posted on December 6, 2000 11:33:03 PM new
About a week ago a lot of us got an email offer from Pitney Bowes for their ClickStamp electronic postage service. Included was the waiving of the first month's fee ($1.49) and a free scale. After using it for a week I'm reasonably satisfied with the deal and dumped my stamps.com account. I was tired of paying them $4.99 a month and 10% "convenience charge" for the postage. I know, I know. There's a lot of you out there that are paying about $15 a month for the service. I got locked into a lower rate quite some time back and it stayed there.
Having used about $700 in postage in the last 2 months I took a serious look at the Clickstamp offer. With stamps.com I paid $10 in monthly fees ($30 for most people) over that 2 month period and $70 in Convenience Fees for the postage.
I've checked very hard and the regular price for the Clickstamp service is just $1.49. They do not charge "(in)Convenience Fees" as stamps.com does. Those two months would have cost me $2.98 for the two months and one month would have been waived.
Granted, the software isn't as well refined as stamps.com but I'll put up with it for the massive savings.
By the way, the scale came today, the 7th day of usage. I wasn't expecting it for weeks.
Now, tonight they have sweetened the deal. Since the postage rate increases are now posted and official, Pitney Bowes is offering an incentive. On all first class mail sent between January 7, 2001 and December 31, 2001, Clickstamp will refund you the one cent difference in the postage between current rates and the new rates. Keep in mind, this is not for Priority and other classes of mail. This is just First Class. When 2001 ends they will give you a reimbursement for the postage difference for the entire year up to a $50 credit. You must sign up by the end of this year.
About half my mailing are First Class and half are Priority. This offer is welcome in my camp. I will probably begin mailing most everything First Class that I can with the difference in the Priority Rate being significant. This offer would keep my mailing costs to this year's rate and save me additional money.
One thing to note about the Clickstamp software. It allows you to print to envelopes but to only 1 size of label. With them, you must use the 3 1/3" x 4" shipping label and everything goes on that one label. The Avery version of this label runs about $10.50 for 150 labels. I just purchased 1500 labels from Quill for about $35 in their own brand. (I never buy Avery unless I absolutely must.) Quill can be found at: http://www.quillcorp.com
To reach the offer where they give you the free month and the free scale go to:
(moderators: this link is not any form of referral for me. This is just the link to get to the information and sign-up page for this particular offer.)
The scale I received today is refurbished. Please note, this is the same scale (refurbished) they are selling on their website store for $35. Why pay for a scale if they will give it to you free?
I hope these offers benefit someone. Any way you look at it, this offer is much cheaper than stamps.com.
posted on December 7, 2000 01:45:10 AM new
Are you sure the only charge is $1.49 month??? I don't see how they can offer it for that amount, since they're paying credit card fees every time you charge postage to your account.
I'm paying SimplyPostage $14.95 month, and I'd LOVE to drop that amount to $1.49 (plus tax, it looks like), but I can't help but wonder if and when the monthly fee will increase, and by how much.
You can only print domestic labels, so it won't work for international buyers. And it won't print postage if the address doesn't verify, which is the case for me about one out of every 15-20 labels.
The penny refund is only for postage on LETTERS, isn't it--not first class packages? (the pop-up window runs off my screen, and I can't read it all). You can only use it on envelopes on which you print the address, which excludes using it to pay bills. That's great for a business sending out a lot of standard business envelopes, but not very helpful otherwise.
posted on December 7, 2000 05:15:07 AM new
$1.49 a month is what the charge is NOW.
Just wait until Pitney Bowes sucks everybody in, big foots the competition into bankruptcy and owns the market. That $14.95 a month for Simply Postage and $10 to $15.99 a month for Stamps.com will be one really sweet memory.
I've been really torn about this for a month or so now -- should I switch and save $13.50 a month now --(I print a LOT of postage; the $15.99 a month works out cheaper for me than the $4.99 + 10% deal I traded up from) and pay much higher prices later?
Will enough of us continue to support the competition to keep it viable?
