| There once was a time when office mail rooms used | | | | - PC Postage is easy to set up. Register for an |
| bulky, inefficient and expensive meter machines to | | | | account, install the software, and you’re ready |
| stamp their outgoing mail. The machines dispensed | | | | to go. |
| postage, all right, but they ran down, causing postal | | | | - No additional equipment to purchase – an |
| inspectors or company representatives to have to | | | | internet connection, computer and printer is all you |
| come to a stalled office to reset and recharge the | | | | need. Many of the leading PC Postage vendors such |
| meter. Once ink ran out, the same rep had to be called | | | | as even provide you with a free scale as a startup |
| in to sell a proprietary ink that would invariably be the | | | | incentive. |
| only one that worked in the meter – for a hefty | | | | - No long-term contracts and no hidden fees - With |
| fee. The meters were so inflexible that all they did | | | | postage meters, you can be on the hook for three |
| was stamp postage – you needed a separate | | | | years to pay the month-to-month charge of up to $70 |
| machine for addressing. | | | | just for the lease or payment on the machine. |
| And yet there are still mail rooms that use meters | | | | |
| – in the new digital age, that’s tantamount | | | | Postage Meter Contracts Contain Tons of Hidden |
| to driving a horse and buggy down the freeway! | | | | CostsAdditionally, postage meters include many |
| Fortunately, thanks to online postage software, | | | | different hidden costs that can increase their total |
| commonly referred to as PC Postage, the day of the | | | | operating expenses dramatically. Whiles these costs |
| postage meter is coming to an end. With PC Postage, | | | | vary, here are the four most common hidden costs |
| you buy your postage online direct from the United | | | | found in a postage meter contract: |
| States Postal Service or one of its selected partners | | | | -- Most meters have special blends of proprietary inks, |
| (such as Stamps.com), and print your postage out right | | | | or inks in containers engineered to fit only the machine |
| onto your envelope using an ordinary inkjet or laserjet | | | | – obtainable, of course, only from the |
| printer. | | | | meter’s service representative. Either way, the |
| What is PC Postage?PC Postage is a program | | | | ink alone can cost you upwards of $0.10 per print |
| originated by the United States Postal Service which | | | | – for a meter that can usually make around 800 |
| allows customers to print official US Postage directly | | | | prints per ink fill, that’s an outlay of $80 each |
| onto envelopes or mailing labels after being bought | | | | time the ink needs recharging. |
| over the Internet. Unlike traditional postage meters, | | | | -- When you “reset” your meter, either by |
| postage can be bought “A la carte” as | | | | buying more postage over the phone or having a |
| needed as opposed to being bought in large block as | | | | representative come and recharge the postage inside, |
| with a meter. Therefore, your mailroom is not saddled | | | | the meter company charges an additional fee. You are |
| with enormous amounts of paid-for postage that you | | | | not charged a recharge fee (which can run as much |
| might not need all at once. | | | | as $25 per recharge) as a PC Postage customer. |
| PC Postage is offered through a number of partner | | | | -- PC Postage gives your business more flexibility in its |
| vendors, among them Stamps.com, Endicia, and Pitney | | | | mailings. You can print postage, address, and tracking |
| Bowes’ Shipstream. Each offers PC postage | | | | in one single print, giving your mailings a professional, |
| services for nearly all mail classes, as well as support | | | | polished look. This includes support for postcards and |
| for nearly all mailpieces, from postcards up to the | | | | tri-fold mailings. |
| maximum 70-pound parcels allowable via the USPS. | | | | -- In the unfortunate event of a misprint or other |
| Why use PC Postage? Why not just lease a | | | | mistake, refunds can be handled right through the PC |
| meter?PC Postage offers you several benefits over | | | | Postage vendor client, saving you time and money. |
| the traditional postage meter by empowering you to | | | | PC Postage: the logical evolution of postal technology. |
| run your mailroom the way YOU want to, not the way | | | | Erase the headaches that come with the old postal |
| the meter allows you to. | | | | meter – try PC Postage today! |