Postage Meters

By Christy Birmingham

Simplifying mail-room processes to solidify customer connectivity and improve productivity is the business of every forward-thinking executive or business owner. A great starting point is equipping the mailroom of your company with a powerful yet easy-to-operate postage meter option.

Postage meters trace their roots to the early 1900s, when Arthur Pitney and Walter Bowes were searching for a way to lick and paste postage stamps. In 1920, they put together the Model M, the first United States Post Office-authorized postage-metering device. This inspired other developers to take advantage of technology, innovating to create high-technology mailing meters as we know them today.

Digital postage metering is not just a trend but a potent way of staying ahead of the competition, so choosing the right features is a crucial decision. To ensure the right postage amount, speedy delivery, and mailing efficiency, consider the following features:

• Built-in Scale for Both Letters and Packages. For businesses that send out mail and packages in different sizes and weights, a built-in scale is necessary to avoid guesswork and make sure that the right weight is paid for.
• Appropriate Feed Mechanism. Each mail-room situation is different and choosing the right feed can help minimize costs depending on the business's requirements. Manual feed is ideal for small or home businesses that send out a low volume of mail and packages. For bigger companies, enterprises, or corporations that regularly handle bulk mailing, automatic feed is a useful feature to cut staffing costs.
• Envelope Stamping and Package Labeling. To process postage printing for every item, a postage meter needs to be versatile by being able to print postage on both envelopes and packages.
• Password-Enabled Use. An unprotected postage-metering system can lead to unauthorized use such as tampering, and unofficial uses can result in security breaches and unnecessary costs. Additionally, passwords help monitor who the users are and what they're doing.
• Computer Interface. Postage meters that can be integrated with an Internet-enabled computer allow users to access updated mailing and shipping information. Users can also track mail and packages as well as save and change databases.
• Scalability Options. As businesses grow, they can use the same postage meters for years as long as they choose modular equipment that can easily expand as their mailing needs change.
• Personalized Postage Stamping. To promote brand awareness and boost revenue, some mail meter machines allow businesses to add their logos and a sales messages to envelopes.
• Other Printing Options. Thermal printing can help reduce the cost of toner cartridges and ribbons. Other optional features include an envelope moistener, printing speed, digital printing, ink-jet technology, integrated mailing and accounting software, automatic date and postage correction capabilities, and 24/7 postage-stamp availability.

Monetary Savings

Consider how many times you round up postage for a letter or package with your current manual mail system. While you may overpay by only a few cents per item, those pennies add up. A small business with an in-office mail system can save up to 20 percent simply by accurately calculating postage.

When it's installed in a hard-working organization, a postage meter system has the potential for improving business by saving time and money. An added benefit of printed postage is the professional image it gives your documents. Many meter systems are easy to use and require little training to operate.