Postage Meters As A Way to Reduce Mail Costs

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the most efficient postal service provider in the world, offering some of the lowest mailing rates of any of the industrialized countries. Overall, they offer a lot of value for your dollar.

For business users, calculating the cost of mailing is a balance between evaluating the service and value offered by the national carrier and the amount of time and work the business would be willing to commit to the preparation of their items for posting.

The USPS offer commercial prices to businesses who are happy to do some of the work that would otherwise have to be done at the Post Office. This could include taking the processed mail to a specialized facility for dispatch or presorting items by their ZIP code. This arrangement offers benefits for both parties as it will save the USPS processing and labor costs and the business money from their mailing budget.

Overall, the business owner will have to calculate exactly what it will cost him and his company in terms of hours of labor and loss of productivity in order to receive the postal rate he needs to cut the bottom line. Mailed items will need to be sorted by size; are the items Flat, Letter or Parcel?

How heavy are they and how far are they being sent? What is the total quantity of the items you are mailing and will they be sent Priority, Express or First Class mail?

In order to simplify the process and be eligible to benefit from USPS commercial rates, most businesses, large or small, will use the services offered by a postage meter. With so many different systems available to the market offering a suitable solution for every office environment, it is possible to enjoy a reduction in mailing rates of at least 20%.

How A Postage Meter Can Save Costs

A postage meter is comprised of two parts; the base unit which prints the indicia (stamp) onto the letter and the actual meter which can only be leased through one of the USPS approved manufacturers and suppliers. Ownership of a postage meter is governed by Federal regulations and is strictly controlled by the USPS.

Adopting a system for the office will deliver a comprehensive raft of mailing and time saving solutions, cutting costs and increasing productivity. Items can be processed at the most convenient time during the working day, ensuring that all mail is ready to go before the office shuts down for the evening.

One of the biggest money wasting problems in the average mail room is putting too much postage on an item when it is being mailed. It can be tempting to 'guesstimate' the amount needed and to overestimate. All modern postage meters incorporate a digital scale which will weigh each item and apply the exact level of postage required, reducing wastage from over or under-stamping.

Using a model which features a semi-automatic or automatic feeding system will save time and allow employees to perform other more useful tasks around the office. Additional functions such as stackers and sealers will also significantly reduce hands-on time and provide optimum productivity.

Utilizing the Technological Benefits of a Postage Meter

Many of the newest range of postage meters will provide a business with a complete mailing system, delivering a raft of capabilities including the option for digital billing technology that will print, fold, staple, insert, seal, label, weigh, stamp, sort, stack and attach a binder or wrapper to the item if required. The need for manual processing of mail is pretty much a thing of the past!

Some models also allow computer connection to the office system, providing the ability to process and track orders. The most cutting edge systems have computer based programs which have been designed to simultaneously process different paper formats; invoices, checks and brochures, without the need to halt or reset the application. Such time saving efficiency can offer any size of business the potential to improve their service delivery and reduce their overheads; a real boon in the current economic conditions when budgets are tight and optimum productivity is vital to survival.

Those businesses looking to adopt a postage meter for their office should contact one of the following USPS approved manufacturers:

Data-Pac Mailing Systems
Hasler Inc
Francotyp Postalia Inc
Neopost Inc
Pitney Bowes Inc
Endicia (PSI Systems)
Stamps.com

In order to be eligible for commercial rates for bulk mailing and using a postage meter, an annual mailing fee of 200 dollars is charged by the USPS. Minimum amounts are also required for bulk mailing, including:

500 x items of First Class Mail
200 (or 50 lbs) x Standard, Standard Marketing Parcels or Select Lightweight Parcels
300 x Presorted or Carrier Route Bound Printed Matter

As the conditions are quite specific, it is advisable to contact one of the authorized suppliers for full details and advice about which would be the most cost effective postage meter system for your requirements.