It seems as though yet another established technology will be going the way of the dinosaur thanks to computers and the internet. I am not talking about record companies or people that assemble your family tree. I am referring to that old stalwart of the business office… the postage meter.

For those of us that do a lot of mailing, the postage meter was a blessing. No more treks to the post office to buy stamps, no licking of labels…, plus the ability to calculate and track costs. This metal, mechanical beast was usually relegated to some far away corner as the sounds of normal usage could be quite disconcerting. Enter the computer age and Stamps.com.

An approved, licensed vendor of the United States Postal Service, Stamps.com offers the fastest, easiest and most convenient way to manage all of your postal needs. You can print stamps or send Priority Mail right from your computer. Besides the convenience, I am told that you can save up to 80% over traditional postage meters. Remember you are leasing that physical behemoth that sits in the office. With Stamps.com it resides within your computer, so costs drop. As with regular meters there is a maintenance fee (starting at $15.99 per month), so judge by the amount of mail whether it is worth it to utilize this service.

After the monthly fee, your account is debited as you print postage. They are currently offering a 4 week trial with $80 worth of bonuses including a free digital scale, supply kit and free postage. Go to their site to learn more.

But enough of the money saving stuff…the coolest thing about this site is their ability to make photo stamps! I know what you have all thought... “Wouldn’t it be great to have my kid’s picture on a stamp?”…well now you can.

Thanks to technology, one can upload a picture, edit it and print a bona fide United States Postal Service stamp with your kid’s picture. What a great idea for the holidays. As for businesses…why not a stamp with your logo for special mail outs?

This service is not cheap. A book of twenty 37 cent stamps is $16.99. More than double the usual $7.40 cost. But for a special occasion I think it’s worth it. There is a scaling price structure… 1 sheet $16.99, 2-9 sheets $14.99 each and so on…Pricey but an innovative way to announce something new or special.

Due to their special coding technology the stamp itself is not post-marked; meaning no blurs to cover up your fabulous picture, but be advised. Due to misuse of this service, specifically people ordering stamps with pictures of the famous, infamous or obscene, Photo.Stamps.com has had to set up guidelines. As such they will only accept the following:

• Babies or Children that appear to be pre-teenagers; No adults or teens
• Pets and Animals;
• Business and Charity logos or graphics
• No Black and Whites
• Landscape and Wildlife; and
• Vehicles

Each picture is screened (human, not computer). If your picture is deemed “not in compliance” you will be billed $10 to pay for the guy who had to look at the picture. Follow their guidelines and you will be fine.

I feel Stamps.com is the wave of the future in postage, though inevitably snail mail will also leave us. That is a pity. My daughter gets joy in running to the mailbox and pulling out a letter addressed to her. That is something the internet cannot duplicate (at least not yet).