Managing your outgoing mail can be time-consuming but the right franking machine can help you to reduce the time it takes to process the post and can reduce the costs by being able to access Royal Mail’s special rates including Mailmark technology which can provide greater insight into your mailings. Some machines can also offer printing of logos and marketing messages on the envelope. There are many franking machine suppliers so we have reviewed what each of them can offer below.
The table below gives a quick price comparison of the top UK providers for franking machines.
Company City where are they based Year founded
Francotyp Postalia Ltd Dartford 1923
Quadient UK Ltd London 1991
Pitney Bowes Hatfield 1920s
Frama UK Ltd Hoddesdon 1960s
European Postal Systems Ltd Meopham, Kent 1994
Ashcroft Franking Solutions Alcester, Warwickshire 1998
Mailcoms Ltd Cannock, Staffordshire 2006
NSL Mailing Middlesex 2003
Kane Digital Solutions Hengoed 1989
Northern Services East Kilbride 1985
Digital Post Solutions Ltd Dunstable 2005
IMS Franking Reading 1988
The Mailing Room Ltd Bury 1998
OMM Digital London 1990s
Totalpost Mailing Ltd Alston, Cumbria 2007
Twofold Ltd Reading 2000
North Time & Data Ltd Lisburn 1988
Dataquest UK Ltd London 2003
The Franking Machine Company Liverpool 1993
Franking Sense Bolton 1992
* The facts and figures included here come from each company’s website and were accurate at the time of writing but may have since changed. Also, please keep in mind these may not be apples to apples comparisons as each provider offers different solutions. This guide should be used as a starting off point for more research on your part.
Below we profile each of the companies’ services and features in a bit more detail.
Note companies are ranked in no particular order and this no way indicates one solution is better than another.
Topics
1. Francotyp Postalia Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of Francotyp Postalia Ltd’s franking machines.
- A global manufacturer of franking machines
- Cost-effective solution
- Suitable for small to large businesses
- Offers a variety of models
- Low to high volume machines
- Multi connectivity
- Self/automatic feeder
- Reporting functionality
- Also offer other mailing solutions
- Has been operating for almost 100 years
Francotyp Postalia Ltd is one of the leading global manufacturers of franking machines and mailroom equipment. They have been operating in Germany for almost 100 years and supplying the UK market for over 25 years and rank in the top three. Their mailroom range includes printers, scanners, copiers, folder inserters, letter openers and mailing software.
Francotyp Postalia Ltd’s franking machines allow you to print straight on to envelopes and you can even include your logo or marketing message. They produce machines that cater for different levels of needs with low, medium and high volumes. They offer a range of processing speeds and feeders include manual, self-automatic and automatic feed.
Francotyp Postalia Ltd website
2. Quadient UK Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of Quadient UK Ltd’s franking machines.
- Offers Mailmark franking machines
- Designed for small to large businesses
- Improve productivity
- Professional image printing
- Reduce mailing costs
- Monitor, track and control spend
- Online portal to manage your account
- Offers a range of machines
- Variety of speeds
- Also offers folding and inserting machines
Quadient UK Ltd is an equipment and software provider catering for mailing services, customer experience management, business process automation and parcel locker solutions. They aim to help you to improve relationships with your customers through communication channels including mail, email, online and parcels. Their mailing range includes franking machines, folders and inserting machines.
Quadient UK Ltd’s franking machines can help you to improve your mailroom productivity through speeding up printing of mailing envelopes which have a professional look and can include printing of logos and messages. They provide you with an online portal to manage your account where you can monitor, track and control spend.
3. Pitney Bowes
Some of the features and benefits of Pitney Bowes’ franking machines.
- Offers a variety of franking machine
- Streamline mailroom activities and shipping costs
- Helps you select the right machine based on your sending volume
- Cost-effective solutions
- Accurately calculate postage
- Print your logo and message on the envelopes
- Can provide confirmation of delivery
- Access discounted rates
- Single interface design
- Offers a 30-day free trial
Pitney Bowes has been producing mailing equipment for over 100 years and evolving their products to make advancements. They produce a variety of mailing equipment including franking machines, inserters, sorters and printers which are distributed across the world.
Pitney Bowes will help you to select the right franking machine through the volumes of post you send. They offer cost-effective solutions that can accurately determine post costs and allow you to access discounted postage rates. As well as printing the mailing mark, you can also print your logo and a message on the envelope. Their system runs on a single interface design to estimate delivery charges and times.
4. Frama UK Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of Frama UK Ltd’s franking machines.
- Manufacturers a range of franking machines
- Cater for a small to large volumes
- Access the best Royal Mail prices
- Automation levels vary
- All machines are Mailmark ready
- No hidden charges
- High ink yields
- Can add logo and messages to your envelopes
- First to market Mailmark technology
- UK based support
Frama UK Ltd is one of four franking machine manufacturers who have been producing machines for over 45 years. They were the first to market Mailmark technology which automatically updates Royal Mail pricing and now all machines in their range are Mailmark ready.
Frama UK Ltd offers three ranges of franking machines which are small business for lower mailing volumes, mid-range for high volumes and more features, and high feature for larger businesses with higher volumes. They offer machines that have no hidden charges, can provide high ink yields and allow you to incorporate a logo and message on your envelopes.
5. European Postal Systems Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of European Postal Systems Ltd’s franking machines.
- Offers a range of quality franking machines
- Caters for small to large
- More accurately workout postage charges
- Receive discounts from the Royal Mail
- Offers Mailmark machines
- Increase productivity
- Competitively priced machines
- Offers purchase or rental machines
- Speeds up to 180 letters per minute
- Free UK call centre support
European Postal Systems Ltd is one of the largest mailroom and franking machine equipment suppliers in the UK. They are based in the UK and have nationwide engineers to support you. They stock Pitney Bowes, Frama, Secap and Design Initiative equipment which includes franking machines, folding and inserting machines, letter opening machines and postage scales.
European Postal Systems Ltd offers three product levels which are low volume, medium volume and high-volume franking machines which cater for businesses of all sizes. Their franking machines will help you accurately calculate postage costs and allow you to receive Royal Mail discounts and they offer Mailmark machines.
European Postal Systems Ltd website
6. Ashcroft Franking Solutions
Some of the features and benefits of Ashcroft Franking Solutions’ franking machines.
- Caters for businesses with all levels of mailing volumes
- Offers a variety of brands
- Independent advice
- Mailmark compliant
- Apply for a Royal Mail licence straightaway
- Will install your machine in a few days
- Has an online calculator to estimate savings compared to stamps
- Offers folder and inserting machines
- Also offers mailroom stationery
- Established business operating for over 40 years
Ashcroft Franking Solutions is one of the UK’s largest authorised suppliers and maintainers of franking machines who have been operating for over 40 years. They offer a broad range of franking machines, folder/inserter machines, and mailing stationery. They provide independent advice on franking machines as they offer a variety of brands that are designed for small, medium and high-volume users.
Ashcroft Franking Solutions are categorised in low volumes of up to 25 items, medium volume of 26 to 50 items and high volumes of over 50 items per day. They process your order quickly and request a licence from Royal Mail straight away to get you set up quickly.
Ashcroft Franking Solutions website
7. Mailcoms Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of Mailcoms Ltd’s franking machines.
- Supply, maintain and inspect franking machine
- Independent supplier
- Authorised by the Royal Mail
- Mailmark ready
- Machines that can process letters, packets and parcels
- Offers low, mid and high-volume machines
- Automatic and fast machines
- Offers a range of mailroom and franking machine supplies
- Award-winning business
- Highly rated on Trustpilot
Mailcoms Ltd is a franking machine supplier that is authorised by the Royal Mail to be an independent inspector and maintainer of franking machines. They also are one of only two UK companies that offer their own franking machine ink that is approved by the Royal Mail.
Mailcoms Ltd’s franking machines are Mailmark ready and can process letters, packets and parcels. They have three categories of machines which are low volume compact machines, mid-volume machines which offer semi and fully automatic machines, and high-volume machines that provide fast speeds, fully automatic machines. They also offer a range of mailroom and franking machines supplies.
8. NSL Mailing
Some of the features and benefits of NSL Mailing’s franking machines.
- Offers high-performance franking machines
- Provides low, medium and high-volume machines
- Choice of leading brands
- Manual machines
- Semi and fully automatic machines
- Will help you to select the right machine
- Can calibrate the machine to your needs
- Offers leasing options
- Save money and time
- Offers a variety of office and mailroom equipment
NSL Mailing is a distributor of a variety of mailroom equipment including franking machines, folder inserting machines, supplies and other office equipment. They offer low, medium and high-volume machines from a choice of leading franking machine manufacturers. They will support you in selecting the right machine that will fulfil your requirements and they can calibrate them to your needs.
NSL Mailing’s franking machines offer a broad range of manual, semi-automatic and fully automatic machines that can operate at different speeds. Through using a franking machine, you can save money and automate some of the mailroom work to save time.
9. Kane Digital Solutions
Some of the features and benefits of Kane Digital Solutions’ franking machines.
- Offers a range of franking machine brands
- Has a range of low, medium and high-volume machines
- Space-saving models available
- Robust and reliable models
- Accurate machines
- Offers a range of speeds
- Can handle up to 500 items per day
- Mailmark machines
- Can help you save money
- Offers a variety of mailroom and office equipment
Kane Digital Solutions offers a variety of office and mailroom equipment including franking machines, folder inserters, letter openers, postal scales and consumables. They offer a variety of franking machines which includes Mailmark ready machines from a variety of brands. Their machines offer robust and reliable models that provide a range of speeds and automation.
Kane Digital Solutions offers low volume machines for up to 20 items per day, medium volume machines for up to 75 items per day and high-volume machines for over 75 items per day up to a maximum of 500. These machines offer a variety of speeds and automation levels including manual, semi-automatic and fully automatic.
Kane Digital Solutions website
10. Northern Services
Some of the features and benefits of Northern Services’ franking machines.
- Royal Mail approved franking machine supplier
- Offer Mailmark compliant machines
- Provide low, medium and high-volume machines
- Choice of brands
- Reduce mailing costs
- Digital machines
- Print messages and logos
- Accurately calculate postage costs
- Can process mail of all sizes
- Offers a range of other mailroom and office equipment
Northern Services is a supplier of office and mailroom equipment including franking machines, folders, inserters, letter openers, embossers and photocopiers. They are approved by the Royal Mail to supply franking machines. They offer a choice of brands that are capable of managing low, medium and high volumes of postal items each day.
Northern Services offers Mailmark compliant franking machines to help businesses to reduce their mailing costs and accurately calculate postage costs. They offer digital machines that can print marketing messages and logos on the letters and parcels as well as postage marks. They can process mail of all sizes quickly.
11. Digital Post Solutions Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of Digital Post Solutions Ltd’s franking machines.
- Offers a range of digital franking machines
- Caters for small to medium businesses
- Mailmark ready machines
- A choice of Frama machines and some other brands
- Reliable products
- Offers low, mid, mid-high and high-volume machines
- Web-based reporting and analytics
- Reduce postage costs
- Authorised by Royal Mail
- Offers a range of mailroom and office equipment
Digital Post Solutions Ltd supplies a variety of mailroom and office equipment which includes franking machines, folder inserters and photocopiers. They are authorised by the Royal Mail to inspect and maintain franking machines. They tend to supply mostly Frama franking machines as they have a strong partnership with them, but they do offer some other brands too.
Digital Post Solutions Ltd offers Mailmark ready machines which provide barcode technology that enables web-based reporting and analytics about your mail such as delivery and volume. Their digital machines that are suited to small to medium businesses and can handle low, medium, mid-high and high volumes of post.
Digital Post Solutions Ltd website
12. IMS Franking
Some of the features and benefits of IMS Franking’s franking machines.
- Offers franking machines to purchase or hire
- Royal Mail authorised
- Provide Pitney Bowes and Neopost equipment
- Choice of low, medium and high-volume machines
- Different automation levels
- Quick and efficient machines
- Will support you in selecting the right machine
- Has engineers throughout the country
- Supplies franking machine consumables
- Offers a range of mailroom equipment
IMS Franking is a supplier of mailroom equipment including franking machines, mail inserters, letter openers and franking machine consumables. They are authorised by the Royal Mail and they offer a variety of machines that can be purchased or hired. They operate nationally from Reading but have engineers throughout the country.
IMS Franking offers a variety of franking machines from Pitney Bowes and Neopost in a range of sizes and shapes. They will support you in selecting the right franking machine for your needs. They offer low, medium and high-volume machines with a choice of automation levels that are quick and efficient.
13. The Mailing Room Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of The Mailing Room Ltd’s franking machines.
- Offers Pitney Bowes franking machines
- Suitable for all sizes of businesses
- Caters for a variety of mailing volumes
- Equipped with Mailmark technology
- Provides a comprehensive support package
- Online diagnostics
- Fully trained engineers
- Will help you find the best machine for your needs
- Variety of speeds
- Some models offer WOW and DOW
The Mailing Room Ltd is a supplier of mailroom equipment which includes franking machines, postal scales, mail scanners, document shredders, letter openers and folder inserters. They specialise in offering Pitney Bowes franking machines that cater for businesses of all sizes.
The Mailing Room Ltd offers small office machines for up to 45 pieces per minute, small to medium machines for up to 95 pieces per minute and mid-volume offering up 310 letters per minute. Their machines are equipped with Mailmark technology and they have WOW and DOW on larger models. They offer a comprehensive support package with online diagnostics and fully trained engineers.
14. OMM Digital
Some of the features and benefits of OMM Digital’s franking machines.
- Offers a variety of franking machines
- Low, medium and high-volume machines
- Mailmark ready
- Pitney Bowes
- Neopost
- Compact models
- A range of features
- Differing speeds
- Royal Mail approved
- Cater for businesses of all sizes
OMM Digital is a print solution provider that offers managed print services, document management, office printers and franking machines. They are Royal Mail approved service providers and suppliers of postal franking machines.
OMM Digital offers a variety of franking machines from a range of manufacturers including Pitney Bowes and Neopost. They cater for all business sizes with their range of low, medium and high-volume machines which offer a variety of features and speeds. Their range includes Mailmark ready machines, built-in scales that can handle various items sizes and machines of varying sizes including compact models for space-restricted offices.
15. Totalpost Mailing Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of Totalpost Mailing Ltd’s franking machines.
- Franking machine supplier and maintainer
- Offers Mailmark ready machines
- Customised slogan printing
- Reporting facilities
- Track status of your mail
- Check the quality of address data
- Low to high-volume machines
- Make huge savings on your mailing
- Provide a range of features
- Offers a range of mailroom solutions
Totalpost Mailing Ltd offers a variety of mailroom equipment that includes franking machines, letter openers, folder inserters, postal scales and stationery. They offer franking machines that are Mailmark ready which can help report on your mail, track status of the mail and the quality of address data. Their models offer a variety of features and can print customised slogans on the mail.
Totalpost Mailing Ltd offers low use machines that can process up to 50 pieces of mail per day, medium use machine that can process up to 30 pieces of mail per day, and high use machines that can process volumes over 350 pieces per day.
16. Twofold Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of Twofold Ltd’s franking machines.
- Caters for all mailing volumes
- Royal Mail approved
- Save money on your mailing
- Process mailing volumes up to 2,000 per day
- Easy to operate and quiet machines
- Provides a range of speeds
- Accurate postage
- Print customised slogans on your mailings
- Models suitable for businesses of all sizes
- Offers a variety of mailroom equipment and stationery
Twofold Ltd offers mailroom equipment including franking machines, folder inserters, paper folders, x-ray machines, scanners and letter openers. They are a Royal Mail approved supplier and maintainer and they offer Mailmark ready franking machines. Their franking machines cater for businesses of all sizes from small eBay sellers.
Twofold Ltd offers low volume machines that are suitable for up to 50 items per day to high-volume machines that can handle up 2,000 items per day. Their range includes franking machines that can save you money on your mailing that are easy to operate, quiet to operate, calculate accurate postage, print slogans on your mail and a variety of speeds.
17. North Time & Data Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of North Time & Data Ltd’s franking machines.
- Authorised distributor of Neopost franking machines
- Cater for businesses in Northern Ireland
- Compact low volume machines
- Medium volume machines that are still compact
- High-volume machines
- Offers a range of processing speeds
- Save money on postage
- Efficient machine
- Established provider
- Also offer folders and inserters
North Time & Data Ltd offers digital solutions to businesses including mailroom equipment, time management solutions, access control and ID cards, visitor management and biometric measurement. They are a well-established provider of franking machine and they are an authorised distributor and maintainer of Neopost franking machines in Northern Ireland.
North Time & Data Ltd they offer compact low volume franking machines, medium volume machines with increased features, and high-volume franking machines that can handle large volumes at high processing speeds. Their franking machines from Neopost can help you reduce your mailing costs and provide efficient mailing solutions.
18. Dataquest UK Ltd
Some of the features and benefits of Dataquest UK Ltd’s franking machines.
- Provides high-quality franking machines
- Offers leading brands
- Print customised messages on mailings
- Neopost models
- Pitney Bowes models
- Manual and automated models
- Reliable machines
- Tailor services to you
- Offers a high level of customer service
- Provides other mailroom products
Dataquest UK Ltd is a London based provider of managed print services, IT services, cloud services, unified communications, mailing and post room solutions. They offer franking machines from leading brands and they partner with Neopost and Pitney Bowes to provide a range of high-quality models.
Dataquest UK Ltd will tailor their services to meet your needs and offer a high level of customer service. Their range includes small compact low volume machines through to those that can handle larger volumes. They offer models that include manual and automated machines that are easy to use and reliable. Some models also offer the ability to print customised messages on your mail.
19. The Franking Machine Company
Some of the features and benefits of The Franking Machine Company’s franking machines.
- Offers a range of franking machines
- Will help you select the right machine for your needs
- Authorised supplier Pitney Bowes machines
- Compact entry-level models
- Mid-level machines
- High-level machines for 300 or more items per day
- Modular designs
- Offers Mailmark ready models
- Recognised by the Royal Mail as approved maintainer
- Offers other mailroom equipment
The Franking Machine Company offers a range of mailroom equipment and consumables which includes franking machines, folders/inserters and letter openers. They are an authorised supplier of Pitney Bowes franking machines and are recognised by the Royal Mail as an approved maintainer.
The Franking Machine Company offer entry-level machines suitable for low volumes from 1 to 20 items per day, mid-level machines that can cater for up to 100 items per day, and high-level machines designed for larger quantities of up to and over 300 items per day. Many of their models are modular designs which allow you to build a machine to your needs and are Mailmark ready.
The Franking Machine Company website
20. Franking Sense
Some of the features and benefits of Franking Sense’s franking machines.
- Offers a variety of franking machines
- Mailmark ready machines
- Low volume machines for up to 30 items per day
- Mid volume machines for up to 1,000 items per day
- High-volume machines for over 1,000 items per day
- Compact models
- Manual and automatic models
- Full-colour machines that can print messages
- Supplies franking machine ink and supplies
- Offers other mailroom equipment
Franking Sense is a supplier of mailroom equipment, printers and copiers which includes franking machines, folder inserters, x-ray machines, shredders, scanners, letter openers and franking machine consumables. They are an authorised independent inspector and maintainer of franking machines by the Royal Mail.
Franking Sense offers low volume machines that are suitable for up to 30 items per day and are compact desktop models. Their mid-volume range is suitable for those sending up to 1,000 items per day and they offer full colour and automatic models. Their high-volume range can process over 1,000 items per day and offer the latest technology, full colour and automatic models.
FAQ
What is a franking machine, and what do they do?
A franking machine allows you to affix postage; ultimately, it is a metering device that makes the postage process much more efficient. You can enjoy generous postage savings, and will also save time. They are also known as “postal stamp attachment machines.”
Now, you may be asking, how does a franking machine work? Franking machines work by weighing and applying a mark on the item you want to mail.
The machine organises and stacks metered or franked mail. They play a vital role in the mailroom as they ensure that mail is automatically and correctly franked.
There is a built-in scale in the machine which helps you calculate the rate, and you can charge credits.
The franking machine enables you to stamp your mail. Once this is done, the letter can be dropped in the letterbox, at the post office, or collected.
Franking machines can calculate the postage rate, weigh the mail, stamp the postage, and even put your company text or logo on each envelope.
You can also get franking machines with various functions to make all work processes much faster. They are much more high-tech than older franking machine models.
How much are franking machines?
The price of franking machines depends on the volume of letters you’d like them to process. An advanced machine will undoubtedly cost a lot more than a more basic version.
In some cases, a low-volume franking machine can cost you about £1,000 to buy, whereas a high-volume one can be anything around £5,000+.
It just depends on what you need from the machine – each franking machine works in different ways. It also depends on the provider and all the accessories you may need.
You can also rent franking machines if you don’t want to invest in one or only need it temporarily.
Is a franking machine worth it?
They certainly are, especially if your business sends tons of outgoing mail. A franking machine is efficient, has loads of benefits, and saves you money in the long run. Smaller businesses that don’t send out as much mail can benefit from the machine too.
Investing in one for your mailroom will change the way things are done, and when you see how effective and efficient the machine is, you will see its worth. The advantages and benefits of the franking machine far outweigh the initial costs.
Do you need a licence for a franking machine?
Yes, you will need one from the Royal Mail. The license is there to try to avoid any fraud and abuse. All franking machines need to be inspected at least once per year, and you are not allowed to tamper with the machines at all.
The cost of the license is included in your rental or purchase price. It is illegal to use the machine without a license.
You can find out how to apply for a license and the rules and regulations on the Royal Mail website.
Does a franking machine need a phone line?
It does if you are using an analogue franking machine. However, most franking machines have gone digital, and they can be connected via an ethernet connection, WiFi, or a USB port. A digital connection is much more reliable, faster, and more consistent.
Can you put franked mail in a normal post box?
You can when you are posting about 30 letters or less, and only if you use low-volume or metered posting envelopes.
Otherwise, you can post your mail at Royal Mail delivery offices, Post Office branches, business post boxes, or mail centres.
What are the advantages of a franking machine?
There are loads of advantages to using a franking machine:
– Franking machines are much more accurate.
– Sending and preparing your mail is much more secure. You can use PIN codes to protect your machine and limit access to it.
– The machine gives you reports to track costs and monthly spending.
– Franking machines are very convenient, as they work out the price, weight, correct postage, and any discounts for you.
– You save money.
– You can print your company logo or specific text on the mail.
– You save a lot of time as the machine does most of the process for you, and you do not need to run to your local Post Office.
How much do you save with a franking machine?
Your postal costs will be cut when using a franking machine. The overall price of the device will be much lower than the stamp usage cost since the machine’s postal rates are lower than those of Royal Mail stamps.
You can save up to about 34% on all of your postage.
How do you pay for franking mail?
You can pay using a credit account or direct debit. Franking is pre-paid and is flexible. You can also pay to use a franking meter using your meter impression number; this way, you pay through your machine.