Often unknown is the fact that a postage meter can not be purchased, but only leased from the manufacturer as they are tightly managed by the United State Postal Service. Leases usually last for either one or 3 years and most companies choose you go with the longer term. If you are undecided of your needs it might be smart to go with a one year rental until you gain some experience.
Lease rates are established on either usage or fixed, and if based on usage your monthly rate is based on the average total monthly postage for year preceding. In this scenario, rates only increase and that should your usage drop you may not see a resulting reduction in cost. The alternative is fixed costs published by the rental company, which may increase upon short notice.
Some postage machine companies just modify their costs from one year to the next, with no regard to usage, more dependent on sophistication of the model rather than the annual or monthly. When choosing a postage machine, be sure that you understand the pricing agreement.
While postage meter rental rates do not vary widely, there are options for components such as bases and scales, which you can either purchase or rent, unlike the meter itself. Varying according to available options, postage meter bases can cost you a few hundred dollars up to several thousand and scales go anywhere from forty dollars to several hundred.
When chosing a postage meter provider your first concern is usually cost. Because the US Postal Service highly monitors meters, systems do not change often from one manufacturer to the next, and a good price is often the deciding component. With more monthly mailing volume and thus costs, other considerations must be taken into account in making your conclusion.
Service rather than function can change greatly depending on the manufacturer chosen. Some companies will work with you directly, and others deal through a group of otherwise individual dealers. Both choices offer great service and the important concern is often customer support. Questions to ask are: Do you make on site visits to troubleshoot issues or is support mostly phone based, and what is the turnaround time on the average service call?
Payment choices also might vary greatly. If you will be leasing your system, you likely get an option to periodically upgrade your equipment as your company might grow. Some manufacturers give better and more varied rental choices. In addition, your postage costs can be taken care of in different ways, either pre-payment, sending a moneyorder to the US Postal Service to start an account, with postage costs then deducted as you go automatically.
Lastly, a number of companies permit you to “mail now, pay later,” basically giving you credit to run your monthly mailing requirements. Also possible is buying postage in advance from the manufacturer. Some companies offer a situation where you get interest aquired as additional postage for prepaid arrangements.
Chris Ulrich is the operator for Postage.ws Postage Meters website. Get $100 free postage from Pitney Bowes when you order a new meter.
