Print Postage Online

Did you know you can print postage right out of Quickbooks with your computer?

This is one of the handy features of Stamps.com.

The Stamps software plugs into Quickbooks and lets you print postage directly onto your envelopes – saving time and providing a professional look.

Read more about online postage.

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US postage rates are increasing on May 11, 2009.

Some of the basic rates for domestic first class mail will be:

You can also visit the official USPS price change page.

Tired of dealing with rate increases? Want to save money on postage? You can by printing postage online. We recommend signing up for Stamps.com with the coupon on the right.

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The history of stamps starts in the 1660s, but these were not the regular postage stamps we are used to now. These postage stamps were used by Henry Bishop and they were hand stamps or ink marks. These stamps were first called Bishop marks – they were used at the General London Post Office and were indicative of the date and month when the letter was mailed by sender. 

The postage stamps in their modern form appeared in England in May, 1840. The first stamp was called the British Penny Black Stamp and had a picture of Queen Victoria’s head. For the next 60 years the head of Queen Victoria was pictured on all postage stamps. Around the same time the first stamp was invented, English schoolmaster Rowland Hill arranged the rates for post mail, which was based not on the size, but on the weight of the mail, and Hill Stamps were used as a prepayment for mailing. 

When the use of stamps started in England, Americans also started using stamps at their post offices. In 1847 the first stamps appeared in the United States with a picture of G. Washington and Ben Franklin. In 1857 the Americans first invented the perforated sheets for stamps. Before this time people had to cut stamps with scissors, which was much more difficult. After this American invention came in practice, it became used all over the world. 

Another important step in the history of US stamps was the launch of commemorative stamps in 1893. The first commemorative stamps in America were dedicated to the voyage of Columbus to America. Seven years later Americans first issued stamps in a special booklet, and in 1908 they started issuing stamps in single-stamp roll, which was very convenient to use. In the early 1960s the first Christmas stamps were printed. And in 1974 the first self-adhesive stamp was created. Its production started in 1992 on full scale. 

Up until now, 4000 stamps have been issued in the United States and over 800 people have been pictured on American stamps. There have been many different stamps in the United States, but some are especially unique and have become favorites for the collectors. Interestingly, even the oldest US postal stamps are still valid for postage. 

To assist in creating new stamps, the American postal system is accepting creative ideas for postal stamps from people and companies. Some day your postal stamps might be used by thousands of people. Not many custom design suggestions make it to the mass production, but there is always a chance for you to create a unique design and become a part of the history of postage stamps of the United States.

Taking Stamp creation to a whole new level, the Postal service has partnered with Stamps.com to allow Americans to print their own custom postage stamps. You are able to create stamps yourself, making for a new variety of custom postage.

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Wondering exactly how Stamps.com’s service works?

Upon signing up, you start out with a quick software download, which installs their postage printing software on your computer.

After install, the software can be linked up to address book software on your computer. Stamps is compatible with Outlook, Quickbooks, and other popular address programs. You are also able to print postage directly from Word, Outlook, Quickbooks, and others.

Once your free trial has completed, Stamps sends you a free postal scale. This connects directly with your computer and interfaces with their postage printing program. You place a piece of mail on the scale, and it automatically calculates the proper postage.

After calcluating the correct postage, the Stamps software is able to print on standard labels, plain paper, or even directly on envelopes. There is no special ink, printers, or labels like with many other solutions. It’s ability to include a logo and print on envelopes is especially valuable, as this looks much more professional than sticking a pile of stamps on every letter.

After this quick process, the letter is ready to mail. Send it just like you normally do, or request a USPS pickup. The postal service also allows Stamps.com packages over 16 ounces to be placed directly in the drop boxes, bypassing the normal restriction!

Finally, Stamps keeps a detailed record of all postage sent. You can use codes to easily track spending by office or client. Tracking is also easy, as a single click brings up tracking information – no long tracking codes required.

Click the coupon to the right for a special deal at Stamps.com

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Stamps.com helps you save on postage in several ways.

• Postage Discounts – Stamps customers gets special postage discounts not even available at the Post Office.
  • Express Mail – 3% off retail rates on all shipments
  • Priority Mail – Up to 11% off depending on weight and distance
  • International Shipping – 5% off Priority Mail and 8% off Express Mail
• Fedex Discount - With the Stamps.com premier plan, you will receive 15% off FedEx Ground, and 21% off FedEx Express.
• Package Insurance – There is an automatic 10% discount on package insurance for all Stamps.com customers. You also save time by not having to drop off at the Post Office or fill out any forms.
• Free Delivery Confirmation - Delivery confirmation is normally $.65 with USPS. Using Stamps.com, you will receive free electronic delivery confirmation for Priority Mail and Express Mail. For other classes of mail the charge is just $.18.
• Free Package Pick-Up with Priority Mail – As a Stamps.com customer, you are eligible to arrange for pickup of mail or packages at your home/business for free.

As you can see, Stamps.com provides significant value to its customers through these special savings. A few other things to keep in mind include:

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Domestic postal rates in the United States are relatively inexpensive when compared to the rates in other developed countries. Gasoline and diesel costs are a significant factor in the prices for mail.  If mailing an international letter or package you would also need to consider the additional transport on the airplane, the pilot and the additional employees involved in the transport of the mail. One thing keeping the cost of postage down are other delivery companies such as DHL and FedEx as well as smaller organizations.

Currently in the United States mailing a standard sized letter costs just $0.42 USD. In Australia the same letter would cost $0.50 AUD, in Canada it would cost 0.52 CAD, in Germany it would cost 0.55 EUR. Sample rates in less developed countries include 1.40 RMB to post in China, 5.00 INR if mailed in India, and 7.50 RUB if mailed in Russia. These look high, however, they do not take into account the different value of currencies.

If we look at the exchange rates and convert all the other currencies to USD then the postage rates would be as follows: Australia 0.35; Germany 0.71; Canada 0.45; China 0.20; India 0.11; Russia 0.28. Generally, wealthier countries are more expensive, which makes some sense. While postal rates in the United States have gone up many times in recent years, we continue to enjoy reasonably low rates when compared to other countries similar to us.

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If you plan to do regular business on eBay, you should consider finding a shipping supplier. I chose to go with Stamps.com.

Stamps.com has many great features that make it great for e-commerce. When I signed up for Stamps.com I received a free scale. This is great for weighing packages and large envelopes.

It allows you to print labels and track who you’ve shipped to. This is great for repeat customers. It’s also a great way to keep track of how much you spend on shipping.

With Stamps.com you can also print your own postage. I love this feature because I’m never without a stamp when it comes time to mail a bill or birthday card. And for a personal touch, they offer photo stamps where you can turn a photo into a stamp. This is a fun feature for wedding or birth announcements or party invitations among other things.

Stamps.com also offers great customer service. I’ve had to call them only a few times, usually when I’ve changed my pricing plan or ordered supplies, and they are always thorough and courteous.

If you are thinking about doing online business make sure you look into Stamps.com. They provide everything you need to ship your packages.

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Moving is a hectic time for anyone. Packing, arranging for movers, and planning for this major event takes a great deal of time. Sometimes in the bustle, it might be easy to forget to inform the Post Office of the move. If the Post Office is not informed of a move, then mail cannot be forwarded, which can result in your not receiving mail.

Fortunately, informing the Post Office of a change of address is a relatively simple process.

First, decide which method to use to complete the process. With today’s modern technology, a change of address can be filed with the post office in several ways. For convenience, the form is available online as well as at any local post office. A change of address can also be requested by calling the United States Postal Service.

No matter which method is used, the Post Office requires the same basic information from the applicant. 

The first thing the form will ask about is whether the move is temporary or permanent. A temporary move is a change of address that will only last for up to twelve months before mail will resume delivery at the original address. A permanent move means that the applicant has no intention of returning to his/her current place of residence. Marking a temporary change of address will allow for the Post Office to keep the old address on file, making the transition back to that address much more simple.

Next, the form will require a date to begin forwarding mail. This is an important date to fill out because it will allow mail sent to the old address to still be delivered even at the new address. The applicant needs to be sure that the forwarding date is not set before the move is complete or the mail may not reach the new address successfully.

Then the form will have a space to indicate the type of move. In other words, is this an individual applying for an address change, a family, or even a business? An individual move should be indicated if it is only one person who is moving or if people in the household have different last names. This move would also be indicated for people who receive mail sent to multiple names, such as a maiden name and a married name. In this case, multiple forms must be filled out for each name for all mail to be appropriately forwarded.

After that basic information is filled out, the form will require a full name. Then the old address should be correctly filled out along with the new address in the appropriately marked spaces on the form. It is especially important to fill this information out accurately to ensure that the Post Office will correctly identify mail that needs to be forwarded and that the mail arrives at the correct destination.

The online version of the form will also ask for an email address and a credit card number in order to confirm the small processing fee. This fee can be paid in other forms if the change is made at the post office itself.

There is also a section about catalog forwarding that is useful to fill out to deal any catalogs the applicants wishes to continue receiving.

When the process is complete and the form is filed either electronically or by telephone, the applicant will receive verification of the change through a letter sent to his/her former address before the change is in effect. The Post Office will also mail a Welcome Kit to the new address after the change of address has taken effect.

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Stamps.com got its start in October of 1999, when John Payne, the original Chief Executive Officer, announced the beginnings of the first-ever US Postal Service-approved internet postage phenomenon. The launch of this website meant that businesses nationwide were free to print their own postage and prepaid packaging labels – which meant a big change for both the founders and new Stamps.com customers. The ability to accomplish tasks in-house that formerly had to be done outside the office allowed for more time spent productively as opposed to standing in line or driving to the Post Office.

The internet-based company, publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol STMP, has provided a variety of integrated services since it beta tested in 1998. Besides printing postage directly on envelopes and labels, it features software that includes functions such as internet addressing (if a customer only has a partial address for a client, Stamps.com will fill in the missing information, including the +4 suffix on a ZIP code), account history tracking (there is a record of every package including its weight, addressee, postage amount, and date sent), integration with MS Word software, customizable labeling (including the ability to add your own logo or message to the “stamp” you print). 

The partners who currently run the company have extensive experience in all aspects of education and the professional world – Michael Biswas, the current Vice President of Development, worked for Allbusiness.com and TeleTech Communications before joining Stamps.com; James Bortnak, Chief Marketing Officer, was a business lawyer who focused on startups and technologies; John Clem, VP for Strategy and Product Development, has a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering as well s a Masters in Business; Kyle Huebner, Chief Financial Officer, and JP Leon, VP for Postal Affairs and Postal Technology, also have engineering backgrounds before switching to business; Ken McBride, current President and CEO, was a Wall Street research analyst; and Seth Weisberg, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, holds various degrees in Law, Physics and Astronomy, Economics, and History.

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