If you’re looking for a franking machine supplier, you need one authorized to frank mail in the UK. As of 2025, only 27 companies are authorized by the Royal Mail to frank mail in the UK. Still, that means you have over two dozen choices when you go to select a franking machine. Those authorised franking machine suppliers include 3 manufacturers and 23 independent suppliers.
What’s the best authorised franking machine supplier for your business? Let’s take a look at the authorised options and our selection of the top five in the UK!
What Is An Authorised Franking Machine Supplier?
Franked mail is registered by Royal Mail as being eligible for postage.
An authorised franking machine supplier is one that has an agreement with the Royal Mail to provide these marks. This means that when you frank your mail, you pay Royal Mail and can post your mail. If you use an unauthorised franking machine supplier, you won’t actually be able to post franked mail with Royal Mail.
As of 01 January 2023, Royal Mail requires that all franking machines have a Mailmark. These have a 2D barcode to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Royal Mail estimates that you’ll save up to 33% by using a franking machine over a stamp. That means you can’t have a machine older than 2023 unless it’s been updated by an authorised supplier.
Authorised Franking Machine Suppliers In The UK
At present, there are 27 authorised franking machine suppliers in the UK. These include 4 manufacturers and 23 independent suppliers. However, one authorised supplier, Westmore, is no longer in business. In addition, Frama and Quadient merged, meaning that there are only three actual manufacturers still on the market.
Manufacturers
There are four authorised franking machine manufacturers in the UK. This means that all UK franking machines are made by Frama, Quadient, Pitney Bowes, or FP.
Here, Pitney Bowes and Quadient are most likely to sell through third-party suppliers as well. However, as of 01 February 2024, Frama was taken over by Quadient. While you’ll still see Frama, its machines are now provided exclusively by Quadient. In addition, Quadient used to be NeoPost, so you may still see NeoPost machines as well.
Quadient
Quadient is a London-based authorised franking machine manufacturer. The company delivers postage solutions including Royal Mailmark franking machines, binders, and much more.
It offers 9 different franking machine models on the UK market, from low volume to high volume. You can buy or lease machines directly from Quadient. In addition, you can frank mail directly from Quadient’s portal.
Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes is the largest franking machine manufacturer in the UK. Pitney Bowes offers lease, purchase, and full managed contracts on its franking machines. This means you can get a contract for £19 to £800+ per month, per franking machine to have a machine delivered to you.
Pitney Bowes also offers franking machine supply. With just 5 models, it offers fewer machine options than Quadient, however, you’ll still be able to meet the needs of any volume of franking.
FP (Francotyp Postalia)
FP is a franking machine manufacturer offering a range of machines and other mail solutions in and outside of the UK. While less common than competitors like Pitney Bowes and Quadient, FP offers extremely popular machines.
Its 6 different models cover from 24 letters per minute to 150 letters per minute. You can also rent, lease, or buy your authorised franking machine directly from FP.
Independent Suppliers
Independent suppliers are service providers that deliver franking machines alongside supplies and maintenance contracts.
Normally, you want an independent supplier if you want a contract where you don’t have to worry about anything with your franking machine. However, some of these independent suppliers will also sell you a franking machine as well.
| Authorised Franking Machine Supplier | Manufacturer | Rating | Hire/Lease/Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Mailing Solutions | Quadient, Pitney Bowes, FP | 4.5 | Lease & Maintenance |
| Dataquest | Quadient, Pitney Bowes | 4.2 | Lease & Maintenance |
| OfficeFox | Quadient, Pitney Bowes | 2.8 | Lease & Maintenance |
| OMM Digital | Quadient, Pitney Bowes | 3.7 | Lease & Maintenance |
| Kane Group | Pitney Bowes, Quadient | 4.5 | Lease & Maintenance |
| NCS Group | FP, Quadient, Pitney Bowes | 4.4 | Lease & Maintenance |
| The Mailing Room | Quadient, Pitney Bowes | 2.0 | Lease & Maintenance |
| Altodigital (A Xerox Company) | Pitney Bowes, Quadient | 4.2 | Maintenance |
| Mailcoms | Quadient, Pitney Bowes | 4.9 | Purchase, Hire, Lease, Maintenance |
| Document Data Group | Quadient | NA | Lease, Maintenance |
| TwoFold | Quadient, Pitney Bowes | 3.9 | Lease, Maintenance |
| Ashcroft Mailing | Quadient, Pitney Bowes | 4.2 | Lease, Maintenance |
| Franking Sense | Pitney Bowes | 4.6 | Lease, Financed, Purchase, Maintenance |
| IMS | Pitney Bowes, Quadient | 5.0 | Lease, Maintenance |
| European Postal Systems | Pitney Bowes, Quadient | 3.0 | Buy, Hire, Lease, Maintenance |
| Copytext | FP | NA | Lease, Buy, Maintenance |
| Totalpost Services | Quadient, Pitney Bowes | 3.6 | Lease, Buy, Refurbished, Maintenance |
| Northern Services | Quadient, Pitney Bowes | 3.6 | Lease, Maintenance |
| The Franking Machine Company | Pitney Bowes, Quadient | NA | Lease, Hire, Buy |
| North Time & Data | Quadient | 3.7 | Lease, Maintenance |
| Digital Solutions LTD | Quadient, Pitney Bowes, FP | 3.8 | Lease, Maintenance |
| IT Document Solutions | Pitney Bowes, Quadient | 4.2 | Lease, Maintenance |
While there are pros and cons to choosing an independent supplier for your franking machine, this list includes all of the authorised options in the UK.
Keep reading to find out our top 5 recommendations for the best franking machine suppliers in the UK.
Top 5 Best Franking Machine Suppliers In The UK
The top 5 best authorised franking machine suppliers in the UK include both independent suppliers and manufacturers. We’ve looked at ease of use, contracts, ratings, and services when making this selection.
1. Mailcoms
With a 4.9 customer rating on TrustPilot, licensing for all three franking machine manufacturers, and a full suite of mailroom and office supplies, Mailcoms stands out as one of the best.
You can opt for outright purchase, lease, or hire of your machine. Plus, you can get a contract for full maintenance and supply, making your franking life easy.
- Pitney Bowes, Quadient
- Hire, Lease, Buy
- Maintenance Contracts & Supply Available
- 4.9 star review
- Same day dispatch
Website: www.mailcoms.co.uk
2. Franking Sense
Franking Sense is another of the top-rated franking machine suppliers in the UK. In addition, with full-service contracts including maintenance and supply, it’s a great way to take the hassle out of franking.
Franking Sense also stands out with a full-service office-supply including copiers, printers, scanners, archival, and much more.
What else? If you choose to buy your franking machine outright, you’ll have financing options, so you don’t have to pay it outright.
- Pitney Bowes, Quadient
- Hire, Lease, Buy, Finance
- Full office supply available
- Maintenance Contracts & Supply Available
- 4.6 star review
Website: www.nationwidefrankingsense.co.uk
3. Kane
Kane is a full-service IT service supplier, including software, hardware, and support services. That includes franking machine rental, maintenance and supply. Here, Kane offers a lease contract with options for full maintenance and supply.
Kane offers machines from Pitney Bowes and Quadient, meaning you’ll also have plenty of options. This supplier is a great fit if you need more than just franking machines, as you’ll likely be able to lower total costs by bundling more hardware and services together.
- Pitney Bowes, Quadient
- Lease
- Full office supply available
- Maintenance contract and supply available
- Full managed IT services available
- 4.5 star review
Website: https://kanecommsgroup.com/
4. Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes allows you to buy, rent, or lease its machines directly. It also offers franking machine supply.
Plus, while Pitney Bowes is most well known for its franking machines, you can also get other postage machines as well. That includes binders, inserters, openers, printers, scanners, and even lockers.
You’ll be able to opt for hire contracts from £15 to £100+ per week, a full managed service contract, or purchase machines from £3,000 for a low-volume franking machine.
- Pitney Bowes
- Lease or purchase
- Full managed contracts available
- Maintenance available
- 4.6 star review
Website: https://www.pitneybowes.com/
5. Ashcroft
Ashcroft is an authorised franking machine supplier offering turnkey franking solutions. Here, you get a franking machine, supply, and maintenance in one contract.
Ashcroft also offers next-day dispatch, meaning you can get started ASAP. Like most competitors, you can opt for anything from a low-volume to high volume machines, plus everything else you might need for preparing and sending post.
- Pitney Bowes, Quadient
- Lease
- Full managed contracts, maintenance, supply
- 4.2 star review
Website: https://www.ashcroftmailingsolutions.co.uk/
FAQ
If you still have questions about choosing the best authorised franking machine for your needs, this FAQ should help.
What’s the best franking machine supplier?
There is no one best solution for franking machines.
In order to be authorised as a Royal Mail Franking Machine Supplier, vendors and manufactures have to meet standards of quality and reliability. With just 27 authorised in the entire country, not just everyone gets in. This means you can look at other factors like support offerings, contract duration, etc.
Often, it’s a great idea to compare price quotes directly, so you can simply choose the best for your investment.
What should I consider when choosing a franking machine supplier?
Consider your needs in terms of machine, supply, maintenance, and service. Many independent suppliers also offer additional machinery and software.
Figure out what your business needs and then try to source as much of it from the same supplier as possible to maximise savings.
Is it better to choose a franking machine manufacturer or an independent supplier?
That depends on if you need “just” postage supplies or also want additional services.
However, franking machine manufacturers are increasingly even offering managed contracts as well. So, you’ll want to compare all your options, look at pricing, and look at what you get for the money to be sure.
Are there hidden costs to be aware of?
Maintenance fees, consumables, inspections, and software updates will all incur costs.
Try to get an upfront quote and contract that includes these extra costs so you can avoid surprises.
Is it better to buy, lease, or rent a franking machine?
That depends on the volume of use and your business. Most franking machine suppliers lease their machines, which means you’ll get maintenance and repair included in the contract.
In addition, if the Royal Mail updates the mark again, you’ll get a replacement and probably free of charge. However, franking machines cost from about £3,000 for the smallest models.
Just keep in mind that the same model will cost £19-£54 per month to rent, and you won’t have any maintenance obligations.
How much to hire a franking machine?
In most cases, you can expect direct-from-manufacturer rental rates to start out at around £19 per month. That won’t include service, maintenance, or supply.
Those same contracts from independent suppliers offering maintenance and supply typically start at around £24. Maintenance and supply contracts will always be scaled to your expected usage and business size.
On the other hand, a high-volume franking machine, capable of franking 150+ envelopes per hour, will typically cost £400-£680 per month to rent.
Are franking machines really cheaper?
Franking costs are currently up to 33% below standard stamp costs for post of the same size and weight. Rather than rounding up with a stamp, you pay for exactly what you’re shipping.
That means you pay £0.84 for a franked second-class letter of up to 100g or a 3p discount on stamps, but £1.67 for a first-class letter of up to 100g, or a 40p discount on stamps.
Large business letters are £0.80 cheaper to frank than to stamp for the 100g letter. If you’re paying £15 per month for a franking machine, you’d break even at just 375 first-class letters per month.
Choosing The Best Authorised Franking Machine Supplier For Your Business
While there’s no one best authorised franking machine provider, there may be a best option for you. For example, if you want the lowest costs and have limited extra needs, you might want to go directly to a franking machine manufacturer like Pitney Bowes, FP, or Quadient. On the other hand, if you have other IT or office supply needs, you might be able to negotiate a larger contract with everything you need to reduce total costs. Independent suppliers typically offer contracts with maintenance, supply, and other mailroom or office supplies, so you get everything you need from one company.
If you’re curious what rates look like for your specific business needs, use the form below. We’ll request quotes from top rated suppliers that meet your specifications, compare them, and send you the best rates.