The Post Office Is On Your Computer
what will you do with it?
By: Sharon Wolfe

It’s Raining……..
Half of Your Staff Is Out With The Flu…
You’re Out Of Stamps… But….
You’re Not Out Of Luck….


BizNet Online Magazine Takes A Look At Postage On-Line

As the above implies, there are times that going to the post office is a real pain.

If you’re a small business owner, it stinks when you run out of stamps at the wrong time.

Even if you use a postage meter, it still stinks when you find out someone forgot to get the meter refilled, and you need more postage NOW!!!!!

So, imagine :

Buying postage 24 hours a day, seven days a week…

Not having to drive to the Post Office anymore…

Not having to stand in line at the Post Office anymore…

Spending the correct amount on Postage each time you send mail…

Your mail having a professional look when it arrives at its destination…

All without ever leaving your desk!

Well, it’s a reality with Internet Postage, now offered by the U.S. Postal Service through two companies: www.e-stamp.com (E-Stamp Corp., San Mateo, CA, 888-437-8267), and www.stamps.com (Stamps.com Inc., Santa Monica, CA, 888-434-0055)

NOTE: USPS Internet Postage program does not currently support international mail.

How does it work?

In 1998, The United States Postal Service (USPS) introduced a new form of postage to the public: Internet Postage. Internet Postage is a combination of human-readable information and a 2-dimensional barcode.

So…What’s the cost? REASONABLE

How does it work? WELL

Have we tested it? Do we like it? YES

 

E-Stamp

After using E-Stamp for 2 weeks, here’s my take on it: They were out of the starting gate with Version 1.0 before all the initial ‘kinks’ were out… but isn’t that always the way! AND, I’m happy to have it!

 

Stamps.com

Information gathered from their website, tech support and main office, as their product is not ready for the public as of this writing (9/30/99). They should have service available in October. (They are trying to get all their “kinks” handled in the first release. – I like that!)

System Requirements:

See end of Article (must have 70% of more system resources available).

See end of Article

Internet:

You do not have to be on-the internet  to use this service except to download additional postage. But you do need to have a CD Rom in while using it; this is for address verification.

Per E-Stamp: “And this is where E-Stamp delivers a big benefit. Because of the electronic vault, you don’t have to connect to the Internet each time you need a stamp. The postage is stored right on your PC, ready to be used. So you can log off the Internet and use your phone line for other things, like faxing and running your business. This is what makes E-Stamp so easy and convenient to use.”

You MUST be on-line to use this service. However, the advantage here is that you don’t have to have the CD in the drive to use the program, and you don’t have to attach extra hardware to your system.

Because there is no hardware involved; you can use this from any computer, anywhere you can connect to the Internet

 

You can use this product on any computer; but only one person, one computer at a time per account..

Starter Kit

E-Stamp says: “Our Starter Kit contains everything you need to print your own stamps.”

 

Stamps.com says: “Our Starter Kit contains a manual and sample labels and envelopes and a CD with actual software OR you can download the software and begin right away.  (Only 3MB)”

START UP

Purchase Price:

$49.95 less $25 credit in the form of postage = $24.95

ZIP, NADA, ZERO, NOTHING

ONGOING

Price:

$4.99 minimum; $29.99 maximum for each transaction, based on 10% Service Fee on postage purchased.

Personal Plan:

($1.99 flat fee for under $25 in postage/month)  or you can pay $19.95 one time for a year’s activity.

15% service fee is added to the $1.99 flat fee if you print more than $25 postage in any given month.

Business Plan:

($3.99/month minimum; $19.99/month maximum)

10% Service Fee on Postage used, billed monthly at the end of the billing cycle.

Postage Scale:

Will cost $99 when available, and will attach to the bottom of the “vault”.  It doesn’t display weight, but does display the postage cost.

Digital Scale that interfaces (plugs into parallel port). $49.99 one time cost.

How much postage can I buy at a time?

$10 minimum (however, remember the $4.99 fee for each transaction.)

$500 maximum in your account at any one time (limit set by the USPS)

$10 minimum (No transaction fee if under $25.00 per month on the Personal plan.)

$500 maximum in your account at any one time (limit set by the USPS)

How do I pay?

Via electronic funds transfer from your bank account or credit card (when the USPS approves credit card payments), and then you immediately download your postage (up to $500) into the electronic vault.

Supplies can be purchased now with a credit card.

You will be able to use major credit cards as a payment method and/or you may make payments from your bank account through a Direct Account Withdrawal (ACH) debit process (a process similar to an electronic funds transfer)..

On-line vs. Metered Mail:

For the small business owner who has the right computer/printer equipment and e-mail/internet setup, “electronic” postage is now do-able.

Stamps.com says: “service fees are a fraction of the costs of a traditional meter. Additionally, you will be able to purchase and own a low cost integrated digital scale from Stamps.com, instead of paying on-going monthly scale rental fees as you would with a traditional meter.”

Installation:

Easy - After signing up on-line, I needed to wait a few days to receive the “vault” (their equipment), which attaches to the CPU at the printer port (and the printer cable attaches to the vault).

The vault is about the size of a roll of stamps – it sits on the back of my PC. E-Stamp calls it an electronic vault, because that’s where your postage dollars are stored.  (I NEED TO RETURN THE VAULT IN PERFECT CONDITION IF I EVER LEAVE E-STAMP, OR PAY A HEFTY FEE.)

No vault, no CD Rom; but you need to be on the internet to use Stamps.com

 

Once they rollout their service, all you need to do is download their free software, open an account, and you can start printing postage.

 

No start-up cost. No reset fees. No additional hardware required.

U.S. Postal Service License:

When you set up your account with E-stamp, they automatically file this application for you. I received mine within 1 business day.

Same as with E-Stamp

Date Sensitive:

You MUST drop off your mail on the date on the postage label BUT, not to worry, you can ,postdate it, so. if you are like me and get my mail ready to go at the end of the day and put it in the mail the next day, no problem.  Or, get it ready Friday or Saturday and mail it Monday, no problem.

 

(Writer’s note: E-stamp says I can post-date mail up to 10 days in advance. But the USPS says I cannot put it in the mail until the date stamped.)

You can print a date as far as 30 days ahead, according to their Tech Support, but mail it on the date stamped.

Address Book:

Originally designed as for e-mail addresses only, it is a little cumbersome, but does the job.

Information Not Available

Interfaces with:

E-Stamp says: “Microsoft Word, Intuit QuickBooks, Symantec ACT!, Microsoft Outlook and other popular applications.”

Well – it doesn’t work with Word 2000 or Outlook 2000 versions for me BUT, the tech is working with me on this as the latest download contained an upgrade for this.

IT WILL NOT Mail Merge. (I’m disappointed.)

How am I able to use it?

Well, it does work with it’s own software, one address at a time which doesn’t bother me at this point, since the final mail piece looks so professional. But I want to go faster! And, I want to mail merge!

Stamps.com says:

Microsoft Outlook 97

Microsoft Outlook 2000

Microsoft Word 97

Microsoft Word 2000

Lotus Word Pro 97

Lotus Word Pro 2000

Corel WordPerfect 8.0

Corel WordPerfect 2000

Symantec ACT! 4.0

I’m told they will soon work with Quicken and QuickBooks

Will Mail Merge

 

Printers:

Not Compatible with HP Office Jet Series R (and possibly whenever both scanners and printers are attached to the vault).

Stamps.com says: “It will work with all printers 300dpi resolution.”

 

Mailing & Shipping Services & Supplies

First Class, Priority and Express Mail

Insurance

Services offered on-line by the USPS:

Tracking (must fill out forms)

Free USPS Shipping Supplies

Change of Address Form

Zip Code Look-UP

Post Office Locator

Pickup/drop-off USPS 800 # to schedule

 

USPS Postal Rate Calculator included in Software for manual weighing

Postage Tracking Report (good for rebilling clients! Or segregating costs between departments.)

Automatic Address verification and ZIP+4

 

SUPPLIES:

They will have all USPS approved labels.

E-Stamp says: “Our very own patented window envelopes that feature a special window for the digital stamp to show through. Print stamp and document in one step, and then slip into one of our window envelopes for mailing. Perfect for invoices. These envelopes will be sold exclusively in our online supplies store.” That sounds good!

I ORDERED labels (for use on envelopes or flat packages) using a credit card. I received a verification of order, order number and printout of my order, all in about 2 minutes and delivery in 2 days.

First Class, Priority and Express Mail

Insurance

Services offered on-line by the USPS:

Tracking (must fill out forms)

Free USPS Shipping Supplies

Change of Address Form

Zip Code Look-UP

Post Office Locator

Pickup/drop-off USPS 800 # to schedule

 

USPS Postal Rate Calculator included in Software for manual weighing.

Automatic Address verification and ZIP+4+2+1

 

SUPPLIES:

They will have all USPS approved labels.

 

Initial Use:

A little frustrating for an experienced computer user, mostly because they didn’t say they weren’t 2000 software compliant yet or how to do a work-around for their address book.

The vault was easy enough to install.

N/A

Other Comments:

I use it daily!

I Can Hardly Wait To Try It! And will have another review after I do.

Who Could Benefit:

If you spend $25 or more a month up to about $1,000 a month.  After that, you are in the range of high-speed postal meters – and who knows, by this time next year, even that will change.  YOU KNOW HOW TECHNOLOGY IS – faster than a speeding bullet!

Their target market initially is the SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) user.

Sounds like it will definitely be cheaper than E-Stamp for the under $25/month postage user.

Customer support

6AM to 6PM pacific Time, Monday through Friday. (And they answer promptly)

EMAIL to customer.service@e-stamp.com OR

technical.support@e-stamp.com gets you a reply via email within one business day.

AND THEY DO REPLY WELL.

24-hours, 7 days a week using:

Live Voice by Telephone

E-Mail

E-Mail Answers

INITIALLY, being able to get a live voice immediately impresses me! What an ingenious idea they have here!

WRAP UP COMMENTS:

Internet Postage: has made things much easer for me.  I always have just the correct postage, whether it’s 33 cents or 33 dollars…    I always have postage on-hand, even now at Midnight, or I can buy more 24 hours a day.  The imprinted postage gives my small business the look of a big company.  No more using stamps for me! 

I am really looking forward to testing and comparing Stamps.com with E-Stamp, and will give you a report after I do! Stay tuned…

For now, E-Stamp is a winner with me!  In fact I’m giving it the Winner Award, for helping my small business look like a Winner!

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

[E-Stamp additional requirements are in brackets and italicized]:

A personal computer with Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0.
[A 486 or Pentium processor / Pentium is recommended]

[A COD ROM Drive]

16 MB of RAM for Windows 95 and Windows 98; or 24 MB of RAM for Windows NT. (32MB or higher is recommended)
Stamps.com software is 3MB
[19MB available hard disk space for E-Stamp Internet Postage software]
[57MB available hard disk space for Microsoft Internet explorer 4.0 Service pack 1 -if it is not already installed on your PC]

A Windows-compatible laser or inkjet printer with a resolution of 300-dpi or higher.
[An E-Stamp printer, such as a Seiko or Costar label printer]

An Internet connection (through an online service such as America Online; an Internet service provider (ISP) such as Netcom, AT&T WorldNet, or Earthlink; or a direct connection such as a corporate local area network (LAN))
[an E-Stamp e-mail account]

[Monitor display resolution of 800x600 and 256 colors or better.]

Writer’s Note:                               

(A small postage scale is really necessary if you don’t buy the integrated postal scale; I have an inexpensive postage scale, and it works fine; my monthly postage is $70-$100.)


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