Postage meter ink is just as important as the postage meter itself. Buy the wrong color, and you can’t use it and waste money. Buy the cheap refills, and you will end up paying more in the long run. The best solution is to buy ink refills and ink cartridges directly from the manufacturer of the postage meter.

Postage Meter Ink used for printing the stamps come in red, blue, purple, green, black, orange, and lilac colors. Any color can be used as their are no rules on colors, but the indicia must be legible. They may use a variety of other colors as long as the ink meets the USPS fluorescent ink requirements.

The printers generally use different postage meter ink cartridges, so it is important to be aware of the specific cartridges for replacement. Most companies send you the ink cartridges you need, and will the refill process is very easy. The Postage Meter company will know what ink you need, so contact them if there are any questions. The ink cartridges may be bought in bulk from the manufacturers for reduced prices. Also, compatible cartridges and recycled and remanufactured cartridges may be purchased from other manufacturers to suit several models of printers.

Postage meter ink is the same as printer ink. You need to make sure you are using high quality ink. If you go the cheap route, the stamps may not print right, and worse case scenario, the post office rejects your letters. The ink will also not last as long as the better quality ink, so you will end up losing money in the long run.

If you are looking to buy a postage meter, you will need to purchase a USPS Approved Postage Meter. The USPS (United States Postal Service) only allows a few companies to sell postage meters to the public, so your options are limited. To clarify, you cannot buy a postage meter. Federal law only allows renting or leasing of postage meters.

There you two types of postage meters that you can rent or lease. The first is digital which will weight your package or letter and automatically print the postage for you. It also handles all the billing for you. The second type of postage meter is one with a spring scale, or a non-digital postage meter. This one will weigh your package or envelope, but you will have to input the weight into some program, and then the postage will print. Basically, in a digital postage meter, the scale and print functionality are combined in one, while in the spring scale they are separated.

When you shop for your postage meter, most places will give you some sort of discount or free postage when you purchase your postage meter. For example, Stamps.com gives you an $80 offer when you sign up. Pitney Bowes gives you a 60-day free trial, and if you stay on after the free trial, you will receive $100 in free postage.

When you buy a postage meter, or rent a postage meter, you will usually have to sign a contract for at least one year. The longer you sign the contract, the better the rental rate will be. Rates for the postage meter will include not only the rental fee, but you will also have to pay for the postage.

Stamps.com is the #1 way to print your postage online. You can print postage stamps or print postage for packages and everything else. They give you a free digital scale, so all you need to do is input the address the package is going to, and the weight of the package, and Stamps.com calculates the postage and prints it out. You will never have to go to the post office and wait in line again.

When you sign up you will receive:

• $25 in free Postage
• Free Digital Scale (worth $50)
• $5 in a free Supply Kit
• No risk 4-Week Free Trial (cancel anytime)

Stamps.com offers these benefits when you sign up:

• Eliminate trips to the Post Office
• Print on envelopes, labels, or plain paper
• Save over 80% compared to other Postage Meters
• Make mail look more professional
• Save on mailing and shipping
• Never overpay for postage again

This is an $80 value, all for free. Save both time and money by using Stamps.com today.

With postage prices climbing all the time, postage meters have been found to be the best option for keeping your postage costs down. The United States Postage Service (USPS) has approved only five companies to offer postage meters to the public.

Here is the list of the five companies that offer USPS Postage Meters:

• Pitney Bowes Inc.
  • Probably the most popular Postage Meter company in the Unites States. Pitney Bowes offers postage meters, document management, mailstream software, and other business solutions that help companies manage their flow of mail.
• Hasler Inc.
  • No matter what kind of business you are, Hasler has a postage meter for you. From small business just starting out, to big businesses producing high volumes, Hasler has what you need to save about 10% annually on postage.
• Francotyp-Postalia Inc.
  • From postage scales to mailing systems to letter openers, FP Mailing Solutions has a wide variety of the products your mail room needs to get the job done quickly.
• Neopost
  • Neopost is a worldwide provider of mailing machines, postage meters, folding/inserting machines, address printers and data management software. Neopost has been in the business for 70 years and is the world’s fastest growing business in the industry.
• Data-Pac Mailing Systems Corp.
  • This company offers postage meters for big businesses. Most of their products are very high-end, complete with attached computers and monitors. This company would not be a very good choice for a small business, unless that business has a lot of money to spend and wants something “Top of the Line”. They offer a variety of hardware and software solutions to make Postage easier and cheaper.

These are the ONLY companies and brands of USPS postage meters which the USPS has authorized for you to send mail in the United States. While this may seem like a small list, these companies will usually offer you some great discounts and freebies to get you try their product.

Postage meters have a lot of flexible and useful features. Any class of mail can be sent out with the same postage meter. This makes it predominantly suitable for anyone who needs to send out a wide variety of mailings. Examples of these mailing would be mass mailings or advertisements, or invitations for special events which need a classic presentation.

Some postage meters have a variety of additional features like a variety of configurations, the ability to stuff envelopes, and all of them will weigh your mailings. They can also print the postage on envelopes, tape that can be affixed to envelopes, or any other item that will go on your piece of mail.

Metered postage has a personal and professional look in comparison to a mail with a permit imprint. As a result of this, metered postage is a unique method to stand out from the competition and get noticed.

Sometimes even prepaying for your postage can get you deals. Some places allow you to prepay and receive discounts, such as free postage. Search the internet for deals, or call customer service and ask them for deals. Most of the time they want to keep your business, so they will offer you a nice deal so that you do not switch to a competitor.

Use your PC. If your average month is less than $50 but you are looking for a more efficient mailing solution, you may want to check out the USPS’s list of PC Postage providers. These companies let you print postage directly from you computer. Stamps.com is a very good example. Pitney Bowes also has an option to let you print your postage online.

Not everything needs to be bought from a vendor. Consumables, such as sealing liquid and mailing tape, are often cheaper when purchased at office supply stores or independent dealers. Try places like eBay or Amazon.com.

The Pitney Bowes Mailstation is the digital postage meter for any business. The postage meter with built in scale allows you to calculate postage with a click of a button. Tracking and refilling postage can be done online or over the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Benefits of mailstation 2

It is important to note that meters cannot be purchased. Under federal regulations, they can only be leased. Other parts of the postage system can be purchased, but ownership of the meter itself is strictly controlled. This is a disadvantage for the person leasing the meter, but most companies give very nice bonuses to outweigh the lease price. Take Pitney Bowes for example, they give a free trial and free postage to all new customers.

All meters have most of the same basic features while being able to hold around $1000 in postage. They also offer the ability to mail envelopes and packages in a variety of different methods. They can also be used for discounted bulk mailings, but you will need to apply to the United States Postal Service (USPS) for a permit.

Beyond the basic features, meters begin to differ according to various options that concern security and ease of use:

* Password-protected access
* Accounting codes
* Automatic postage reset
* Automatic date advance
* Saved presets for common mailing jobs

Digital meters provide additional security by printing a two dimensional barcode that identifies the sender as well as the destination. Many digital meters can also be updated electronically, allowing them to stay current when the USPS changes its rates. Traditional meters require an expensive chip upgrade when rates change.