Best Postage Meters For Small Businesses in Canada

Open up your postage possibilities with this review of the best postage meters for small businesses in Canada

A postage meter will ensure your letters never go to the Dead Letter Office (DLO). This is where letters without stamps end up, which as you can imagine, is somewhere best avoided.

But that’s just a snapshot. When you consider all the money that small businesses spend on postage each year, including stationery costs, staff time, and postage rates (you can save up to 40% on Canada Post services by using a Quadient, formerly known as Neopost, postage meter) it’s clear how much money a postage meter could save you.

Finding a postage meter for the right price can be a time consuming process, but our comparison service does all the hard work for you. Click here to tell us a bit about your business, then the postage meter suppliers that match your requirements will be in touch in a matter of minutes. It’s as easy as that!

Keep reading to learn more out about some of the best postage meters for small business.

What Are the Best Postage Meters for Small Businesses?

1. Best for Large Mailrooms: Pitney Bowes mailstation2
2. Best for Small Mailrooms: FP PostBase Mini
3. Best Premium Postage Meter: Quadient IN-360
4. Best Budget Postage: Quadient IS 280

Pitney Bowes Mailstation2

Best for Large Mailrooms

FP Postbase Mini

Best for Small Mailrooms

Quadient IN-360 Mailing System

Best Premium Postage Meter

Quadient IS-280

Best Budget Postage Meter

The Benefits of Postage Stamp Machines for Small Businesses

There are lots of ways small businesses can save money with a postal meter:

• Getting discounted Canada Post rates
• Reduce staff time spent processing mail
• Cut down on trips to the post office (and the fuel required)
• Getting accurate postage cost calculations
• Eliminating petty cash and checks
• Gaining insightful data on postage expenditure
• Easily monitoring the balance on your meter before and after use
• Planning budgets more effectively

How Much Can I Save With a Postage Meter?

What goes up must come down, right? Well, that’s not the case with stamp prices, which have increased year on year for the past century (except for a slight dip in 2016).

Fortunately, Canada Post offers discounted rates for postage meters. On average, metered postage rates are 6% cheaper than ordinary stamped postage, and almost 20% cheaper if you pre-sort your mail before giving it to Canada Post to send.

Just take a look out our table…

If you’re sending mail that weighs more than 1 oz, the savings are even more impressive:

• For letters weighing 2 oz, using a postage meter saves you up to 44%
• For letters weighing 3 oz, using a postage meter saves you up to 58%
• For letters weighing 3.5 oz, using a postage meter saves you up to 66%

How Quickly Will My Postage Meter Pay For Itself?

That depends on the deal you can get from your postage meter supplier. By law, companies in the US can only lease postage meters, and prices range from $20-$1,000+ per month.

High-volume machines like the Quadient IJ-15k can process up to 15,000 pieces of mail an hour, but come at a cost of thousands of dollars a month. For more modest mailing needs, a low-volume model like the Quadient IS 280 could be a great choice.

If you spend more than $50 a month on mail, there’s almost certainly a postage meter on this page that can save you money.

Expert Tips for Finding the Best Postage Meter Lease

In order to get the best postage meter deal for your small business, you should shop around for the right model. Before making a decision, just remember that most suppliers offer free trials, so you can test out different machines without having to share your credit card details. Better yet, some companies will have introductory offers to help ease you into the contract.

Want some top tips? You’ve come to the right place. Generally, when you’re looking for a postage meter, make sure you:

• Research the standout features of different suppliers’ postage meters. You’ll be in a stronger negotiating position if you know exactly what the competition are offering.
• Explain your business needs, including the type of mail you post, the volume you post, and the frequency you’ll be posting. This will help the supplier work out the best product for your needs.
• Request a free trial for at least one month. This will help you calculate whether or not the contract is worthwhile.
• Enquire about different pricing plans and lease lengths. Don’t feel pressured to sign a multi-year contract if you need more short-term flexibility.

If you’d like to compare options from different suppliers, tell us about your business’ needs using quick form, and you’ll hear from top postage meter suppliers with quotes tailored to you.

Expert Verdict

As you know, postage meters could save your small business time and money. But picking the right model is important, and there are things to consider when making a decision.

If your small business has a large mailroom, then you should opt for a powerful machine like the Pitney Bowes mailstation2, whereas the FP PostBase Mini would be more suitable to smaller mailrooms.

Found some extra cash for your budget? The Quadient IN-360 is the best premium postage meter. However, if you don’t have much money to play with, we recommend the Quadient IS-280 as the best budget option.

Remember: since federal law regulates the creation and distribution of postage meters, you can’t purchase a postage meter outright. Instead, you have to rent or lease one from a set of authorized dealers.
When leasing a machine, you’ll normally sign a contract for one or two years while paying a monthly rental fee. The actual rental cost varies depending on your contract length, and the type of machine you’ve chosen.

Despite the price variations, a postage meter will usually save your small business time and money, so it’s a worthwhile investment. But you should always compare prices before you commit.