I've used Endicia www.endicia.com for a few years now. I used to run a small business where it really came in handy.  But I like it so much that I've just kept using it.  I'm sorry if this comes across as a "sales pitch" because I really get nothing out of it.  It's just that I really like the service, and it works very well for me.  If you ship frequently, it might help you also. FYI, with the new postage rates last month, there are actually two rates for several classes of service now.  One rate when you take something to the post office and pay for the shipping, and the other "commercial" rates when you use a service like Endicia.  The "commercial" rates are slightly lower.  On top of this, you may also be eligable for a quarterly rebate, depending upon how much you ship.  You can see all of the information about the price change and how Endicia can save you money by clicking HERE. 

 FYI, one of my favorite things about using this software to send to soldiers is that with the premium plan it will also fill-in and print your customs forms!  All you have to do is sign them! 

 Below is a quick reference I came up with.  If you have any questions, I'll be happy to assist you if I can, or you can certainly contact Endicia.  Again, I'm not a sales person for them, I just like their product. :-)  Oh. . . And you can try it for 30-days for FREE!!

George
 

Standard Plan:  $9.95 flat-rate per month

·        Pay only for the postage you use.

·        FREE Delivery Confirmation for Priority Mail

·        Discounted Delivery Confirmation for all other classes of mail (You pay.18¢ as opposed to .75¢)  Discount on Signature Confirmation as well.  No forms to fill out!

·        Save 3% or more as a “commercial discount” using Endicia on Priority Mail and Express Mail.  (Volume discounts may also apply, depending upon the number of items you ship per day)

·        Both Domestic & International Mail

·        Save up to 50% by using Endicia insurance with no forms to complete

·        Email notification to your customer

·        Print postage directly onto labels or envelopes

·        The ability to print sheets of stamps, as needed.

Premium Plan:  $15.95 flat-rate per month

Includes all of the above features of the Standard Plan plus:

·        Stealth Postage (recipient does not know the exact cost)

·        Online Package Lookup

·        3^rd Party Software (XML) Integration

·        5% discount or more on some international shipping rates

·        Return Shipping Labels – Should someone need to return something, just send them a prepaid label

·        Pre-filled customs form for international shipments.  Just print & sign!

Mac and Professional Plans are also available.

Features I have found helpful:

·        Endicia does NOT charge additional for postage.  You pay for whatever you use.  Endicia charges a flat-rate each month to use their service no matter how much postage you use.  Buy as little as $10.00.  Charge to a credit card, debit card or checking account.

·        There are different types of printers you can use with this service.  I purchased a cheap old UPS label printer off eBay which works great!  I purchase the 4X6 self-adhesive labels by the case from U-Line.  You can also purchase 8.5 X 11 sheets to print postage on.  Endicia also offers printers and supplies through their website, but I find it to be kind of expensive there and purchase my supplies elsewhere. You can also print directly onto envelopes, and can even print-out sheets of stamps if you like. (must purchase a special sheet to print on though if you want to just print stamps to use later.)

·        If you have a scale, or get a scale which hooks-up to your computer, then you can easily weigh each item.  You can also enter the weight manually.

·        Simply drop-off the packages at the counter.  No more waiting in line!

·        Anything 5 pounds or less can also be dropped off in any mailbox. You can also request a pick-up at your location through their software, so you don’t even have to go to the post office at all.

·        If you are selling merchandise you can easily make-up for the cost of the Endicia service, as well as labels, printer, etc. by simply charging the “regular” rates that anyone going to the post office would pay. (What you are paying now.)  For example, charge .75¢ for delivery confirmation and full-price rates for Priority Mail, Express Mail, and International mail. You could even charge regular prices for insurance, if you wanted.  Either that, or charge a small handling fee.  If you ship Priority Mail, Express Mail, International or use Delivery Confirmation then it is very easy to save much more than you’ll be spending on the monthly Endicia fee. 

·        The software is very easy to use.  When you copy an address from another place, it will automatically “paste” it into the software for the next label.  It verifies the address for you, and adds the zip + 4 and barcode.  If you make a mistake, you can either reprint or refund the postage.  Often times refunds are electronic (depending upon the class of mail).  You can also quickly find a package you sent, and instantly track it, if you used a service which has tracking.  You can also pull addresses from Microsoft Outlook.

This software ships any way you want. . . first class. .  priority. . . priority flat-rate. . . parcel post.. .  media. . . and bound-printed-matter.  FYI, save yourself a LOT of $$ by shipping books and magazines Bound-Printer-Matter.  Save a LOT by sending DVD's, CD's video games, etc. via Media Mail.