Postage meter rental is convenient, efficient and gives you access to a range of benefits including generous discounts, accurate postage costs and improved expense tracking. Using a postage meter instead of manually processing mail can save a business a considerable amount of time and effort too.
Companies generally lease or rent a postage machine as they are not available to buy. The monthly cost to rent a postage meter is around $20 – $65 for a low – medium volume model. You can expect higher volume models to cost more than this (up to around $200 on average) as they are faster and offer more features.
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Postage Meter Rental Prices Comparison
There are many postage meter rental companies in North America including Hasler, FP, Quadient (NeoPost), Pitney Bowes & DataPac who offer monthly deals.
The companies listed above are all authorized suppliers of postage meters, remember that the USPS regulates the use of postage meters. All dealers have different lease and rental terms.
In 2021, the best postage machine rental deal is the Pitney Bowes SendPro Mailstation. It has a listed price of $22.99/month and comes with a 60 day free trial as well as SendPro online access.
The best mid-volume postage machine rental deal is the FP Postbase 65. It is efficient, cost-effective and ideal for medium volume shipping needs. The rate per month is based on usage so the best way to get an accurate, up-to-date price is by requesting a quote.
The best high-volume postage machine rental deal is the Quadient IS-5000. This is an ergonomic, reliable and streamlined postage meter that is ideal for handling the high volume mailing needs of large enterprises.
| Brand | Model | Monthly Rental Price |
| Pitney Bowes | DM125 | $34.99 |
| Pitney Bowes | DM225 | $65.00 |
| FP | PostBase Mini | $18.95 |
| FP | PostBase Auto | Not Stated |
| Hasler | WJ20 | $15-$25 |
| Quadient | IS-280 | $19.75 |
| Quadient | iX-3 Series | Not Stated |
| Quadient | iX-5 Series | Not Stated |
| DataPac | DP Link 10 | $35 |
| DataPac | The Curve | $200 |
Factors That Affect Postage Machine Rental Agreements
The monthly cost of renting a postage meter is determined by several factors. As rental rates vary a lot the best way to know how much a meter will cost is by requesting a quote. This section summarizes what impacts the quote a business receives to rent a postage meter.
1. Mail Volume
There are low, medium and high volume postage meters available. Models in each category have the size, speed and features needed to best handle certain volumes of mail. This is why the volume of mail your business is dealing with is critical to ensure you are renting the right postage meter.
When thinking about mail volume, consider both the amount and the type of mail that is being sent. If you send up to 100 pieces of mail per day you will benefit from a low volume machine. It is most cost-effective to rent a postage meter that meets your needs without exceeding them. This means selecting a machine that compliments the amount of mail your business is sending.
2. Size of Business
The size of the business will also impact which postage meter is best suited. Small, medium and large businesses all have different needs and requirements. Important considerations include how many people will be using the meter and what extra features, such as networking, are going to be needed.
For example, a larger business is more likely to benefit from automated feeders, departmental accounts and additional features such as envelope sealers. Renting a postage meter that fits in well with the size of your business will benefit your business’ productivity.
3. Initial Setup & Maintenance Costs
Does the rental contract include installation? The installation may come at an extra cost which can push what seems like a low rental price up by a fair amount. Always check the details of the rental so you know exactly what is included and what is going to cost extra.
Keep an eye out for servicing fees as well as other associated costs such as ink cartridges and labels.
4. Other Fees
- Insurance cover – there are insurance cover fees for postage meters so it is important to find out if the supplier will cover these for the duration of your rental, for a period of coverage or if the cost will fall to you.
- Repair fees – make sure you check what maintenance fees you will be charged when leasing a postage meter and, most importantly, what this means for you in terms of service support and repairs.
5. Additional Features
- Password protection – a password protected postage meter can help reduce fraud and unapproved use of a machine. If only certain members of staff will be using the machine then a password can make sure this is the case.
- Networking – many postage meters are set up through analog connections as standard but being able to connect your postage meter to the network offers many advantages including automatic updates and online accounting.
- Departmental accounts – does your business have different departments that are sending out mail? A postage meter that can differentiate between departments helps with control, tracking and reporting.
- Advertising messages – do you need the ability to print a variety of marketing messages onto the envelopes? Some postage meters let you program a few advertising messages in while others let you program in over 30.
6 Postage Meter Rental Advantages & Benefits
Hiring a postage meter is generally a great way for businesses to streamline their mail processing while also saving money. There are plenty of advantages but also some downsides that should be considered. Below we have listed the pros and cons of a postage machine rent agreement.
1. Discounts on Postage Rates
One of the key benefits of hiring a postage meter is getting access to cheaper postage prices. It is up to 6% cheaper to send a letter using a postage meter than it is to send it with stamps that have been bought from the post office.
These lower rates can add up to big savings and, if you are sending mail often, it doesn’t take long for the postage meter to pay for itself in the savings that are made.
2. Pay Accurate Prices for the Postage Being Sent
Guesswork leads to overpaying and being charged more for items that were larger/ heavier than the initial estimate. A postage meter removes all of the guesswork so the postage that is paid is accurate every time.
A postage meter has a scale so mail can be weighed and then priced accordingly. This makes sure you never pay more postage than you need to.
3. Save Time on Mail Processing
Using a postage meter is considerably faster than manually processing mail. A postage meter’s balance can usually be topped up online and there’s no need to go to the post office to weigh parcels anymore.
This makes dealing with mail quick and easy. It ensures time can be spent on more important work. In addition to shortening the mail processing time, the mail looks more professional and is cheaper to send.
4. Track Postage Expenditure
Being able to handle all postage needs in one place makes it easy to track spending. There are no more post office receipts to collect as monthly spending can be checked at the press of a button. There are often advanced reporting options available where needed too.
5. Rate Protection Guarantee
The price of stamps is always rising but the price of metered postage doesn’t increase as often. This is because of rate protection guarantees and is something that can be a huge benefit to businesses.
A rate protection guarantee is a rate freeze that applies to mail that is processed using a postage meter. It is worth negotiating a rate protection guarantee as part of your rental deal.
6. Postage Meter Rental Downsides
As mentioned, postage meters can’t be bought which means they have to be rented or leased. Consequently, there are a few downsides as it means there is a level of dependence on the supplier. The rental/ lease fees are an ongoing cost a business needs to consider.
As well as this, the postage meters can only be fixed by authorized leasers which can slow down repair times for even common issues and some machines need to be updated manually when postage prices change which also requires assistance from the leaser.
What Next?
Postage meter rental costs vary depending on the individual needs of a business. Most importantly, the right postage meter will offer all the features a business needs to save money and increase its efficiency.
Getting the best price is easy if you know where to look, you can get 2-3 quotes from us by filling out the form at the top of the page.