The Players Over the years a number of companies have moved into this space so you have a reasonable selection to choose from. They all work in basically the same way but as we will see each service has it's own pros and cons.
The first thing to note is that the three top internet postage service providers require a monthly maintenance fee which ranges from about $10 to $20 a month for a basic service plan. This fee is payable every month regardless of how many - or few packages you actually ship. Postage costs are in addition to this fee. Obviously, if you're only shipping a few packages a month these services will probably not be cost effective. (there are some
free alternatives but they all come with restrictions).
You can print labels on plain paper using your current printer but be aware that unlike a regular postage stamp, internet postage labels are valid only for the specified addressee and come with a mailing deadline. Some vendors allow you to print standard postage stamps that work the same way as regular stamps but this option requires you to purchase special paper.
The three main players we're going to be looking at in this
review are:
All of these vendors offer a free trial period so you can make sure they deliver what they promise before committing to any one company.
Stamps.com and Shipstream Manager include a complimentary digital postal scale. Endicia offer scales on their web site for an additional charge.
All three vendors support Microsoft's Windows but if you're a Mac user
Endicia is your only option.
Tips & Tricks
Resources
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Scales
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