Which Online Postage Service is Best?

The Internet has brought a whole new meaning to "convenience" with the wide variety of online services that are available to anyone and everyone.One fairly recent convenience that has been developed for both individuals and business owners is the appearance of online postage services.

Because there are a few different companies that offer this service, if you are a small business owner you will want to take the time to determine which online postage service is best for your particular needs.There are currently five major online postage services that meet the requirements set forth by the United States Postal Service to qualify as valid USPS postage methods.

- Click-N-Ship:Click-N-Ship is the official online postage provider of the United States Postal Service.Online services that are available include Express and Priority Mail, Global Express and Global Priority Mail, and Global Express Guaranteed.When purchasing Priority Mail labels, they include free Delivery Confirmation; Express Mail labels include signature proof of delivery.For an additional fee, services such as Signature Confirmation and USPS insurance can be purchased online as well.Click-N-Ship also includes a link to the Postal Store where you can purchase stamps and other shipping supplies without having to fight the crowd and deal with office hours at your local US Post Office or other postage retailer.Unlike some online postage retailers, there is no monthly fee for printing or purchasing postage through Click-N-Ship.

- eBay:Users of online services provided by eBay and PayPal can print labels and purchase postage using eBay's online postage solution and pay for this service with their PayPal account.An advantage of eBay's online postage is that it does not require a USPS account, pre-funding, or installing any software onto your home or office computer.Like Click-N-Ship, eBay postage offers local, nationwide, and global postage solutions including Priority and Express Mail.Other postage labels for shipping first class, parcel post, and media mail items can be printed for free, though the labels include a required service fee for Delivery Confirmation.USPS insurance is also available up to $500.

- Stamps.com:Stamps.com also offers services to manage your postage needs.Postage and mailing labels can be printed from your computer that meets the requirements of the US Postal Service.Stamps.com offers a no-risk free trial, but this means that there is a monthly service fee that kicks in after the free trial.Stamps.com offers a free digital scale with initial sign-up which takes away the need to lease or purchase a scale from another source.This can be an added benefit for the small company who needs a scale occasionally but will not be using it excessively, therefore making it affordable to use.

- Endicia:Endicia also offers a free 30-day trial but includes a monthly membership after the trial period.Endicia users can meet all their international and domestic shipping needs through postage-paid US Postal Service labels.It also offers a discount on Signature Confirmation and Delivery Confirmation, offers low-cost insurance options, and allows you to print labels that don't reveal the amount of postage paid since the amount is imbedded in the barcode instead.Endicia services are available for Mac or PC users with an Internet connection.It is user-friendly and there is no hardware required to lease or install before using.

- Pitney Bowes Inc:Finally, Pitney Bowes Inc was one of the first companies on the scene for offering online postage services.An added benefit to Pitney Bowes services is that is offers free USPS Carrier Pickup in conjunction with your local Post Office, which some other online postage companies are not able to offer to their customers.Pitney Bowes offers an extended 60-day free trial, giving you a longer time period to try them out and see if their services are right for your small business needs.They offer Shipstream Manager which includes a 10lb integrated USB scale that enables you to automatically calculate postage rates.Pitney Bowes is a favorite online postage solution for many small businesses.