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Doing Postage from Home This article has changed quite a bit since I first wrote it. Originally it was a comparison of various online postage services. However, one service was shut down and another started up, and it was too much work to keep abreast of all the changes. Now I simply give some general advice with some impressions of the various services that are available. There are two main reasons why you may not want to go to the post office: (1) the post office isn't near or convenient, and (2) the post office is understaffed and the lines are long. Also, postal regulations do not allow you to drop packages in a mailbox weighing over 13 oz. unless they have metered postage on them. Whichever is your problem, here are your options for avoiding a trip to the post office: Online Postage Services It is now possible to print your postage online and drop your packages in a mailbox. The best known online postage service is Stamps.com (www.stamps.com). However, Stamps.com is expensive. A less-expensive service is Endicia (www.endicia.com). In both cases, you will have to download a program onto your PC which will allow you to print postage. Also, you must have a reasonably good printer that is capable of printing graphics in black-and-white (all ink-jet and laserjet printers can print basic graphics). Stamps.com has just one plan that costs $17.99 a month. Endicia.com offers a basic plan ($9.95) and a premium plan ($15.95). My recommendation, naturally, is that you sign up with Endicia. Stamps.com once offered a basic service which charged you a premium for each package you sent; it was structured in such a way that you could end up paying more than the cost of their premium plan. (A reader recently informed me that the basic plan is still available, though they don't advertise it. However, if it hasn't changed, I don't recommend it.) I can't give you a comparison of features between Stamps.com and Endicia because Stamps.com doesn't say much on their site. However, I can tell you from what I've heard that the Stamps.com software is very easy to use. Endicia's software, Dazzle, is also fairly easy to use once you have it set up properly (getting it set up is the problem). I use Endicia and I like its customizability; but judging from what I've heard, it may be easier to get started with Stamps.com. (If you decide to sign up with Endicia, send me an email for some important tips on how to use Dazzle.) Pitney-Bowes also has a service called Slipstream (www.pitneyworks.com). However, at just under $19 a month, Slipstream is the most expensive option. Pitney-Bowes used to have an inexpensive service called ClickStamp, but that has been discontinued. The United States Postal Service also has its own service, called Click-n-Ship, which is available on their web site at www.usps.com. Click-n-Ship doesn't require you to open an account or download a program onto your computer. Rather, it utilizes a Java script which works with your browser. Click-n-Ship has limitations that the other services don't: You cannot use it to print either First Class or Parcel Post postage. You can use it only for Priority and Express Mail. Also, the Java program is not as fast and streamlined as the other services, and you must use a full sheet of paper (or a full-sheet label) for each package you send) (with the other services, you can use smaller labels). An advantage of using the online postage services is that you can get the Delivery Confirmation either free or for a considerable discount. Delivery Confirmation, which makes your packages trackable, is a considerable advantage. However, one disadvantage of using online services is that you can lose postage if your printer malfunctions – that happened to me several times, and it was quite frustrating. (Endicia, however, has many safeguards against that. You can reprint a label, and you can also get a refund if it includes a Delivery Confirmation bar.) Also, you must have a postal scale (although most of these services can provide you with a scale). An additional disadvantage of online postage (or any kind of metered postage) is that you must mail the package on the date indicated in the postage. Postage Meters Postage meters can be rented from several companies listed on the U.S. Postal Service web site for as little as $18 a month. At one time, meters were a great option, but online postage services are more flexible and cheaper (lower monthly cost, free Delivery Confirmation service, special Priority and Express Mail rates). Unless you mail a lot of letters and want a machine that you can stick an envelope into to get the postage, online postage is the way to go. If you do need a meter, Hasler (www.haslerinc.com) has a couple good meters. Postage Kiosk If you are near to the post office but don't like to wait in line, your post office may have a postage kiosk which you can use. At the kiosk, you can buy stamps, buy postage for packages, and mail certified letters. You can get Delivery Confirmation at the kiosk, although you will pay full price for it (45¢). You must have a credit card or debit card in order to use the kiosk. Not everything can be done at the kiosk, however. You can't, for example, insure your packages (though you can use private insurance). You also can't mail international packages that weigh over 13 oz. (such packages must be taken to a window). Also, you can't use the kiosk for Registered mail. One disadvantage of the kiosk is that you can't mail simple letters that require only 41¢ postage – the minimum postage amount that the kiosk will sell is 50¢. When I was in New York, the kiosk was very convenient for me. Since then, however, I've started using Endicia exclusively. One disadvantage of the kiosk is that it occasionally breaks; if you go to the post office and it isn't working, you'll have to wait on line. Insuring Your Packages Stamps.com and Endicia both provide parcel insurance from private insurers (I don't know about Slipstream or Click-n-Ship). My recommendation is that you use a private insurer, and the one I recommend is DSI (www.dsiinsurance.com). DSI is the cheapest of the private insurers, and making a claim with DSI is far easier than making a claim at the post office. You can open a policy with DSI, or you can use their "Single Parcel Shipper Program". With their Single Parcel program, you don't have to have a policy with them – you just go to their site and register your shipment, and pay the premium with your credit card. Then, if the parcel is lost, you file a claim. If you decide to open a DSI policy, you will either record all your shipments on their web site or you will email them an Excel spreadsheet every week which lists your shipments, and then they will bill you every month for your premiums. Please note that self-insuring your packages makes good sense. If you charge each customer $1 for insurance, and then pay any claims out of your own money, you are likely to come out ahead in the long run. Conclusion I will add tips to this article as I think of them. If you have a particular postage problem, feel free to email me (my email address is on the home page) and I will try to find a solution for you. Tips - If your package weighs less than 13 oz., send it by First Class mail, as that is the most economical of all shipping methods for small parcels. - First Class now has different rates for letters are parcels, so make sure you use the First Class parcel rate. - For domestic parcels between 14 oz. and 4 lbs. (that aren't too thick), you can use a flat-rate Priority envelope (postage: $4.80). You can use bubble wrap to provide padding for the items in the envelope. - For international packages more than 1 lb. but less than 4 lbs., you can use a Priority flat-rate envelope (postage: $11.95 to most countries; $11.35 if you use online postage) (flat-rate envelopes are not available to all countries). If your international package is less than 1 lb., use the First Class International rate, which is cheaper. - All international packages carrying merchandise must have a green customs slip attached (form 2976 for shipments valued under $400, form 2976-A for shipments valued at $400 or more). However, Endicia (and probably Stamps.com too) has a label form that includes the customs form on it. - International packages 13 oz. or less do not have to be taken to the window. Simply apply your postage (at the kiosk or with your online account), attach your customs form (the customs form is part of the label if you use online postage), and drop it in a box. |