The world was supposed to go completely digital years ago. In many respects, that has happened, but at the same time, everyone still uses physical mail. There are countless scenarios in which physical mail is superior to digital communication. When you need a strong, unalterable record of the exchange, certified mail is irreplaceable. There are also plenty of moments when mail is legally required to be the primary form of communication. Considering all of that, you can begin to see why it would be beneficial to be able to certify your own mail.
With the right mailing equipment in-house, you can print your own mailing labels and skip the process of buying stamps or going to the post office. All of this happens when you gain access to a postage meter.
Postage Meters: What Are They?
For starters, let’s clarify what a postage meter is. It is a piece of mailing equipment that is designed to calculate postage and print its currency. In the United States, U.S. postage is technically a form of currency. As you might imagine, that requires that postage meters come with a fair number of regulatory oversights.
In general, you cannot own a meter. Instead, you can rent or lease it from an authorized distributor. Despite the regulations involved, meters are quite attainable. A typical lease will run between one and five years, and when you commit to this investment, having essential mail equipment at your fingertips provides a host of benefits to your business.
Postage Meters: What Features Are Included?
Mailing equipment comes in a variety of configurations. You can get specialized features like automatic loading or envelope sealing. Whatever your preferences, every postage meter needs three components to be worth your time.
Scale: The integrated scale is an essential feature for any mailing solution. This is the component that will precisely determine the weight to calculate the exact postage required. The integrated scale allows you to consolidate the postage process. It saves time and money, and it protects you against overspending on any piece of mail you send. In many cases, a stamp covers more postage than is included in the envelope—thus you are overspending. When you use a precise scale, you save money on every single mail item you send. As you might imagine, this adds up over time.
Label Dispenser: This is one of the key components of postage meters. If your equipment can’t print valid labels, it has no value. The label dispenser is the part that validates your mail. By printing certified labels, you become a mail distributor of sorts. This is what gives you autonomy in sending mail. Without the label dispenser, your mail equipment is just an overpriced scale.
USPS Approved Meter: This is the part that makes your postage meter official. If you don’t have this and you print labels, you’re committing a serious crime. The approved meter also allows you to produce digital labels. If you have ever processed a return with a company that sent you a shipping label, it had to be processed through an approved meter. This is what makes your mailing labels legal United States tender.
Postage Meters: Why Your Business Needs One?
You already have a rough idea of how mailing equipment could be of use. Now, let’s put the most powerful benefits into plain terms.
Saving Money – The primary reason to invest in mailing equipment is to reduce your total overhead. It will prove cheaper per item to send mail using your own machine as opposed to using stamps. This is true even when you include the leasing fee and other costs.
Naturally, in order for you to save enough money to justify the investment, you have to send enough mail to recover the leasing costs. Any business that has to mail statements or participates in mail-based marketing will easily lower their overhead with this investment. When you consider how the other benefits still save money, mailing equipment can improve your bottom line even when you don’t send a ton of mail every month.
Saving Time – Mailing machines can calculate rates, print postage, and seal envelopes all at once, with all of those steps automated. Imagine the time it takes a human being to do each of these steps for a single piece of mail. Now, consider the total amount of mail you send. How many hours of labor can one of these machines save you? You can see how this doubles back into saving money.
Now, imagine that you have to send someone to the post office to go through these steps. Many are genuinely surprised by the amount of time they save once they start using certified mailing equipment in-house.
Improving Professionalism – With modern postage meters, you can customize the business image that you print in your mailing labels. This can help you with your branding and professionalism. When customers or clients receive mail from you, they know it’s from you, and that certainty is baked into the reputation of federally certified services.
When your mail helps with your branding, it can generate returns that are hard to calculate, but this simple feature can ultimately improve revenue by increasing your brand visibility.
Providing Convenience – This might be less business-oriented as far as benefits go, but convenience still matters. Your mailing equipment is available whenever you want it. You are not bound by anyone else’s business hours. You don’t ever have to stand in line for it, and you never have to go out and buy stamps. Removing those time wasters and frustration feels great. A little convenience never hurts.
There is so much to be gained from having access to your own mailing equipment. If you’re ready to learn more about how you can lease a meter in the Houston area, contact On Demand today. We’ll show you your options and help you make an informed decision that benefits your business.