Ever wondered where lost letters go to die?
Investing in a postage meter for small businesses is just one way you can make sure your letters never end up at the dreaded Dead Letter Office (DLO for short) . Letters end up at this postal purgatory any time a letter loses its stamp.
The story of stamped postage gets even sadder when you consider all the money that small businesses waste on it each year. Stationery costs, staff time, and postage rates (50 cents for every letter sent first-class via USPS!) paint a far uglier picture than the one above.
Postage meters calculate the correct postage every time, cutting your administrative burden and helping you to extract more value from your mail. As USPS stamp costs climb year after year, postage meter rates are actually going down. So, whether you send ten pieces of post a week or 10,000 a month, using a postage meter has never made more financial sense.
Read on to find out about some of the best postage meters for small business.
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How Much Can I Save With a Postage Meter?
If what goes up must come down, stamp prices clearly didn’t get the memo. They’ve increased every year for the past century, except for a slight dip in 2016:
Fortunately, the USPS offers preferential rates on metered postage compared with ordinary stamped postage. In 2018, metered postage rates are 6% cheaper, and almost 20% cheaper if you pre-sort your mail before giving it to the USPS!
| 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 weighing 2 oz, using a postage meter saves you up to 44%
- For letters weighing 3 oz, using a postage meter saves you up to 58%
- For letters 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 meter supplier. By law, companies in the US can only lease postage meters, and prices range from $20-$1,000+ per month.
High-volume machines like the Neopost IJ-15k can process up to 15,000 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 Hasler WJ20 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 you money.
Expert Tips for Finding the Best Postage Meter Lease
It really pays to shop around for the best deals on postage meters for small business. In such a highly regulated market, postage meter suppliers have to work hard to win your custom. Free trials are common, and you can even get access to special introductory offers if you play your cards right. Once you’re on board, they’ll do everything they can to make sure you stay happy with their service.
When you’re getting quotes from postage meter suppliers, make sure you:
- Research the standout features of different suppliers’ postage meters. You’ll be in a stronger negotiating position if you know exactly what the competition offers
- Explain your business needs, including the type, volumes and frequency of mail you’ll be sending, and to whom. This will help them pitch you their most relevant products
- Request a free trial of their products for at least one month. This will help you to calculate whether or not signing on for longer would be 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 than this offers
You can use our quick quotes-finding tool to get started.
Benefits of Postage Stamp Machines for Small Business
There are lots of ways small businesses can save money with a postal meter:
- Qualify for discounted USPS postage rates
- Reduce staff time spent processing mail
- Cut down on trips (and fuel use) to the post office
- Weigh mail and calculate postage costs
- Slash administrative costs
- Eliminate petty cash, checks and large volumes of stamps stored in your office
- Personalize your postage labels for stronger business branding
- Get accurate data about your daily, weekly monthly and yearly postage expenditure.
- Credit your machine quickly, over the phone or online
- Monitor the balance on your meter before and after use
- Plan and budget more effectively
Where Can You Get a Postal Meter for a Small Business?
Since federal law regulates the creation and distribution of postal meters, you can't buy a postal meter. 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 and pay a monthly rental fee. The actual rental fee varies according to your contract length and the type of machine you opt for.
Despite pricing variations, you can rest assured that there are still affordable options. Many postage meters are made specifically for small and medium-sized businesses, and they tend to be smaller and cheaper than higher end models.
These kinds of postage meters offer a great mix of affordability and functionality, as they still offer many of the benefits of larger mail processing hubs.
What are the Best Postal Meters for Small Business?
According to our research, the best postage meters for small businesses are:
- Pitney Bowes MailStation2
- FP PostBase Mini
- Neopost IN-360
- Hasler WJ20
Take a look at the table to see how we rate them.
| Supplier | Recommended Model | Top Features | Rating | Monthly Cost | Full Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitney Bowes | Mailstation2 |
| From $25 | ||
| FP | PostBase Mini |
| From $18.95 | ||
| Neopost | IN-360 |
| From $45 | ||
| Hasler | WJ20 |
| Up to $25 |
Read on for the lowdown on some of the most popular postage machine models for small business. Just keep in mind that this isn't an exhaustive list. If you'd like to find postage meter suppliers tailored to your specific business needs, simply fill out our short quotes comparison webform.
Postage Machines for Small Business Reviews
Mailstation2
Pitney Bowes Mailstation2
The Mailstation2 from Pitney Bowes offers the features of a busy mailroom to even the smallest businesses.
| Mailstation2 | |
|---|---|
| Review | Rating |
| Features | |
| Value | |
| Customization | |
| Ease of Use | |
| Summary | |
| Reviewed by Expert Market: | 03/29/2018 |
The Mailstation2 is a small business powerhouse from Pitney Bowes.
Designed with small businesses in mind, the Mailstation2 is easy to use, efficient, and offers web connectivity to make light work of topping up credit and checking your postage spend.
As part of the Pitney Bowes Small Business Mailing Solutions range, this postage meter processes a low volume of mail - 18 letters per minute - but is highly accurate, reliable and affordable. Monthly rental prices start from $25.
PostBase Mini
FP PostBase Mini
The PostBase Mini is the smallest postage meter in the PostBase range from FP. Designed with small businesses in mind, this machine will even fit in a small home office.
| PostBase Mini | |
|---|---|
| Categories | Rating |
| Features | |
| Value | |
| Customization | |
| Ease of Use | |
| Summary | |
| Reviewed by Expert Market: | 03/29/2018 |
If you need an entry level machine for a home business or small office space, the PostBase Mini could be the perfect option for you. FP USA's entry level system is perfect for businesses that have low volume mailing needs, but still want to benefit from the features a postage meter can offer.
Prices for this machine vary depending on contract length and usage, but start from around $18.95.
IN-360 Mailing System
Neopost IN-360
The IN-360 is one of Neopost's smaller machines, but it punches above its weight. For its size, it's a highly powerful and efficient mailing solution.
| IN-360 | |
|---|---|
| Review | Rating |
| Features | |
| Value | |
| Customization | |
| Ease of Use | |
| Summary | |
| Reviewed by Expert Market: | 03/29/2018 |
One of Neopost's most popular postage meters for small business is the IN-360. This model has everything you need for processing mail quickly, cheaply and accurately. Designed to improve productivity by reducing user input and processing a huge 45 letters per minute, managing your mail with the IN-360 couldn't be easier.
With monthly rental rates starting at $45 per month, the IN-360 is at the premium end of the small business postage meter scale. For your money, you get a wealth of features.
Hasler WJ20
Hasler WJ20
The Hasler WJ20 is another strong choice for small business postage solutions. It’s compact in size but certainly holds its own when it comes to letter processing.
| WJ20 | |
|---|---|
| Review | Rating |
| Features | |
| Value | |
| Customization | |
| Ease of Use | |
| Summary | |
| Reviewed by Expert Market: | 03/29/2018 |
The Hasler WJ20 is for small businesses in need of an efficient postage meter. With the ability to print postage usage and spending, you can easily keep costs under control and stay within budget. The machine uses SmartCard technology to help you stay abreast of any postal rate changes. It also lets you print your logos and customize messages with minimal fuss.
While the cost of leasing a Hasler WJ20 depends on your particular lease arrangement, it’s normally below the reasonable price of $25 per month.
