E-Postage
Like the postage meters of the past, digital postage meters save you from a trip to the post office. They can be recharged online and can be used for everything from shipping parcels and overnight mail to printing standard business records. They also provide some proof of mailing on even first class mail. Here is a breakdown of the major solutions:
Endicia.
Endicia and Stamps.com are the two largest e-postage companies. While both products are strong, I prefer Endicia’s for three reasons: (a) Endicia allows you to design your own forms; (b) Endicia is better for international; and (c) Endicia allows you to easily use the product on more than one PC. Stamps.com requires you to go through a revalidation process everytime you change machines. Endicia is also significantly cheaper. Their basic plan is $9.99 a month. Stamps.com’s plan is $17.99.
Endicia has a Mac plan; Stamps.com doesn’t. Note: You can only use the Mac plan on a Mac and the PC plan on a PC. The PC software, however, runs fine on PC emulation programs such as Parallels.
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Stamps.com
Stamps.com is largest e-postage provider. Their services are highly regarded. They do not have a Macintosh plan and their software doesn’t like being run on multiple machines at once. Their premier plans also print Federal Express shipping.US Post Office.
The US Post Office has an online store for printing online postage. Their service is limited to priority mail and overnight only, but it is strictly pay as you go.
Pitney-Bowes.
The manufacturer of classic postage meters now makes a digital product.
Paypal.
Believe it or not, Paypal offers a postage system. It is not recommended for lawyers. But if you need to ship an occasional package, it is very handy.
More Information
For more information on shipping solutions, check out Smart Computing’s recent review.