Open up your postage possibilities with this review of the best postage meters for small businesses
The best postage meters for small businesses calculate real-time postage costs and remove the need for trips to the post office, saving you time and money on your mailing solutions. Plus, your customers can enjoy prompt deliveries. Everyone’s a winner.
If you don’t know where to start looking, then finding the right postage system can prove tricky. Don't worry – we’ve conducted heaps of research and selected six of the best postage meters for small business which you can read about below, or you can use our handy cost comparison tool to get bespoke quotes for your business.
| Best Postage Meters for Small Businesses | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Postage meter | Best for… | ||
| 1 | PB SendPro Mailstation | Best for fast-paced mailrooms | |
| 2 | FP PostBase mini | Best machine for small mailrooms | |
| 3 | Quadient iX-3 Series | Best premium postage meter system | |
| 4 | Quadient IS 280 | Best budget postage meter system | |
| 5 | Quadient iX-5 Series | Best for growing businesses | |
| 6 | Datapac EZ-Mailer | Best for limited office space | |
Pitney Bowes SendPro Mailstation
Best for Fast-Paced Mailrooms
The SendPro Mailstation was designed with small, ambitious businesses in mind. It’s easy to use, efficient, and provides seamless internet connectivity to make topping up credit and checking postage spend a breeze.
As part of the Pitney Bowes Small Business Mailing Solutions range, the SendPro Mailstation processes 16 letters per minute (LPM) which is great for larger mailrooms within a small business. This machine is extremely reliable and affordable, with rental prices starting from $22.99 per month.
Pros:
- Enterprise-level scalability
- Powerful sales analytics
- Seemingly endless CRM integrations
Cons:
- Deleting duplicate contacts can only be done manually
- The interface takes some getting used to
FP PostBase mini
Best for Small Mailrooms
The PostBase Mini is the smallest postage meter in the PostBase range from FP USA. Unsurprisingly, this quiet machine is ideal for small mailrooms, and will even fit nicely in a home office.
Processing up to 17 letters per minute, the PostBase Mini is a low volume machine. However, it still offers full wifi connectivity as standard, and a 4.3” colour touchscreen to help you organise your mail even more easily. You can even personalize the integrated scale with one of five colours to match your brand.
Prices for this machine vary depending on the length of the contract, and the amount of usage that’s planned. Costs usually start from around $18.95.
Pros:
- Integrated 5lb scale
- Easy to use
- Quietest machine in its class
Cons:
- Relatively small touchscreen
- Not the quickest model on our list
Quadient iX-3 Series Postage Meter
Best Premium Postage Meter
The iX-3 Series Postage Meter might be one of the smaller machines that Quadient (formerly Neopost) offers, but it still punches well above its weight in terms of productivity. Processing 45 LPM, this model can track spending for up to 300 departments. You can also choose from four different scales, ranging from 5lb to 70lb.
With the iX-3 Series Postage Meter, you can also personalize your post with images and logos from a library of over 100 stock images. You can also add a message using NeoSlogan, giving your mail a personal and professional look that’ll impress your clients.
Pros:
- Processes 45 LPM
- Four different scale weights
Cons:
- Too large for most home offices
- Premium performance makes it relatively expensive
Quadient IS-280
Best Budget Postage Meter
The Quadient IS-280 is a small but mighty machine, processing 18 LPM. It offers a high printing resolution, and provides integrated 2lb or 5lb scales depending on your choice.
With the Quadient IS-280, you can track spending for up to ten departments, and customize your mail with a wide range of stock imagery. Overall, this model is a brilliant budget option.
Pros:
- Compact design suitable for any small office
- Top up postage balance online
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Scales only weigh up to 5lbs
- Quicker postage meters out there
Quadient iX-5 Series Mailing System
Best for Growing Businesses
Are your mailing solutions scaling quickly? Great news! The Quadient iX-5 Series Mailing System series comes with an integrated scale and processes up to 75 LPM, helping your small business send a moderate volume of mail to clients and customers alike.
You can even add the optional automatic feeder which can process up to 110 letters per minute, ideal for those busy periods.
Pros:
- Ideal for scaling your mailing solutions
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Relatively expensive
- Likely overkill for very small mailrooms
Datapac EZ-Mailer
Best for Limited Office Space
Turning your desktop into an efficient postage system, the EZ-Mailer is ideal for small businesses with limited office space. With this mail machine, you can process 140 LPM including flats, letters, and parcels, and save up to 95 cents per piece of priority mail through the supplier’s discount program. The EZ-Mailer also comes with 25lb or 70lb integrated scales.
Overall, this machine represents a low cost mailing solution that grants you the best USPS rates directly from your desktop.
Pros:
- Low-cost and compact
- Large integrated scales
Cons:
- Likely too large for very small mailrooms
- Not the sleekest hardware out there
The Benefits of Postage Meters for Small Businesses
There are lots of ways small businesses can save money with a postal meter:
- Getting discounted USPS postage rates
- Reduce staff time spent processing mail
- Cut down on trips to the post office (and the fuel required)
- Getting accurate postage cost calculations
- Eliminating petty cash and checks
- Gaining insightful data on postage expenditure
- Easily monitoring the balance on your meter before and after use
- Planning budgets more effectively
How Much Can I Save With a Postage Meter?
What goes up must come down, right? Well, that’s not the case with stamp prices, which have increased year on year for the past century (except for a slight dip in 2016).
Fortunately, the USPS offers discounted rates for postage systems. On average, metered postage rates are 6% cheaper than ordinary stamped postage, and almost 20% cheaper if you pre-sort your mail before giving it to the USPS to send.
Just take a look out our table…
| Savings from Using a Postage Meter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of letters | Metered | Metered and Presorted |
| 500 | $15 | $59.50 |
| 5,000 | $150 | $595 |
| 50,000 | $1,500 | $5,950 |
If you’re sending mail that weighs more than 1 oz, the savings are even more impressive:
- For letters/packages weighing 2 oz, using a postage meter saves you up to 44%
- For letters/packages weighing 3 oz, using a postage meter saves you up to 58%
- For letters/packages weighing 3.5 oz, using a postage meter saves you up to 66%
How Quickly Will My Postage Meter Pay For Itself?
That depends on the deal you can get from your postage system supplier. By law, companies in the US can only lease postage meters from authorized suppliers, with prices ranging from $20-$1,000+ per month.
High-volume machines like the Quadient IS-6000 can process thousands of pieces of mail an hour, but come at a cost of thousands of dollars a month. For more modest mailing needs, a low-volume model like the Quadient IS 280 could be a great choice.
If you spend more than $50 a month on mail, there’s almost certainly a postage meter on this page that can save your business money. We can put you in touch with the perfect postage system supplier for your small business, quickly and easily. All you need to do is tell us what you need on our free comparison tool, and we'll match your business with right supplier for your requirements. They'll get in touch with more information and non-obligation quotes for you to compare.
Tips on Finding the Best Postage Meter Lease
In order to get the best postage meter deal for your small business, you should shop around for the right model. Before making a decision, just remember that most suppliers offer free trials, so you can test out different machines without having to share your credit card details. Better yet, some companies will have introductory offers to help ease you into the contract.
Want some top tips? You’ve come to the right place. Generally, when you’re looking for a postage system, make sure you:
- Research the standout features of different suppliers’ mail machines. You’ll be in a stronger negotiating position if you know exactly what the competition are offering.
- Explain your business needs, including the type of mail you post, the volume you post, and the frequency you’ll be posting. This will help the supplier work out the best product for your needs.
- Request a free trial for at least one month. This will help you calculate whether or not the contract is worthwhile.
- Enquire about different pricing plans and lease lengths. Don’t feel pressured to sign a multi-year contract if you need more short-term flexibility.
If you’d like to compare options from different suppliers, tell us about your business’ needs using our free comparison tool, and you’ll hear from top postage system suppliers with quotes tailored to you.
Expert Verdict
As you know, postage systems could save your small business time and money. But picking the right mail machine is important, and there are things to consider when making a decision.
If your small business has a large mailroom, then you should opt for a powerful machine like the Pitney Bowes Mailstation, whereas the FP PostBase mini would be more suitable to smaller mailrooms.
Remember: since federal law regulates the creation and distribution of postage meters, you can’t purchase a postage meter outright. Instead, you have to rent or lease one from a set of authorized dealers.
When leasing a machine, you’ll normally sign a contract for one or two years while paying a monthly rental fee. The actual rental cost varies depending on your contract length, and the type of machine you’ve chosen.
Despite the price variations, a postage meter will usually save your small business time and money, so it’s a worthwhile investment.
