Low Volume Franking Machines

Low Volume Franking Machines

 

So for the next part of my franking machine investigations I’m looking at low volume franking machines.  That is franking machines that are designed to cope with franking approximately 50 letters or labels to put on your parcels or larger letters.

 

So which companies have low volume franking machines in their portfolios. Pitney Bowes, FP Francotyp Postalia and Neopost are some of the leading names in franking machines and therefore each offer their versions of low volume franking machines. But it is also worth considering some of the smaller franking machine business such as Mailcoms who have their own portfolio of low volume franking machines.

 

Mailcoms offer their entry level franking machine, the Mailbase lite, which is a low volume franking machine, designed for clients who are looking for low volume franking, but this franking machine can cope with larger franking runs if necessary.  The Mailbase lite is a franking machine that can be compared with Pitney Bowes franking machine DM50, Neoposts Autostamp, IS240 and IS280 franking machines and FP’s Mymail franking machine.

 

The Mailbase lite offers a comparable franking machine to the leading brands, but the deals they offer on this franking machine mean that it is not only one of the best value for money franking machines on the market but also offers running and maintenance costs which are better value than any of the other low volume franking machines on the market.

 

So in conclusion if you are looking for a low volume franking machine, with low running and maintenance costs, look no further than Mailcoms They are a business that offer both a high quality service coupled with a knowledge of the market which is second to none.

Franking machines - Buy or Rent

10th October 2012

 

To Buy or Rent a Franking Machine

 

 

Having looked at the potential costs in choosing a franking machine, I’ve been thrown a curved ball, as I was asked by Mailcoms (the small independent business I mentioned in my last article), if I wanted to rent or buy my franking machine!!  So not only do I need to consider the basic set up costs, of topping up my franking machine, minimum of once a year maintenance of the franking machine and costs involved with Royal Mail changing their franking machine rates during the year.  I now also need to analyse my business, to decide if renting a franking machine would be more cost effective than buying a franking machine.

 

From what I can gather whether you buy or rent your franking machine you have to pay the costs of franking mail + any changes that royal mail make during the course of the year.  An entry level franking machine (small number of envelopes to frank) will cost you around £20 a month to rent, therefore around £240 per year.  If this was the only cost of having the franking machine it would appear to be the cheap option, but you will need to read the contract carefully to be sure of what is included in your franking machine contract.  If maintenance is not included (which it very often isn’t) think very carefully, as the repairs for even an entry level franking machine, can apparently run into hundreds of pounds.  This being the case, whether the franking machine is hired or bought.  However, if you buy a franking machine you are probably more likely to take out a service agreement at the outset which will cover any franking machine breakdowns.

 

So are you better making an upfront investment and owning your franking machine, or paying a monthly rental? Though renting has its benefits, in that you can upgrade, or change from an entry level franking machine to a higher capacity franking machine, you will still be limited by the small print of your rental agreement. Whereas, if you buy a franking machine, you can trade it in, or sell it second hand and I think, in the round I would rather own my franking machine than be paying someone else to own it! 

 

 

Buying a Franking Machine

3^rd October 2012

 

A Newcomer to Franking Machines

 

As a new comer to the franking machine world, I’ve been trying to find out all I can to understand why a franking machine can help me in my business and maybe able to help you. So, over a series of articles I will look into the different stages in deciding on what franking machine and which franking machine supplier to choose.

 

As usual the internet was the place to start; with searches for “franking machine basics”, “franking machine advice” and “franking machine supplies” these gave me reams of information, so I’m going to try and succinctly say what I found concerning basic costs.

  

Firstly a franking machine can save me money over buying stamps, but I need to know to what extent. It is clear that franks from the franking machine are cheaper than a stamp, but I will need to consider the price of topping up my machine with credit for posting, almost all of the big players, such as Neopost, Pitney Bowes and Frama make charges for these top ups. But I found that a small independent company Mailcoms make no charges for crediting your machine, nor for any updates that Royal Mail make to their tariffs during the year. All of the main franking machine companies charge an annual fee to service your machine during the year.  The franking machine company that you choose must be royal mail approved for this maintenance.

So, the first point to consider when choosing a franking machine is the service agreement and any fees that may be made for topping up your machine with postage credit, or charges made for Royal Mail changes, which are completely out of your control!

 

 

Welcome to the Franking Machine Supplies Blog

Welcome to the Franking Machine Supplies Blog. Here we will keep you up to date with the latest news regarding franking machine supplies and franking machines in the UK.

We will also let you know of any Royal Mail changes regarding franking machines and the supplies they use.

When we launch a new product we will announce it right here and give all the relevant information needed

One of the latest products is the Mailcoms range of franking machine inks are now Royal Mail approved. This is an accolade only shared with one other company in the UK. For the approval process many thousands of envelopes were franked and run through the Royal Mail testing systems and were all successful in their tests. For more information visit http://www.mailcoms.co.uk/franking-machine-ink-cartridges-labels.html