Postage meter

What is a Postage Meter?

A postage meter is a special machine that helps put the right amount of postage on letters and packages. It works like a stamp, but it prints the postage directly on the envelope. This makes mailing easier and faster for many businesses and groups.

Postage meters are checked by the country's postal authority to make sure they work correctly. The printed mark, called a meter stamp, shows that the postage was paid. It also acts like a cancellation and a postmark, marking when and where the mail was sent.

How Does It Work?

A postage meter has a keyboard where you type in how much postage is needed. It also has seals and a part that stamps the postage. In the past, people had to take their meter to the post office to add more money. But now, you can add money by telephone, prepaid cards, or the internet.

The machine shows how much money is left, how much postage has been used, and how many times it has been used. Some meters can even weigh letters to figure out the right postage. If there isn’t enough money, the machine won’t print the postage.

A Little History

The first postage meter was invented in 1900 by Charles A. Kahrs in Norway. Later, Arthur Pitney in Chicago made his own mailing system. He joined with Walter Bowes, and they formed the Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter Company. Today, many businesses use digital meters that connect to the internet to add postage easily.

Postage meters help keep the mail system running smoothly by making it quicker to prepare letters and packages for sending.