Postage meters are very useful for the business owner whose business helps to keep the local UPS store open with packages. Postage meters allow someone to directly print accurate postage onto whatever is being shipped without having to first go and weigh it, which saves the local UPS store from having to hire another full time employee. Postage meters calculate the weight of the package, taking into consideration where it is going and what type of package it is. Postage amounts are then logged, allowing the business owner to track their costs easily.

The internet has empowered people to have a voice like never before, and it has caused more people than ever to launch businesses through e-commerce. But being a small business owner means you often are doing every aspect of business yourself, and shipping is often the most cumbersome and least pleasant. No matter what a business sells online, if it involves shipping then they must understand their reputation depends mostly on the quality and speed of shipping. With postage meters aka postage machines, shipping is up to ten times faster and much, much cheaper.

The Advantages of Postage Meters

Postage meter machines can be absolute “life savers” for business owners who deal with a lot of logistics and shipping and who don’t have the time or dollars to manage it consistently anyway. Here are some of the other advantages to note about these machines:

• Save on Cost: Postage meter machines provide exact postage based on weight, destination, and type. This is superior to Post Offices where exact postage is not always available.

• Superior to Stamps: With a postage meter machine, a business owner can print and pay postage from the comfort of your office. Now shipping packages is merely dropping them off at UPS or USPS. So, uh, no more lines!

• Useable with all Mail Types: Post meter machines are designed to work with all types of mail including: Priority, Express, Parcel Post, Domestic First-Class, International First-Class, International parcel post and a long list of others. For standard envelope mail, the machine easily prints directly on so that it makes sending out mass letters a breeze!

The Disadvantages of Postage Meter Machines

Though postage meter machines are wonderful for many business owners, they are in no way perfect and they do have disadvantages. Some of these are:

• Fluctuating Postage Rates: Postage rates change often by the postal service and this needs to be reflected in the postage meter machine. The newer postage machines are digital and can be updated automatically but some older or lower class models have to be updated manually be the company who is leasing the machine. Such an inconvenience.
• Repair Restrictions: The government has restricted repairs to be done solely by the authorized dealer who has leased the machine. If the repair man doesn’t show up for a while, your business could suffer serious setbacks.
• Contract Fees: Usage, rates, and distribution of postage meter machines is controlled by the USPS. Postage meter machines can’t be bought and have to be leased for a minimum of 2 years. Leasing fees on the newest models can cost up to $500 a month.

There you have it, our unbiased, impartial perspective! Overall, you will find that as a business owner, or small to mid-sized company, you will certainly have more pros than cons in the use of a postage meter. Browse our site to find one that will work best for your shipping needs.