When the U.S. Postal service came out with self-adhesive stamps, we thought we'd died and gone to heaven. No more licking! They've taken it a step further and now your postal needs can be taken care of with clicking!
The U.S. Postal Service and two independent companies recently debuted "PC postage," a product that allows consumers to print postage from their PC. "There's no licking, no sticking," said Pam Gibert, Postal Service vice president of retail. "Just clicking."
What is It?
The Postal Service has been trying out Internet stamps in test markets since March 1998, using products developed by four private companies. The final product is a two-dimensional digital bar-coding, called an Information Based Indicia, that shows the postage amount, rate, date, and the town and ZIP code of the sender.
Also included in the bar-coding are the customer identification number, the amount of postage left in the account, and a tamper-resistant certification number that will be scanned by post office computers to guard against illegal use. According to Gibert, "Each indicia is unique. Therefore, any duplicates will be detected and handled swiftly."
Who Offers It?
Stamps.com of Santa Monica, CA and E-Stamp Corp. of San Mateo, CA, now offer the computerized postage and Neopost, Inc. of CA and Pitney Bowes of CT will offer the products later this year.
How to Use It
If you have a printer (laser or inkjet) you can print your own stamps. You just visit any of the companies' Web sites, register, and download any required software. Some companies offer the software free, while others require a fee.
For $50, E-Stamp customers can purchase a module, called an "electronic vault," which is plugged into a computer's printer port. After the hookup, the consumer sets up an account and downloads the postage, which is stored in the vault.
With Stamps.com consumers won't have to install any additional hardware. Instead, they'll need to access the company's Web site, download free software, and open a print account. However, customers will have to go to the company's Web site each time they need postage.
How to Pay For It
Fees for the services range from approximately $2 per month to $20 per month, excluding the postage. Payment can be made by credit card, debit card, or direct debit.
The new service is being marketed to small businesses and home office users so, if you operate a home business, this could be for you. But, keep in mind that for now, the stamps cannot be printed with a Macintosh computer and they can only be used on first-class, priority, or express mail sent within the U.S. For an online demo of the new stamps, access http://www.stamps.com.
Copyright © The Green Sheet, Inc., 1999. All rights reserved.
First Published November 1, 1999
