internet postage
Internet postage can be a good alternative to a conventional postage machines and, in some circumstances, can provide additional convenience for many types of mailers.
For example, eBay sellers and online merchants can streamline their shipping processes by using internet postage. It gives them an easy, integrated way to process their shipments. In addition, internet postage can provide an easy tracking mechanism for the shipments. Many time online merchants may charge the customer more for the postage or shipping cost than what is actually incurred. Sometimes the additional charge covers the merchants’ time and costs in handling the shipments or allows them to recover margins lost by having an unreasonably low product price. The ability to hide the actual amount of postage (“stealth postage”) that appears on their packages is, therefore, a desired feature for many merchants. All of the providers of online postage provide this feature.
However, internet postage does come with costs:
- There is still a monthly service cost ranging from $9.95 per month with limited features to $34.95 per month for heavier volume and additional features.
- There also are related equipment costs. In most cases you will need a PC interfaced scale and label printer. Some plans include some of the equipment and it is additional costs with others.
- Finally, there are ongoing supply costs. In many cases, this can be the most expensive area of internet postage. One provider offers no monthly service fee and no commitment. The catch you have to buy their labels. And this can be costly. The cost of ink-jet labels (they call them stamps) to print in your printer with your ink is roughly 11 cents per label. This means that first class “stamp” your conveniently printed is now 54 cents instead of the normal 43 cents.
There are two principal suppliers of internet postage:
- Endicia
- Stamps.com
The traditional suppliers of postage machines are also moving into this arena. Pitney Bowes now has a product called “Slipstream Manager” and expect the other suppliers to follow suit.
So if you can use some of the features of internet postage or just want to compare it to the cost of a traditional postage meter – check all the vendors, get prices, and compare.
