The Internet is empowering more and more entrepreneurs to launch businesses online. Whether it’s an e-commerce store selling products or an Internet business offering services to customers, mail and shipping are part of daily operations. In fact, for e-commerce stores, business reputation depends on the speed and quality of shipping. With postage meters, also called postage machines, business owners can save time and money on this critical task.
Postage gauges allow business owners to directly print accurate postage onto package labels and envelopes without the need to go to post offices to weigh and postage them. They calculate exact postage based on weight, destination, and type of mail. In addition, you can also track the amount spent on postage. Business productivity is also boosted as time saved is used for more profitable tasks like business development.
How do postage meters help small businesses?
Postal machines are a boon for small businesses that are already strapped for time and money, not to mention staff who make frequent trips to the post office. Some of the main advantages of using them are:
Convenient measurement: With postage machines, businesses can print and pay for postage directly at the office. You don’t have to stand in long lines at the post office to weigh and seal your shipments. You only need to make the trip to send the shipments or pick them up at your office.
Easy management of all types of emails: They can handle most types of mail: Parcel Post, Priority, Domestic First Class, Express, International First Class, Parcel Post International, etc. Because it’s easy to print directly onto the envelopes, bulk mailings can be sealed accurately and quickly.
Cost savings: They always stamp packages with accurate postage, unlike post offices where exact postage is not available all the time. Packages are weighed on a scale on the postage meter and postage is calculated accordingly.
What are the disadvantages of postal meters?
While postage meters offer many advantages, you also have some challenges to deal with. Some of them are:
Lease Fees: The country’s postal service manages the use, rates and distribution of these machines. Postal machines cannot be purchased and must be rented for long-term use. The lease fee can range from $20 to $500 per month depending on the model.
Change of postal rates: The postal service may change postage rates and this should also be reflected on the postal machines. While newer digital meters can be updated electronically, lower cost models must be manually updated by the leasing company.
Government Restrictions on Repair: The government does not permit troubleshooting and repair of postage meters by any personnel except the authorized lessee. This can cause delays and the company must resort to conventional mail until the meters are working again.
The convenience of owning a postage machine, reduced operating costs, and time savings far outweigh its disadvantages. Postage meters bring professionalism to official mailings and mailings and allow business owners to invest more time and money in business growth and other profitable initiatives.