing reliable postage meters. On the rare occasions when its machines malfunction, the customer service staff are trained to spot issues and fix them with minimal fuss.

Through an independent dealer network that spans 40 countries, FP connects you with your customers wherever they are in the world, offering everything from high-volume postage meters to folder inserters and letter openers.

FP’s range of postage meters includes:

Low Volume: the PostBase mini (17 LPM) and the PostBase Insight Semi-Auto (25 LPM)

Medium Volume: the PostBase Vision Semi-Auto (45 LPM), the PostBase Insight Auto (85 LPM), the PostBase Vision Advanced (90 LPM), and the PostBase Vision Auto (95 LPM)

High Volume: the PostBase Pro (150 LPM), the PostBase Pro DS (110 LPM), and the PostBase ONE (150 LPM)

Pitney Bowes Postage Meters – Best for Ease of Use

Pitney Bowes postage meters are designed for ease of use, whether you run a small business or a large corporation. Pitney Bowes' automated sorting feature saves you from having to sort and file your mail manually. Affordability is also a major selling point, as the company negotiates great rates on Standard and First Class postage from the USPS.

Pitney Bowes’ range of postage meters includes:

Low Volume: the SendPro Mailstation (17 LPM)

Medium Volume: the SendPro C Lite (50 LPM), and the SendPro C Auto (120 LPM)

High Volume: the SendPro P1000 (310 LPM), SendPro P2000 (310 LPM), and the SendPro P3000 (310 LPM)

Quadient Postage Meters – Best for Customer Support

Quadient rolls out regular software updates as part of its postage service, so you won’t need to upgrade your system any time soon. The postage meters themselves are remarkably easy-to-use; effortless letter processing, mailing and shipping are part and parcel of all their machines.

This postage company’s support staff are always happy to provide customers with product information and advice on financing options. The National Customer Service Association awarded the Quadient USA support team ‘All Star’ status in 2012 for “maintaining a focused culture of excellence”.

Quadient’s range of postage meters includes:

Low Volume: the IS-280 (18 LPM) and the iX-3 (45 LPM)

Medium Volume: the iX-5 (75 LPM), the iX-7 (140 LPM)

High Volume: the iX-9 (300 LPM)

Datapac Postage Meters – Best for Touchscreen Control

Great controls are Datapac’s best innovation – each of their machines features a crisp 15-inch touch screen display. Other perks include high build quality and low cost ink refills.

Currently, Datapac’s biggest limitation is the lack of low volume postage systems in its product line. If you need processing speeds in excess of below 100ppm, you’ll be better served by the other postage meter companies.

Datapac’s range of postage meters includes:

Mid Volume: the EZ-Mailer (140 LPM)

High Volume: the Curve (190 LPM), the DP 100W/DP 140W/DP 200B (200 LPM), and the DP 240B (240 LPM)

Choosing a Postage Meter

Postage meters might all seem similar, but a few key differences distinguish various models from one another. Here are three key considerations to keep in mind when you’re shopping around:

Do I need batch processing?

Batch processing is a feature of medium and high volume postage meters from all four postage meter companies. These meters can print postage even faster than non-batch processing machines. In order to use batch processing, you need to be able to pre-sort your mail into batches by weight and box size.

You need this feature if: You ship lots of uniformly-sized packages to a few specific regions

You don’t need this feature if: You ship a variety of types of mail to customers in several places

Do I need automatic feed features?

Simple postage meters require you to manually feed every piece of mail into the machine. Semi-automatic feeders automate parts of the process – for example, by closing and sealing envelopes or applying labels. Fully-automatic feeders go further, and on a much larger scale.

You need this feature if: You send hundreds of pieces of mail each week

You don’t need this feature if: You only send a few letters a fortnight

Do I need to weigh my mail?

That depends on the type of mail you’re sending. The USPS offers flat rate postage for letters and packages matching specified dimensions. If your mail fits their requirements, they’ll even throw in free packaging for using the service. It’s definitely not a bad deal.

If, on the other hand, your mail exceeds these dimensions, a postage meter with built-in weighing scales is the clear winner. These machines make it easy to calculate accurate postage costs, and your savings will soon stack up.

You need this feature if: You’re happy with USPS-specified mail weights and dimensions

You don’t need this feature if: You want to send irregularly-sized mail and don’t want to waste your time and money buying stamps

Next Steps

If your business has a real need for one, a postage meter will pay for itself several times over. That said – and you probably don’t need us to tell you this – price is an important factor to consider in your buying decision.

Pitney Bowes, FP USA, Quadient, and Data Pac all lease their systems according to your usage needs. The more mail you send, the more you’ll pay each month. Speaking to suppliers on the phone is the best way to get an exact figure. But how do you know what value for money looks like? Our free comparison tool can help you with that part.

To get started, simply tell us about your business, and we'll match your business with postage meter companies that best suit your needs. They'll then contact you with more information and non-obligation quotes for you to compare. It's quick, easy, and free to get started.