Postage Meter Lease Rates

Strict regulation means you can’t buy a postage meter in the United States. To use a postage meter you have to rent or lease one.

Postage meters are typically identified by their output volume, so we’ve gathered the rates for low, mid and high volume meters to provide you with a good estimate of what you can expect to pay. However, to get an accurate and bespoke price to suit your mailing requirements, it’s essential to get a quote from the best suppliers.

Low Volume Meters

Businesses with low shipping needs are generally classed as those sending less than 100 items per month, or spending less than $100 per month on standard charge USPS stamps.

Machines made to service this level of demand are perfectly capable of aiding companies in becoming more efficient, increasing brand awareness and saving money. However, as a cheaper machine they don't tend to have the same level of functionality as some of the higher end models.

Machines in this range are generally slower, managing around 18 items per minute and manual input is often necessary.

As a result, this makes the low volume models some of the most cost effective options on the market, with prices around $25 per month for one of the current low volume leaders, the Pitney Bowes Mailstation2.

Companies looking to invest in a postage solution should be sure to take into account the additional costs of labels and inks. Reading the fine print of a contract is advised to see whether after-sale support and routine maintenance is included in the monthly lease rate, as not all manufacturers include this.

Mid Volume Meters

Mid or medium volume shipping needs are categorized as sending up to 1000 pieces of low cost mail per month and/or spending $150+ a month on mail.

If the total value spent is greater than this but quantity remains the same, it's best to consider a high volume postage meter to cope adequately with demand. The postage meter lease rate may be higher, but the machine will be able to process mail faster and supplies (including ink) are a lot more cost effective.

Mid volume machines often have similar features when compared to low volume models, yet they offer a greater capacity of up to 155 items per minute. This uplift means there is only a slight increase between lease rates for the two ranges.

Speedier upgrades on the Pitney Bowes Mailstation2 and the Quadient IN-360 include the DM100 and the IN-700. Prices for the DM100 start from as little as $35 per month, plus ink and label costs and routine maintenance, depending whether or not the chosen manufacturer or rental agency offers this as standard.

High Volume Meters

Compared to the cheaper machines, the price margin increases significantly between mid and high volume postage meters. The reason for this jump is because there is much more functionality to the high volume upgrade than simply considering speed and capacity.

Heavy duty scales for weighing larger items are usually included as standard and there is much greater letter-per-minute capability. Automatic and semi-automatic functions are also available and there are usually added bonuses including external keyboards and envelope sealers.

As a result of the higher level of customization, rates vary greatly for larger volume models. To show this difference, the lease of a Pitney Bowes DM200 costs around $65 per month, whereas the internet-enabled 3000+ Connect Pro, a leading model, costs upwards of $1,000 per month.