A postage meter weighs your mail, works out the rate, and prints Canada Post approved postage right on the envelope or a label. FP's PostBase meters run from a small desktop unit at 17 letters a minute up to a mailroom system at 120. Pick by how much mail you send, the heaviest piece you send, and how much hand feeding you want to do.
What a meter does for you
You download postage when you need it instead of running out for stamps, and the meter gets rate updates from FP when Canada Post changes its prices. Canada Post accepts the printed imprint as postage, so metered mail doesn't need stamps. You can also add your logo or a short message beside the postage. Canada Post lists lower meter pricing than single stamps for standard letters, so the savings grow with the mail you send.
You rent the meter, you don't buy it
In Canada, the meter itself is rented from an authorized supplier under Canada Post rules, so it can't be bought outright. FP is one of the suppliers Canada Post lists. The payment options for the mailing system around the meter depend on the model, and we'll lay them out side by side for your volume.
Start with how much mail you send
The PostBase Mini prints up to 17 letters a minute and suits a small office with a light daily stack. The PostBase Vision Semi-Auto runs 35 letters a minute on the S3 model and 50 on the S5. The Fusion Semi-Auto also runs 50. The Vision Auto runs 50 on the A5 and 70 on the A7, and the Fusion Auto runs 70. The Vision Advanced and Fusion Advanced reach 90, and the Fusion A120 reaches 120.
Check the heaviest piece you send
Each meter weighs mail on a built-in scale before it prints. The Mini's scale rates up to 2 kg and takes letters up to 0.25 inches thick. The Vision S3 rates up to 3 kg, the S5 and A5 up to 5 kg, and the A7, Vision Advanced, and every Fusion model up to 7 kg, all taking letters up to 0.40 inches thick. For parcels, there are external scale options: up to 35 kg on the Mini and 30 kg on the Vision and Fusion models.
Decide how much hand feeding you want
The semi-automatic Vision and Fusion models pair semi-automatic feeding with a manual sealer. The Auto models feed a stack of letters hands-free and use FP's SealCheck sealer, which checks that each envelope flap passes through the sealer. The Advanced models and the A120 add a large Stack & Go feeder with anti-skew rollers, which keeps mixed mail and larger flats feeding straight. If your mail mixes sizes and weights, the A120's optional dynamic scale weighs each piece as it passes through, at up to 90 mixed pieces a minute.
Measure the desk
The Mini is 12.2 inches long and 8.1 inches deep. The semi-automatic Vision and Fusion models are 17.9 by 15.4 inches. The Auto and Advanced models run 37 to 37.6 inches long, and the A120 reaches 55 inches with the dynamic scale, so they need a proper stretch of counter.
Think about tracking and parcels
The Mini tracks up to 10 cost accounts. The Vision and Fusion models track up to 250, and connect to FP's Vision360 analytics so you can see postage use and export reports to PDF, Excel, or CSV. Every PostBase can pair with FP's MoCA software for Canada Post parcel services, tracking, and label printing, with an optional 4 x 6 inch label printer. If you also fold and stuff letters, the A120 has an optional interface to an FP FPi folder inserter, so folding, inserting, and metering run as one job.
Talk to Automation One
Tell us roughly how many letters and parcels you send a week, the heaviest piece, and where the meter will sit. We'll look at your mail with you, give you an honest answer on whether a meter makes sense, and handle setup, training, supplies, and support after install. We usually reply within one business day.
Contact Automation One, call 604-255-6622, or call toll-free 1-888-630-5880.