When looking into purchasing a franking machine all the extra costs that come with it can seem a little daunting. With ink prices ranging from £30 to over £100 many people are unsure whether buying this equipment will save them money at all. Gaining knowledge can always help to keep you to stay one step ahead. One running cost we feel is the largest to consider is the ink that the franking machine requires. So we decided that this needed to be made a little clearer.

Before looking into buying ink for your franking machine there are certain requirements that need to be met according to the Royal Mail. Red indicia ink needs to be used; this is proof that a valid postage payment has been made. Where you place your postage mark is also important, it is required that this is placed away from the edge of the envelope. Making sure this is done will make processing your mail much faster. Expert machines are used to scan through the mail, this is also a precaution that the Royal Mail have in place to prevent fraud. These machines also require that the franking machine serial number is placed onto the postage mark these help the machine to be able to trace the mail that you have processed.

When looking into buying a franking machine you may want to take on board that more modern machines are able to print in full colour for small extras you may want to add onto your mail. This could include promotional material, marketing banners or your company logo. With red cartridges being the required cartridge, colour cartridges can be more expensive. Deciding that you want to be able to add this to you mail may be good for your business in the long term but many SME may find this a risky route to take.

Replacing your ink cartridge sounds simple but it can not be taken in and out like your printer at home. It needs to be handled with care, this is for the health of both the cartridge and the machine.

It is made harder by the fact that not all franking machines are the same; instructions are provided when first receiving your franking machine so it is important that you follow these. The display panel will be used during the removal alignment and replacement, so ensuring that these instructions match with the handbook is advisable. Like any new technology taking your time and having patience is vital. Any damage caused by the user could come under machine misuse. This may not be covered under warranty or your franking machine insurance.

There are many suppliers for franking machines and franking machine consumables and the prices from one to another can vary significantly. Numerous of these suppliers also offer the same brands so shopping around may save you a lot of money for the same item. As I have already mentioned prices start from £30 in the UK, this sounds a good price but you need to take into account that franking machines take different sized cartridges so yours may not be this cheap. There are more differences then just size, cost per impression may also vary. Taking on board all of the suppliers, brands and cartridge types may take a while so making time for this would be advised.

If you are a SME company considering buying into the franking machine market, then you may want to consider looking into compatible ink cartridges these are much cheaper than original ink and in some cases can save as much as 50% of the cost of a new cartridge. Some may argue that the quality is not the same as this ink does not pass the same amounts of tests. But many SME find that for such a small cost it does the job they require.

Overall, buying a franking machine can be a costly process. But it doesn't need to be, there are a lot of the things that the buyer can do to be one step ahead. The ink costs we have mentioned above is one saving that can be very worthwhile. With more modern machines offering extras such as promotional opportunities and different options for smaller businesses, there may be something to gain for everyone who is considering buying a franking machine.