Often unknown is the fact that a postage machine can not be bought, but only leased from the manufacturer as they are tightly managed by the United State Postal Service. Rentals usually run for either one or three years and most vendors prefer you go with the longer term. If you are unsure of your needs it may be best to go with a one year rental until you buildup some experience.

Lease costs are established on either usage or fixed, and if based on usage your monthly rate is based on the average total monthly postage for year preceding. In this scenario, rates only increase and that should your usage drop you may not see a resulting reduction in cost. The alternative is fixed rates published by the leasing company, which may increase upon short notice.

Some postage machine manufacturers just change their rates from one year to the next, with no concern to usage, more dependent on sophistication of the model rather than the annual or monthly. When choosing a postage meter, be sure that you understand the pricing plan.

While postage meter rental costs do not vary widely, there are advantages for components such as bases and scales, which you can either purchase or lease, unlike the meter itself. Varying according to available options, postage meter bases can cost from a few hundred dollars up to several thousand and scales go anywhere from forty dollars to several hundred.

When chosing a postage machine provider your first thought is usually cost. Because the US Postal Service highly manages meters, systems do not change substantially from one manufacturer to the next, and a good price is usually the deciding factor. With more monthly mailing volume and thus costs, other considerations must be taken into account in making your decision.

Service rather than function can vary greatly depending on the manufacturer chosen. Some manufacturers will deal with you directly, and others work through a group of otherwise independent dealers. Both choices offer excellent service and the crucial concern is often customer support. Questions to ask are: Do you make on site visits to troubleshoot problems or is support mostly phone based, and what is the turnaround time on the average support call?

Payment choices also might vary greatly. If you will be leasing your machine, you likely get an option to periodically upgrade your equipment as your company might grow. Some manufacturers give better and more varied lease options. In addition, your postage costs can be taken care of in varies ways, either pre-pay, sending a moneyorder to the United States Postal Service to open an account, with postage purchases then deducted as you go automatically.

Lastly, a number of companies permit you to "mail now, pay later," basically extending you credit to run your monthly mailing requirements. Also possible is purchasing postage in advance from the manufacturer. Some manufacturers offer a situation where you gather interest aquired as additional postage for prepaid arrangements.