Postage Meters Key Terms

Discover the vocabulary surrounding postage meters

Postage meters are an ideal way for businesses to save time and money. With a postage meter, you will no longer need to go to the post office to send your mail and you can easily avoid the mistake of over-postage. Metered mail doesn't have to be complicated, but you should know whether you are sending bulk or media mail, which can receive a special rate. Learn these terms so that you know what you're getting into.

 

Bulk and media mail

The U.S. Postal service offers discounted rates for bulk and media mail. Bulk mail must be at least 200 pieces if it is standard mail and in order to qualify for the discount, you must do some of the work yourself, such as sorting by zip code. Media mail is a discounted rate for printed and recorded material.
Try: Learn about bulk mail and media mail from the USPS.

Stamped or metered mail

Stamped mail uses a stamp to pay for postage while metered mail is run through a postage meter to have the postage imprinted on it.
Try: The University of Texas Medical Branch defines the guidelines for metered mail.

Postage meter leasing

You cannot purchase a postage meter outright. It must be leased. This means that you pay a monthly fee for the right to use the postage meter.
Try: Learn more about leasing postage meters at Postage Meters World.

Online postage or e-postage

Online postage, sometimes called e-postage, is an alternative to postage meters. With online postage, you are able to print postage labels from your computer. This is a good alternative for a company that doesn't consistently need a postage meter.
Try: Learn more about online postage from Stamps.com.

Postage meter base

The postage meter base is used to run your envelope through the meter. Some versions of a postage meter base will seal and sort envelopes as well. You can purchase a postage meter base to go with your leased postage meter.
Try: Learn more about postage meter bases and see an example at BuyerZone.com.

Postal scales

Postal scales are a necessary accessory to postage meters. These scales weigh your postage, which is required to know how much postage you need to set the postage meter for.
Try: Office Depot offers several examples of both spring-based and electronic postal scales. Electronic scales are more precise and may be a better investment for those that do a lot of mailings.

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