Cheapest Franking Machines UK 2026: Low Cost Options
Looking for the cheapest franking machine? The lowest sticker price is rarely the lowest total cost. Ink, contract length and service fees can turn a bargain into an expensive mistake. This guide shows where the genuinely cheap options are and how to spot a deal that only looks cheap. Checked October 2026.
The cheapest machines are entry level desk top models
Every manufacturer makes a small machine for low volume offices. These are the cheapest to lease or buy. Examples include:
| Manufacturer | Entry level models | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FP | PostBase Mini, PostBase Vision M2, PostBase One | The Vision M2 is listed on FP's UK site at a base price of £1,099, shown as not currently available when we checked |
| Pitney Bowes | SendPro Mailstation, SendPro C | Entry level and small office models |
| Quadient | iX-1 | Quadient's compact entry model |
FP's listing for the Vision M2 describes a 5 inch touchscreen, WiFi and LAN connections and a built in scale up to 2kg. That gives a feel for what an entry level machine offers in 2026.
Most suppliers prefer to quote individually rather than publish prices, so the cheapest way to find the real figure is to ask several for quotes on the same model.
Lease, rent or buy: which is cheapest?
| Option | Upfront | Monthly | Usually cheapest when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease | Low or none | Lower | You will use the machine for three to five years |
| Rent | None | Higher | You need flexibility or a short term |
| Buy new | High | None for the machine | You will keep it for many years and arrange service |
| Buy used | Low | None for the machine | You find a supported Mailmark machine and know the risks |
Our rent vs buy calculator works out the total for each option using your own quotes. For typical lease costs, see our franking machine prices guide.
The costs that make cheap machines expensive
Ink
This is the big one. Each brand uses its own cartridges, and prices vary a lot between suppliers. A low lease with expensive ink can cost more over five years than a higher lease with cheap ink. Always ask:
- What does a cartridge cost?
- Roughly how many impressions does it give?
- Is the ink price fixed for the term?
Contract length
A low monthly fee often comes with a long term. If your needs change, early exit can mean paying most of the remaining lease.
Automatic renewal
Many leases renew automatically unless you give notice in a short window. A cheap machine you cannot get rid of is not cheap.
Service and rate updates
Check that Royal Mail rate updates, software updates and repairs are included. Some cheap deals charge for each.
Postage account fees
Ask whether there are fees for topping up postage or a minimum postage spend.
How to compare the true cost
Use this simple sum for each quote:
Total cost = upfront + (monthly lease × months) + (monthly ink × months) + other fees
Here is an example with illustrative figures over 60 months:
| Deal A | Deal B | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly lease | £15 | £22 |
| Monthly ink | £18 | £9 |
| Other fees | £100 | £0 |
| Total | £2,080 | £1,860 |
Deal A has the lower lease but costs £220 more over five years. The difference comes almost entirely from ink, which is exactly why the cartridge price deserves as much attention as the headline monthly fee.
Beware "free machine" offers
You will sometimes see offers of a free or almost free franking machine. These can be genuine, but the cost is usually recovered somewhere else. Common catches include:
- A long minimum term, often five years
- Higher ink prices than the supplier's standard rate
- A minimum monthly postage spend
- Fees for service visits or rate updates
- Automatic renewal at a higher price
None of these makes a free machine a bad deal on its own. Just put it through the same total cost sum as any other quote. If it still comes out cheapest over the full term, with the terms in writing, it may be a good offer.
Is a used machine the cheapest option?
Sometimes, but be careful. A used machine is only useful if:
- It prints Mailmark impressions. Royal Mail has only accepted franked mail from Mailmark machines since 1 January 2023.
- A supplier will provide a postage account, rate updates and service for it.
- Ink is still available at a sensible price.
Our guide to used and second hand franking machines explains the risks.
Do you need a machine at all?
The cheapest franking machine is no machine, if your volumes are low. Franking saves just 3p on a standard letter: a 1st Class letter is £1.77 franked against £1.80 with a stamp. If you send a few hundred standard letters a month, the saving will not cover even a cheap lease.
Franking pays when you send large letters and parcels. A 1st Class large letter up to 100g is £2.86 franked against £3.30 with a stamp. Since 5 October 2026, franked parcels are also cheaper than stamped ones, according to dealer Mailcoms.
Try our franking savings calculator to see whether a machine pays for your mix of post.
Tips for getting the lowest price
- Get at least three quotes, across more than one brand.
- Ask for the same spec from each supplier.
- Negotiate ink, not just the lease.
- Ask for a fixed price for the full term.
- Ask about end of quarter or end of year deals. Suppliers often have targets.
- Mention competing quotes. It often brings the price down.
- Avoid extras you do not need, such as a sealer or a large scale for a letters only office.
The cheapest machine for different needs
| If you... | Cheapest sensible option |
|---|---|
| Send under 50 letters a day | Entry level lease, or stay with stamps if volumes are very low |
| Send mostly parcels | Entry or mid range machine with a 2kg scale and label printing |
| Need a machine for a few months | Short term rental |
| Plan to keep a machine for many years | Consider buying new with a service plan |
Final thoughts
A cheap franking machine is one where the total cost over the term is low, not just the monthly fee. Size the machine to your real volume, compare total costs across at least three quotes, and read the renewal clause before you sign.
Use the quote form on this page to get prices from several suppliers at once, or read our guide to small business franking machines for more on entry level models.
Checked October 2026, from FP's UK product listing, Royal Mail's franking pages and Mailmark tariff of 7 April 2026, and dealer Mailcoms' published tables. Deal figures are illustrative.