Written by Sabrina Dougall Updated on May 13, 2022 On this page The Top Postage Meters For Small Businesses 1. Best All-Round Reliable: FP PostBase mini 2. Best for Ease of Use: PB SendPro Mailstation 3. Best for Budget: Quadient IS 280 4. Best for Growing Businesses: Quadient iX-5 Series 5. Best for Heavy Mail: Datapac EZ-Mailer The Benefits of Postage Meters How much can I save with a postage meter? Tips on Finding the Best Postage Meter Rates Expert Verdict Expand FP PostBase mini is the best all-round reliable postage meter, while the Quadient IS 280 is the best budget option. Our guide to the best postage meters for small businesses will take you through the best models for: cost saving, ease of use, growing your business and heavy mail.With every postage meter company claiming to be the best, it can be hard to cut through the marketing. Don't worry – we’ve conducted heaps of research and selected the five 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 Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Editor's pick FP PostBase mini PB SendPro Mailstation Quadient IS 280 Quadient iX-5 Series Datapac EZ-Mailer Best for All-round reliable Best for Ease of use Best for Budget Best for Growing businesses Best for Heavy Mail FP PostBase miniBest All-Round Reliable 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:$22.95 – 13 months plus one month free$21.95 – 26 months plus two months free$21.95 – 42 months plus six months freeRead FP PostBase Review Pros Integrated 5lb scale Easy to use Quietest machine in its class Cons Relatively small touchscreen Not the quickest model on our list Pitney Bowes SendPro MailstationBest for Ease of Use Not hot on technology? This is the postage meter for low-tech folk. Without the complicated bells and whistles, the Pitney Bowes SendPro Mailstation won't ask too much of you. Simple and efficient, it's best for businesses sending up to 50 pieces of mail per week.As the most basic model in the Pitney Bowes Small Business range, the SendPro Mailstation processes up to 16 letters per minute (LPM) and can handle letters weighing up to 5lb. Compact in design, it looks like a regular printer and is barely more complicated than one. The rental price is $26.99 per month.Read Pitney Bowes Postage Meters Review 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 Quadient IS-280Best 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 suitable for businesses sending fewer than 150 pieces of mail monthly.Costs:$19.75 per month (2lb scale) over 24 months – plus six months free (new customers only)$22.75 per month (5lb scale) over 24 months – plus six months free (new customers only)$11.66 per month estimated ink costs (10 letters/day)$3.53 per month estimated label costs (2 labels/day)Quadient's 9% discount on First Class postage applies.Read review 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 SystemBest for Growing Businesses Are your mailing solutions scaling quickly? Great news! The Quadient iX-5 Series comes with a 5lb scale as standard, with options up to 70lb, an expandable catch tray and color screen control panel. It processes 75-110 LPM, depending on whether or not you choose the automation option.Multi-carrier shipping rates are available with USPS, UPS and FedEx so you can improve your chances of getting the best possible postage rate. Quadient's iX-5 Series also offers low ink email alerts and automatic ink ordering.Quadient's 9% discount on First Class postage applies. Pros Ideal for scaling your mailing solutions Cons Relatively expensive Likely overkill for very small mailrooms Datapac EZ-MailerBest for Heavy Mail The EZ-Mailer is your heavy-lifter when it comes to small business mail sorting. With this mail machine, you can process 140 LPM including flats, letters, and parcels. Choose between 25lb or 70lb integrated scales – far more than any other meter we've reviewed here. Data-Pac's Shape-Based measurement software ensures highly accurate sizing for the best possible postage prices.Make use of unlimited accounting and job reporting, as well as numerous form printing options. Pros Accurately measures large and heavy mail Great for small and medium businesses Cons Likely too large for very small mailrooms Not the sleekest hardware out there The Benefits of Postage Meters for Small BusinessesThere are lots of ways small businesses can save money with a postal meter:Getting discounted USPS postage ratesReduce staff time spent processing mailCut down on trips to the post office (and the fuel required)Getting accurate postage cost calculationsEliminating petty cash and checksGaining insightful data on postage expenditureEasily monitoring the balance on your meter before and after usePlanning 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. Currently a single metered letter is 5¢ cheaper than a stamped letter.Just take a look out our table…Savings from Using a Postage MeterNumber of LettersSavings500$255,000$25050,000$2,500How 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 with our free quote gathering tool, and we'll match your business with the right suppliers for your requirements. They'll get in touch with more information and no-obligation quotes for you to compare. Tips on Finding the Best Postage Meter RatesIn 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 VerdictRemember: federal law regulates the creation and distribution of postage meters, meaning you can’t purchase a postage meter outright. Instead, you have to rent or lease one from the authorized dealers.Our pick of the bunch is FP PostBase mini, a reliable postage meter at a small-business-budget-friendly rental rate. If your mailroom is on the busier side, however, you'd be better of with the Quadient iX-5 Series.When renting a machine, you’ll normally sign a contract for one or two years with a monthly rental fee that is subject to change. If you choose to lease, instead, your contract will be longer and the monthly payments are fixed for the entire duration.Despite the price variations, a postage meter will usually save your small business time and money, so it’s a worthwhile investment. Compare Prices from Leading Postage Meter Providers Get Free Quotes Sabrina Dougall Writer Sabrina writes about tech for business as well as consumer software. She covers topics ranging from digital marketing to ecommerce fulfilment, security systems, franking machines, and more. Having run her own successful small business, Sabrina knows first-hand how much there is to keep on top of. Writing with your company’s needs in mind, she distils truly useful product information (without the sales pitch).