(Article updated November, 2020.)
I just re-investigated the postage-from-home options for my business, and below is what I found out. In order to print postage from home, you need a computer and a printer which can print labels and/or stamps. A normal printer can print labels, but to print stamps you'll need a special stamp printer which prints on rolls of small labels. Printing labels usually requires you to get sheet labels which have two labels per page.
These companies charge a monthly fee:
Stamps.com and Endicia. These are the top two "PC postage" companies (that's the term that is generally use -- "PC" stands for "personal computer"). I have used Endicia for about fifteen years. However, Stamps.com purchased Endicia around 2015, which meant that the two were no longer in competition and that eventually they would raise their prices, probably in tandem. In fact, that's what happened in April, 2019. Both companies had been charging about $16 per month for their full service, and both companies upped that rate to $17.99 plus tax. (Because of a Supreme Court ruling, internet and mail-order companies with a certain amount of sales in your state must now collect state sales tax even if they don't own property in your state.) However, both Stamps.com and Endicia offer a scaled-down service for about $10 per month (although I expect that price to go up also). The $10 service at both companies is good enough to provide most of your postage needs. However, Stamps.com limits the volume of postage you can print, while Endicia limits some of their premium features. For example, you won't be able to send automatic email shipping notifications to your customers when you print a package label. Also, you won't be able to print labels without the postage amount showing. Regardless of which service you get, you will be able to print package labels with postage on them; and if you have the right kind of printer, you'll be able to print stamps -- for both domestic and international mail.
Update: Stamps.com seems to be shutting down the Endicia service, and they are doing it in a very clumsy way. In mid-September, 2019 I suddenly wasn't able to open my Endicia postage-printing program. Their web site was also a mess, and I wasn't able to access my account information on it. They fixed those problems, but then in 2020 I discovered that I wasn't able to print international labels any more. In my opinion, Stamps.com is very foolish to shut down Endicia, since they could snare customers with both brand names. In fact, there are many companies that sell their products under more than one name. It is a way of increasing market share.
In November, 2020, I switched to Pirate Ship (www.pirateship.com). It doesn't allow me to print loose stamps (which I never did anyway) or labels for large flat envelopes ( commonly referred to as "flats"), but flats are easy to send with regular stamps.
SendPro. The SendPro program from Pitney-Bowes is the closest competitor to Stamps.com and Endicia, although it isn't designed with the same finesse. SendPro isn't quite as feature-rich and intuitive. For example, you can't insert an address into a label in one click. In SendPro, you have to fill in individual fields -- first name, last
name, company name, street address, city, state, zip, etc. That is a huge inconvenience. (You can, however, save addresses in an address file which will insert the information for you.) Also, you can't design your own labels, meaning that you have to use the label designs (and sizes) they offer. I have hundreds of four-per-page sheet labels, but the smallest label that SendPro can handle is two-labels-per-page.
The pricing for SendPro is slightly lower. The monthly fee is $14.99. You also have the option of paying $8.99 for the same version (without any features disabled) -- but you will have to pay a 3.5% surcharge on postage purchases. Pitney-Bowes does not advertise the cheaper version on their web site, so you must ask for it. (Note, it has been more than a year since I checked out SendPro, so it may have changed.)
These companies charge no monthly fee:
Click-n-Ship. On the U.S. Postal Service web site, you can print Priority package labels for free. All you need is a credit- or debit-card to pay for the postage amount. You cannot print First Class labels or stamps.
PayPal. PayPal provides a package label service for its eBay shippers (PayPal was once owned by eBay), but you don't have to have an eBay account to use the service. You can print both First Class and Priority labels on their site with no additional fee. Again, all you need is a card number to charge the postage to (or your PayPal account). You have to log in to print labels, and you pay for the postage on each label separately. You cannot print stamps with this service.
VIPparcel. This company is the new kid on the block. Like PayPal, you can print both First Class and Priority labels on their site with no additional fees (as well as international labels). You have to open an account, and then add money to it to cover the postage. One warning: To get the lowest postage rates, you must specifically request "commercial pricing". Otherwise, you will be charged the higher non-commercial postage rates that the post office charges customers who come to the counter. My experience with VIPparcel wasn't good. They were slow to answer my emails, and when they didn't refund my unused postage money in a timely manner, I threatened to do a charge-back.
Pirate Ship. I found out about this company in October, 2020. Their service is entirely free, and you can print First Class, Priority and international labels -- although you cannot print postage for letters or large envelopes (called "flats"). Unlike VIPparcel, they give you the lowest rates by default. Since your labels are generated on their web site, you can't customize their appearance (although this is true of all of the free services). Also, unless you are using the Chrome browser you must download the label and then print it from your computer, which is an extra step. You can insure packages with just a couple clicks (most of the free services don't offer package insurance). Since the service is free, and since I don't send many packages these days, I decided to switch to Pirate Ship from Endicia, which was still charging me a monthly fee. Unlike VIPparcel (above), the people at this company have been very attentive, answering my emails very quickly.
EasyPost. A company with this name is posted on the USPS web site as a provider of PC postage, but exchanging about eight emails with someone at their company did not clarify exactly what kind of service they offer. I suspect that their service is designed for high-volume mailers, not for small businesses.
Postage meters. I haven't said anything about postage meters in this article because they are rather old hat. Also, you don't get many of the extra features that come with printing labels from the internet (like free package tracking). Instead of getting a postage meter, I suggest you choose one of the options listed above. Just make sure you have a printer that can print labels. You can use standard inkjet or laser printers for that, or you can use a printer dedicated to printing labels and/or postage strips.
About postage: For domestic packages, First Class mail goes up to 15.9 oz., and Priority Mail is for packages one pound or more. International mail works differently: From about 3 oz. to 4 lbs., First Class International and Priority Mail International overlap. For packages up to 4 lbs., First Class International will always be cheaper (for packages over 4 lbs., you must send Priority). However, Priority Mail International has more insurance options, and it also provides tracking inside the destination country, which First Class International does not. (Regarding insurance, I recommend using private shipping insurance, such as U-Pic or Shipsurance.)
If you have questions about shipping from home, leave a comment with your email address and I'll contact you. (The comment won't be published, so your email address will remain private.)
Package insurance: I recommend two sites to get shipping insurance. If you send a large number of packages, use Shipsurance (www.shipsurance.com). You can pay them a monthly fee ($20, but I'm not sure) to insure all your packages. If you send just an occasional package, then I recommend their sister site InsurePost (insurepost.com), at which you can insure individual packages ($1.05 per $100 of insurance). Please note, however, that the post office insures Priority packages up to $100 by default, so you do not need third-party insurance if you always use Priority mail. The post office does not insure First Class packages, so you must buy third-party insurance for those. Submitting a claim to the post office for a lost or damaged package has become easier in recent years, as you can do it right on the internet by filling out a form.
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