We Review Top IMI-Compliant Postage Meter Machines
The deadline for postage meter decertification is here, and as of June 30th, 2024, all IBI postage machines are officially decertified by the USPS. This means that time is running out for businesses to find new IMI-compliant machines before December 2024, when all IBI machines will be decommissioned from use.
What does this mean for you? If you own a business that uses mail machines, you have likely been shopping around for postage meter companies that offer IMI-compliant devices.
Sifting through postage meter lease companies is difficult. It's even harder to decide which of their business postage machines will meet your needs cost-effectively.
To simplify your search, here are our reviews of the best postage meters for small businesses to mitigate costs, mail at appropriate volumes, and process mail efficiently.
Mail Machines for Small Businesses With Low-Volume Mailrooms
If you have a small business with an equally as small mailroom, you won’t need high processing speeds or bells and whistles that high-volume machines come with. Because of this, here are some low-to-mind-volume postage meters for small businesses we’d suggest.
1. FP PostBase Mini
The PostBase Mini is a great option for businesses with smaller mailing volumes totaling up to $150 per month in postage. It’s capable of processing up to 17 letters per minute, and its 5 lb scale is great for smaller mail pieces. Customers can track invoices, orders, postage purchasing, and more via the MyFP Customer Portal online.
Another great aspect of this machine is its ink cartridge that lasts longer and holds more ink. This longevity paired with an easy-to-use touchscreen makes it an efficient and cost-effective choice for small businesses with lower mail volumes.
However, if your business mails in excess of $150 in postage per month or if you mail heavier parcels, this may not be a great choice for you.
2. Pitney Bowes Sendpro Mailstation
Much like FP meters, Pitney Bowes Sendpro Mailstations is their cloud-based online shipping software to help you manage costs and shipments, and create shipping labels. This is an ideal machine for small mailrooms, although with a slightly slower letters-per-minute speed of 16 LPM compared to the PostBase Mini’s 17.
This machine features a 5lb scale and 4.3” color touchscreen for easy use for small businesses. However, much like the PostBase Mini, this is not ideal for a business with higher mail volumes.
3. Quadient iX-1
As a close alternative to the Pitney Bowes SendPro Mailstation and PostBase Mini, with the highest speed of all the low-to-mid volume meters on this list with a rate of 18LPM.
This is a great machine if you mail slightly heavier pieces in your small to midsize mailroom, as its weight capacity is 10 lbs. In addition, the weight platform is removable for heavier packages. However, in terms of the machine's weight, it’s on the heavier side. The iX-1 weighs in at 8.6lbs, compared to the light-weight PostBase Mini at 6.6lbs.
The Sendpro Mailstation is about on par with the Quadient iX-1, weighing in at 8.7 lbs. Remember, you won’t want a clunky machine for a smaller mailroom, so weight and dimensions are important details to consider.
Large Volume Mailing Meters
If your business mails at high volumes, you will likely need a more heavy-duty machine to keep up with the speed and precision you need. Here are some machines we suggest for high-volume mail environments.
1. FP PostBase Vision Semi-Auto
This is a great postage meter for high-volume mailing. If you average anywhere from $250-750 per month in postage costs, this is the FP machine for you. It has a large 5” color touchscreen and can process up to 50 LPM. It is a more heavyweight mailing option, as it can weigh mail pieces up to 70 lbs with an external meter scale and up to 15 lbs on its integrated scale.
Another honorable mention is the PostBase Vision Auto, with the main differences being hands-free auto-feeding and an even higher speed of 70 LPM.
2. Pitney Bowes SendPro C Auto
This machine is a strong alternative to the PostBase Vision Auto, with a standard 120LPM and automatic feeding. It has a 7” touchscreen and can weigh mail pieces up to 15lbs. Like other Pitney Bowes products, you’ll have access to online software to track shipping, create, labels, and manage other mailing functions.
3. Quadient iX-3
This machine is another great contender for high mailing volumes, with a speed of 45LPM, and can weigh up to 10, 30, or 70lb packages with an optional external weighing platform.
As a heavier-duty version of the iX-1, this product is marketed as a "one-stop-shop" for mailing, with "all the benefits of a big mailroom in one small package".
Unlike the iX-1, however, the Quadient iX-3 has automatic feeding and tracking for 30 department accounts compared to the iX-1's single-department account tracking capabilities.
How to Find a Quality Postal Meter Machine for Your Business
Now that you've compared postage meters and from the top three best postage meter companies, you have an overview of what details to look for in a machine.
Postage machine companies can make it difficult to determine if products are quality, so it's important to partner with a print provider with your best interests in mind.
If you're ready to find a quality office postage meter to optimize your mailing and shipping environment, click the button below to speak to a managed print expert.
