6 things online franking can do that you can’t

Online franking is a simple idea. Upload your letters through a browser and somebody else handles the printing, folding, enclosing and postage.

Instead of spending an afternoon negotiating with the printer, your team sends finished documents through an online platform.

The service is also known as hybrid mail. It gives businesses a way to send physical post without running the whole process from the office.

Costs vary depending on your mail volume and service, so it is worth comparing the full price with your current franking machine, supplies and staff time.

Here are six things online franking can take off your hands.

Sending letters in-house sounds simple until you list every step.

Print the documents. Walk to the printer. Refill the paper tray. Separate the pages. Fold everything. Fill the envelopes. Seal them. Weigh them. Frank them. Hope the machine behaves. Then prepare the mail for collection.

With online franking, the process becomes uploading the finished files and checking the details.

The letters can then be prepared for postage without your team handling every sheet and envelope. Processing times depend on the service and upload cut-off.

A pile of prepared envelopes does not tell you much. You cannot easily search it, report on it or see who uploaded each letter.

An online platform can provide a digital record of submitted items and their processing status.

Depending on the stage the letter has reached, authorised users may also be able to find and remove an item before it moves into production.

That is considerably easier than searching through a mail bag for one envelope while somebody waits on the phone.

Online franking gives you a digital record of when a document was submitted and processed through the platform.

This can make it easier to answer internal questions, review mailing activity and maintain an audit trail for outbound letters.

Some Postworks services can also provide certified proof of postage for eligible mailings.

Proof of postage records that an item entered the postal process. It does not prove that the letter was delivered or received.

Returned envelopes have a habit of appearing in reception just after everybody thought the mailing was finished.

With a managed online postal service, returned mail can be handled centrally rather than sent back to your office.

Depending on the service setup, the reason for non-delivery can be recorded and provided in a report, helping your team review addresses and update customer records.

The physical item can then be handled securely in line with the agreed process.

Hybrid working is straightforward until somebody needs the printer, envelopes and franking machine sitting in the office.

With online franking, authorised users can upload letters from wherever they are working.

There is no special trip to the office and no message asking a colleague to print, fold and post everything on your behalf.

Your team manages the digital part. The physical production happens elsewhere.

The postage price is only one part of what a letter costs.

In-house mailing can also include equipment rental, ink, maintenance, envelopes and the staff time spent preparing every item.

Online franking brings the production process together, so you can compare it with the full cost of doing everything yourself.

The cheapest option will depend on your volumes and current setup. Our articles on franking machine costs, hidden franking costs and franking machine alternatives can help you compare the options.

Add your current mailing costs below to compare them with sending letters through Postworks.

Include the franking machine, postage, ink, envelopes, maintenance and staff time. The printer is rarely the only thing taking a bite out of the budget.