Rent vs Buy Franking Machine Calculator 2026
Should you rent, lease or buy a franking machine? The monthly price alone will not tell you. This calculator adds up every cost over the years you plan to use the machine, so you can see which option is really cheapest. Checked October 2026.
How it works
For each option, the calculator works out a total cost of ownership:
Total = upfront cost + (monthly cost × 12 × years) + (yearly service × years) + (monthly ink × 12 × years) − resale value
You can enter figures for up to three options side by side, typically:
- Rent: usually a rolling or short term agreement with no upfront cost and a higher monthly fee.
- Lease: a fixed term contract, often three to five years, with a lower monthly fee and service included.
- Buy: a one off purchase, no monthly fee, but you pay for servicing yourself.
The calculator then shows which option has the lowest total and by how much.
What to enter
| Field | What it means | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Purchase price, or any set up fee | Your quote |
| Monthly cost | Rent or lease payment | Your quote |
| Yearly service | Maintenance, if not included | Ask the supplier |
| Monthly ink | Average spend on cartridges | Supplier estimate based on your volume |
| Years | How long you plan to use the machine | Your plan |
| Resale value | What the machine is worth at the end | Zero for rent and lease |
Postage is left out, because you pay the same Royal Mail franked prices whichever way you get the machine.
Worked example
These are illustrative figures for a small office machine over five years:
| Rent | Lease | Buy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront | £0 | £0 | £1,200 |
| Monthly cost | £35 | £22 | £0 |
| Yearly service | £0 | £0 | £180 |
| Monthly ink | £12 | £12 | £12 |
| Years | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Resale | £0 | £0 | £100 |
| Total | £2,820 | £2,040 | £2,720 |
The working:
- Rent: £0 + (£35 × 12 × 5) + £0 + (£12 × 12 × 5) = £2,100 + £720 = £2,820
- Lease: £0 + (£22 × 12 × 5) + £0 + (£12 × 12 × 5) = £1,320 + £720 = £2,040
- Buy: £1,200 + £0 + (£180 × 5) + (£12 × 12 × 5) − £100 = £1,200 + £900 + £720 − £100 = £2,720
In this example, leasing is cheapest over five years. Change the inputs and the answer can flip. For instance, if servicing a bought machine cost £80 a year instead of £180, buying would total £2,220, still slightly dearer than leasing.
When each option tends to win
Renting
Best when you need flexibility: a new business, a temporary project, or uncertain volumes. You pay more per month but can usually hand the machine back at short notice. Our guide to franking machine rental has more.
Leasing
Often the cheapest over three to five years for steady users, because service is bundled and the monthly fee is lower than renting. The trade off is being locked in. Read our franking machine lease guide before signing.
Buying
Can win over long periods if you post steadily, find affordable servicing and keep the machine for many years. Our guide to buying a franking machine covers the details, and used and second hand franking machines explains the risks of buying pre owned.
Things the calculator cannot see
- Downtime. If a bought machine breaks and you have no service contract, you may lose days of franking.
- Upgrades. Leases often let you move to a newer model at the end; owning means selling or scrapping the old one yourself.
- Mailmark. Any machine you use must print Mailmark impressions, which Royal Mail has required since 1 January 2023. If buying second hand, check this first.
- Cash flow. Buying ties up cash upfront that you might prefer to use elsewhere.
- Notice periods. Missing a lease's notice window can add a year of payments.
How many years until buying pays?
A handy extra check is the break even point between leasing and buying. Using the example above, buying costs £1,200 upfront, then £324 a year in service and ink. Leasing costs £408 a year in lease and ink. The yearly gap is £84 in favour of buying, so it takes just over 14 years for buying to catch up, ignoring resale. Few businesses keep a franking machine that long, which is why leasing came out ahead here.
Run the same check with your own quotes. If buying catches up within four or five years, it is worth a serious look.
Tips for fair comparisons
- Use the same number of years for every option.
- Ask each supplier for an ink estimate based on your real volume.
- Check whether service is truly included in a lease or rental.
- Be realistic about resale value. Older franking machines often fetch little, and some are worth nothing once support ends.
Next steps
Once you have a winner, get real quotes and plug them back in. Our franking machine prices guide shows typical costs, and you can use the quote form on this page to get prices from several suppliers at once.
Checked October 2026. All figures in the worked example are illustrative, not quotes.