With the constant developments of technology, it feels like everything is moving in the direction of instant communications. It may seem as though mail is too old fashioned for this high tech world, but that is not the case. The United States Postal Service reports that they handled over 203 billion articles of mail last year. This figure is essentially 7,700 pieces of mail being processed per second! Switching to an in-house postal scales and postage meters will allow your company to keep up with this mailing trend while reducing the amount of time and money spent on sending mail through the post office or a private shipping provider. This article will briefly explain what a postage meter offers, and how they work.

Postage machines provide postage, shipping, COD verification, delivery receipts, and shipping expense reports. Postage meters do not require accounts with private shipping providers but actually work with the USPS once articles are ready to be shipped.

The postage meter shipment process is simple:
1. Use postal scale to weigh the mail
2. Meter determines postage fees
3. Meter charges you for the postmark fees
4. Postage meter postmarks and stamps the mail
5. Your company schedules a pickup with the USPS
6. The mail is picked up by the USPS

It should be noted that step one requires a postage scale, and these are usually included with the postage meter. The postage meter charges you for the postmark fees because the meter functions similarly to a debit or credit card. Either your company has “filled” it up with funds and your postage fees are deducted from that account or your company is charged a lump sum at the end of a pay period. The lump sum reflects all of the shipping charges incurred during that pay period.

Postage meters are leased or rented from a USPS-approved provider. Additional mailing equipment such as digital scales or label makers can be leased or purchased to work in conjunction to your postage meter. These add-on machines can further modernize your shipping process by unifying and speeding up the entire process.

Postage meters are not for all shipping operations. Researching all of the expenses related to a mail system is the first step to determining if renting a postage meter will reduce shipping expenses. The postage meter itself is the most basic part of a mail room, the add-on accessories can significantly improve mailing functions however these do come at an extra expense.

Monique L. Myers is a writer, surf instructor and an art enthusiast based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation and VoIP Service, both online resources that provide expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs.