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| Using a franking machine provides your business with an easy, flexible way to pay for postage as and when you need it. There's no need for stamps, petty cash or cheques, saving you time and resources. Franking machine users save up to 30% on their mail! |
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| Neopost are the largest manufacturer and supplier of franking machines in Europe. Whether you post 10 letters a day or 10,000 a week, it's simple to find the right franking machine for your business. |
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Like for any area of business, advances in technology mean upgrading software or hardware every so often. Ordinarily you'd usually get to choose when, but a service like franking requires standards for technology, efficiency and security, to be followed by everyone who uses it.
When Royal Mail reviewed the service in 1997 they discovered there were franking machines being regularly used that were over 30 years old. Not a problem if they work, you might say. But other customers required more efficient machines, and Royal Mail recognised improvements they could make to the service as a whole by introducing new standards based on updates in technology, usage, mailroom requirements and security. Improvements that would benefit every customer.
So that's what Royal Mail did. They've spread the introduction of these standards over a seven year period, to make it as easy as possible for both customers and manufacturers to apply them. |
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In 2006 the Royal Mail changed the way postal costs are calculated with the introduction of a new system called Pricing in Proportion. With Pricing in Proportion ordinary mail is divided in to three sizes:
- 1. Letters - most small and medium envelopes up to half the size of A4
- 2. Large letters - most larger envelopes up to A4 size
- 3. Packets - anything else
Mostly, you will be able to tell which category your mail is in by the size of the envelope, but you will also need to consider its thickness and weight.
Click here for Pricing in Proportion details and the Sizing Template User Guide.
Royal Mail's latest price increases will come into effect on April 2011. Franking machine users now save 7p on every 1st Class letter, 8p on every 2nd Class letter and up to £1.19 on every 2kg packet. |
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The biggest improvement has been the ability to re-credit your machine remotely, via your phone line. This means you can keep track of your mail costs and increase the amount available from your own office. Other benefits in using the new electronic franking machines include:
- Exactly the right amount of postage on all items
- Quicker processing and dispatch of your mail
- Digital printing
- You can include a logo, advertising message or return address
- The machines change date automatically
- Accurate tracking of mail costs
- Connection to other office equipment such as scales, inserters, folders computers and printers
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| The credit on your machine is automatically topped up when you dial-in to the automated credit system of your franking machine supplier. |
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| Unfortunately not, but they've introduced the standards over a seven-year period to give you time to fully depreciate your old machine on your balance sheet. |
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| Please contact your franking machine supplier as soon as possible, or call your local Royal Mail Sales Centre on 08457 950 950. |
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| No, new franking machine standards are being introduced all around the world, to reflect advances in technology. |
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| No problem. You can use a special envelope to put franked mail in a designated local post box. For details call Royal Mail on 0845 601 5726. |
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| There's no need for petty cash, stamps or signed cheques when you use a franking machine. Just set up a direct debit for your machine and top up your account via phone. |
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| Since 2004 it has been a new condition of service for franking machine customers to include an External Return Address (ERA) if you want your undeliverable mail back. Click here for External Return Addressing details. |
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Now you don't have to waste time looking up the correct postage price for your mail. The latest technology enables franking machines to link directly to built-in weight scales that calculate tariffs for you.
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