The Top Postage Meter Companies for US Businesses

The best postage meters for small businesses will save you time and money, allowing you to focus on other important tasks. However, you can’t purchase one. Instead, you’ll need to lease one.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has only authorized four postage meter companies to lease postage systems: Pitney Bowes, Quadient Inc, Francotyp Postalia Inc (FP USA), and Datapac. In this review, we’ll discuss each company’s range of postage meters, including each meter’s processing speeds in letters per minute (LPM).

Lease prices start from just $25 per month and, if you currently spend more than $50 per month on postage, then switching to a postage meter is sure to result in savings. By using our free quote comparison tool, you can get custom, obligation-free leasing quotes directly from top postage meter companies.

For more details on the range of models and pricing packages offered by each postage company, read on.

Best Postage Meter Companies Roundup

We’ve reviewed the four leading postage companies to help you choose a mailing solution that meets your needs. Here’s our roundup:

1. FP USA Postage Meters – Best for Reliability

FP USA is the fastest-growing mailing solutions provider in the US, with an excellent reputation for producing reliable postage meters. On the rare occasions when its machines malfunction, the customer service staff are trained to spot issues and fix them with minimal fuss.

Through an independent dealer network that spans 40 countries, FP USA connects you with your customers wherever they are in the world, offering everything from high-volume postage meters to folder inserters and letter openers. The US government has had fewer contracts with Froncotyp-Postalia over recent years, though still leases its equipment and supplies administrative support, too.

FP USA’s range of postage meters:

2. Pitney Bowes Postage Meters – Best for Ease of Use

Pitney Bowes postage meters are designed for ease of use, whether you run a small business or a large corporation. Pitney Bowes’ automated sorting feature saves you from having to sort and file your mail manually. Affordability is also a major selling point because the company negotiates great rates on Standard and First Class postage from USPS. And it is used across a variety of US government departments, too, showing its versatility.

Also, as we covered in our postage meter rental guide, Pitney Bowes is one of a few postage meter suppliers that publicly advertise (some of) its prices. The SendPro Mailstation starts from $29.99 per month, while the SendPro C Lite is from $49.99 per month. You’ll get a 60-day free trial with either product, too.

Pitney Bowes’ other hardware prices are kept private but having at least some idea of potential costs is great for business owners who want to know if the machines will fit within their budget.

Pitney Bowes’ range of postage meters:

3. Quadient USA Postage Meters – Best for Customer Support

Quadient USA rolls out regular software updates as part of its postage service, so you won’t need to upgrade your system any time soon. The postage meters are remarkably easy to use; effortless letter processing, mailing, and shipping are part and parcel of all its machines.

Quadient has a contract with the US government for between $121,300 and $565,000 worth of administrative support for the Post Office. Add in its long history of strong customer support – seeing it pick up a prestigious ‘All-Star’ rating by the National Customer Service Association for “maintaining a focused culture of excellence” – and it’s clear Quadient’s team is a reliable postage meter company well-worth considering.

Quadient USA’s range of postage meters:

4. Data-Pac Postage Meters – Best for Touchscreen Control

Great controls are Data-Pac’s best innovation – each of their machines features a crisp 15-inch touchscreen display. Other perks include high build quality and low-cost ink refills.

Data-Pac’s biggest limitation is the lack of low-volume postage systems in its product line. If you need processing speeds over below 100ppm, you’ll be better served by the other postage meter companies.

Data-Pac’s range of postage meters:

Choosing a Postage Meter

Postage meters might all seem similar, but a few key differences distinguish various models from one another. Here are three key considerations to keep in mind when you’re shopping around:

Do I need batch processing?

Batch processing is a feature of medium and high volume postage meters from all four postage meter companies. These meters can print postage even faster than non-batch processing machines. To use batch processing, you need to pre-sort your mail into batches by weight and box size.

✔ You need this feature if: You ship lots of uniformly-sized packages to a few specific regions

✘ You don’t need this feature if: You ship a variety of types of mail to customers in several places

Do I need automatic feed features?

Simple postage meters require you to manually feed every piece of mail into the machine. Semi-automatic feeders automate parts of the process, such as closing and sealing envelopes or applying labels. Fully-automatic feeders go further, and on a much larger scale.

✔ You need this feature if: You send hundreds of pieces of mail each week

✘ You don’t need this feature if: You only send a few letters a fortnight

Do I need to weigh my mail?

This depends on the type of mail you’re sending. USPS offers flat rate postage for letters and packages matching specified dimensions. If your mail fits the requirements, you’ll receive free packaging for using the service.

If, on the other hand, your mail exceeds these dimensions, a postage meter with built-in weighing scales is the clear winner. These machines make it easy to calculate accurate postage costs, and your savings will soon stack up.

✔ You need this feature if: You’re happy with USPS-specified mail weights and dimensions

✘ You don’t need this feature if: You want to send irregularly-sized mail and don’t want to waste your time and money buying stamps

Next Steps

If your business has a real need for one, a postage meter will pay for itself several times over. That said, the price and your budget are important factors to consider in your buying decision.

FP USA, Pitney Bowes, Quadient USA, and Data-Pac all lease their systems, with varying features, so you’re sure to find one that matches your needs. The more mail you send, the more you’ll pay each month. Speaking to suppliers on the phone is the best way to get an exact figure since most have custom price points. How do you know what value for money looks like? Our free comparison tool can help you with that part.

To get started, simply use our free quote-finding service. Answer a few questions about your business’s mailing needs, and we’ll match you with companies that can provide the best postage meters for you.