Comparison Chart

We found some places where PostalPoint really outperforms the competition.

	PostalPoint	PostalMate
Monthly Price	$100 or less	$125
Onboarding Fee	Free	$295
Multi-carrier support	12+ carriers	7 carriers
Built-in freight shipping support	Yes	No
Complete a shipping transaction for a new customer in under a minute	Yes	Good luck
Self-serve shipping kiosk	Full-service	Drop-off only
Modern user interface	Yes	No
Certified Mail labels	Yes	Requires old paper forms
Seamless and fast customer lookup as you ship a package	Yes	No
Plugin system for integrating custom services	Yes	No
Credit card processing on the platform of your choice	Yes, with plugins	No
Instant recongition of carrier packaging (USPS Flat Rate, etc)	Yes, just scan it	Manual entry required
Accounting software integration	Yes	QuickBooks only
Electronically-signed customs forms	Yes	Customer signs paper copy
Operating system support	Linux, Windows	Windows only
Cloud-synced database for customers and transactions	Yes	No
Multi-PC networking support	Unlimited	Up to 7 PCs per store
Renumber or resize a mailbox, keeping same boxholder	Yes	No
Custom label designer tool	Yes	No
Include your store logo on USPS labels	Yes	No
International shipping with EEI/ITN/AES number	Yes	No

All Features

Compare to PostalMate's feature list

Shipping

Multi-carrier rate comparison

PostalPoint supports more carriers than any other system, and gives you all available rates in one easy-to-read list, sortable by price, speed, or carrier.

International shipping

Simply enter the destination country in the "To" address and add package contents to the built-in electronic customs form system. Required customs forms print automatically on your label printer with the shipping label.

USPS mailing

With our integration with EasyPost, a USPS postage provider, you can print Print First-Class Mail postage in two ways: on a 6 by 4 inch label with the to and from addresses, or bulk print postage for to 20 identical-weight letters or large envelopes at the same time on smaller labels. For more complex mailing, PostalPoint knows the USPS rules and runs dozens of checks before your postage prints.

Self-serve shipping kiosk

PostalPoint can be put into full-screen self-serve kiosk mode in about two seconds, allowing customers to do common tasks like weighing packages, buying domestic shipping labels, dropping off packages, and printing receipts, all without an employee's assistance. Configurable features like automatic maintenance alert emails and PIN-operated carrier pickup lockers allow longer-term unattended use, while an employee can switch back to retail mode to help a customer with more complex requests in just a few taps.

Rate management

Quickly and easily set profit margins for shipping and mailing services, with specific controls available for each carrier and service class. Alternatively, you can set a flat margin fee for all carriers and services, and customize later as needed.

Package receiving

Accept HAL (hold at location) packages for customers, with automatic time-based fee calculation during pickup. Daily or even hourly storage fees can be easily customized, and PostalPoint prints barcoded labels for easily finding packages on a shelf.

Drop-off processing

Scan in prepaid drop-offs for a customer and print a receipt with the tracking numbers, all in just four clicks. Sell extra services like taping or packaging in two more clicks.

Insurance

PostalPoint supports adding shipping insurance to packages for customer peace of mind. It's just a single click over to the Options tab when sending a package, then type the dollar value.

Emailed delivery notifications

PostalPoint's powerful cloud system automatically sends delivery notifications to your customers when a package they shipped or dropped off at your store is delivered. With your store's name included, it's a great reminder for them to come back again in the future.

Shipping labels

It's the 21st century, so PostalPoint prints pixel-perfect pre-filled shipping labels for you. With support for UPS and FedEx third-party billing accounts, you never need to hand-write a waybill.

Address autocomplete

Download a free address database and get instant, offline-capable address autocomplete as you type for US and Canada addresses.

Stored addresses

PostalPoint also has a cloud autocomplete system, which searches all names, emails, and phone numbers that have ever been printed on a label at any store using PostalPoint. You'll often find an address match before you even finish typing the customer's name. If there isn't a match, PostalPoint automatically sets up a customer account for the next time.

Address verification

All addresses are verified online while the shipping rates are loading. Small mistakes are automatically fixed for you, while other address issues are flagged with a warning icon so you can double-check the address.

Carrier packaging options

Scan the preprinted barcode on USPS and FedEx boxes to instantly fill in package details and get accurate rates, or select carrier packaging from a list. Supports USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL, and you can add your own custom box sizes too for your store's own box selection.

Add-ons

You can add signature delivery, Certified Mail, and other special options to a package.

Scale interface

Instant, automatic support for USB-connected postal and shipping scales. Just plug it in and PostalPoint determines the correct package weight for you.

Reporting

Look up shipments for a particular customer or time period and instantly see the latest tracking status, shipping cost, and sale price. Other useful reports are also available, giving you the data your business needs in a simple, easy-to-read format.

Simple and friendly user interface

Seamless, efficient, and easy to use interface allows completing common transactions such as sending a domestic package in as fast as you can type and the customer can pay.

Point of Sale

Fully integrated point of sale (POS)

Switching between shipping and selling is a single click, and another click to switch back if the customer has more to do.

Accounts receivable

PostalPoint integrates natively with Invoice Ninja, a cloud invoicing and accounting system. PostalPoint can automatically create and send invoices if a transaction isn't paid at the register. PostalPoint plugins can add support for other accounting systems too.

Credit card processing

Built-in support for Stripe allows both in-person and stored card payments, while plugins add support for other card processors such as Square.

Inventory management

Manage inventory and products with an intuitive spreadsheet interface that'll be familiar to anyone who has used Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc. With a "stock" column that automatically updates with every sale, you can see at a glance when it's time to restock, and export the merchandise database to a spreadsheet in just two clicks.

Accounting interface

PostalPoint natively connects to Invoice Ninja, a modern and affordable (even free) QuickBooks alternative. PostalPoint plugins also have the capability to receive and export transactions in realtime, so third-party support can be added for any other accounting software.

Emailed receipts

Send beautiful, store-branded receipts to a customer's email address, or type in an email address for one-time use. Printed receipts are also available with a single click.

Reports

PostalPoint has a powerful selection of reports, including a simplified revenue and profit overview, transaction logs, daily sales totals, and more.

Mailboxes

Mailbox inventory

Unlimited virtual or physical mailboxes - up to ten sizes. Unlimited rate combinations, for any number of days and any size of mailbox. Setting up a new rate is as easy as adding a row to a spreadsheet.

Integrated with POS register

When you add time to a mailbox, the mailbox manager adds it to the current sale. The box is renewed automatically as soon as the customer finshes payment; if they change their mind, simply remove the renewal from the sale. The mailbox info and new due date are printed on the receipt.

Autorenewal

Save a credit card to a customer's account and their mailbox can be automatically renewed. The customer gets an email receipt and you get an email report of any issues, such as expired cards.

Autorenew discounts

Provide discounts for customers who opt in to autorenewal by simply creating and selecting a different rate for their renewal.

Mail forwarding

Each mailbox record has a one-click button to fill in the customer's physical address on a new shipment, allowing easy mail relabeling and forwarding.

Package notification

Boxholders are notified via email when they have packages available to pick up.

Boxholder notifications

PostalPoint's complementary cloud service handles sending email notifications, with no setup or third-party services needed.

Automatic proration

If your store handles renewals synced with the calendar month, PostalPoint automatically calculates and prorates new boxes.

Mailbox service options

With an unlimited number of different price points for each size of mailbox, you can easily charge for any extra features you can think of.

USPS mailbox forms

Offering mailbox rentals means your business is regulated by the United States Postal Service as a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA). To maintain compliance, you must have a USPS Form 1583 on file for every boxholder. PostalPoint helps autofill the form details and saves it for you 100% digitally, no paper forms or printing needed. You can even scan the barcode on a customer's driver license to instantly fill out the required ID sections.

Expiring ID compliance

USPS requires boxholders have unexpired identification to receive mail. Run an Expiring IDs report to see which mailbox customers need to present their ID again. Supports tracking all types of ID on the 1583 form, even the address ID.

Sales and marketing

Export a boxholder list, including street address, email, and phone, with just a couple clicks. Quickly import into any mail merge or email system.

More Features

Networkable with multiple computers

PostalPoint has a built-in networkable database system running on the SQLite database, a system so stable and resilient it's recommended by the Library of Congress. PostalPoint can also be configured to use an enterprise-grade MariaDB database server program for large or complex installations. This allows a single store to have an unlimited number of cash registers, kiosks, and office computers running PostalPoint.

Export and import data

Reports you run in PostalPoint can be exported to a CSV spreadsheet in just two clicks.

Employee time clock

Track employee work time and breaks, and generate easy-to-read timesheet reports for payroll.

Data privacy, security, and employee logins

PostalPoint's settings and management options can be password-protected, and employees can use a password or printed barcode to log in, with secure log out or screen locking in just two clicks. Employee IDs are attached to sales and can be easily looked up when investigating a bad transaction or mistake.

Easy updates

PostalPoint automatically downloads and applies data updates such as postage rates and carrier news for you. For larger software updates, simply download the new version of PostalPoint from our Downloads page. If you're running on a supported Linux computer (instead of Windows), PostalPoint will automatically update whenever your computer installs system updates.

Touchscreen compatible

A touch-friendly interface design, with popup keypads for number inputs and payment amounts, allows rapid navigation and use of PostalPoint. A keyboard is often needed only for entering a shipment's to and from addresses.

Screen support

PostalPoint supports every screen from a 20 year old low-resolution touchscreen to an ultrawide curved HD monitor.

Customer-facing display

Set up a second monitor facing the customer and it'll show shipping addresses, rates, transaction items, cryptocurrency payment QR codes, and more. If you make it a touchscreen, the customer can also electronically sign customs forms and mailbox rental forms with their finger or a stylus.

Keyboard navigation shortcuts

Use the F keys at the top of your keyboard to instantly move between commonly-used features and screens in PostalPoint.

Label maker tool

You don't need to have preprinted labels on hand, because PostalPoint can print predesigned labels for "Fragile", "Liquid", "This side up", "Perishable", "Heavy", "Don't open until...", Free Matter for the Blind, and more. You can also make a label with custom text and/or barcodes, and import shipping labels from image or PDF for easy and perfect printing. Label maker labels print on your shipping label printer.