Franking machines vary in price depending on the type of postage meter. While a basic machine may cost only a few hundred dollars, an advanced digital franking machine or postage meter can cost upwards of several thousand dollars.

Of course, this is excluding any postage charges, which are set by the postal authority operating in a particular country. These charges and the refills need to be taken into account separate from the cost of a franking machine.

Typically, franking machines are rarely purchased but leased instead; lease for basic machines can be as low as GBP10-15 per month, while a higher end machine with features such as complex feeding or automated systems can increase the cost to about GBP60 to GBP120. In most cases, the lease term is for a period of one to three years and the buyer [or lessee, rather] has to evaluate the pros and cons of opting for a longer lease period.

It is in working out the terms of a lease agreement that a buyer can be really smart, since many vendors offer various sops, including free monthly rentals or other favorable programs such as a lower interest rate. Many companies base their rate on the usage of the franking machine. For example, a supplier calculates the next year’s rental charges depending on the average monthly postage of the previous year. Of course, this does not imply that rates decline with reduced usage.

Rates are either kept the same or increased minimally but they seldom decline below the set level. On the other hand, some companies increase rates every year. Therefore, it is important to choose a supplier who offers favorable renting charges and terms of operation, over the entire duration of the lease period.

Another aspect to consider when looking at pricing of franking machines is that the base and scale are two different pieces of equipment and can also be bought separately to gain a cost advantage. The scales used to weigh envelopes cost upwards of GBP20. While usually there are no compatibility issues, it is better to check if a particular scale can work with the franking machine to avoid buying an incompatible scale.