Franking machine questions answered

Who is Franking Sense®?

Franking Sense® is the UK’s leading independent supplier and maintainer of franking machines. We’ve been in the franking and mailroom industry for 30 years and today we supply franking machines and mailroom equipment to over 3,500 companies right across the UK. Back in the 90’s, where it all began, when we were all watching the Titanic movie, listening to the Spice Girls and watching TFI Friday, there wasn’t a lot of choice in the mailroom market. As much as 80% of the market was controlled by two manufacturers and it was time for change. In many ways, back in the early days, we battled to break down the barriers to market for both customers and franking machine suppliers which led to Franking Sense® developing and launching a new scheme in partnership with Royal Mail, allowing 3rd party dealer entry into the market on a level playing field. The new approval status, which took 4 years to agree and launch, was the driving force in opening up the industry to competition. It is hard to believe that a customer could not choose their own service contract provider and had little choice in franking machine suppliers, product and terms of acquisition.

As such Franking sense® is a highly competitive, customer focussed alternative to traditional mail room and franking machine suppliers. Our position in the mailroom space remains strong as it forms part of our DNA. As time has moved on, we have developed other parts of our offer by developing a photocopier and scanning business, an asset finance business and a Corporate Accounts division to offer bespoke solutions to enterprise class business and public sector. This, combined with other developing software solutions, positions us as an independent best of class supplier for document process technology, helping businesses with their digital transformation journey. If you want competitive pricing from a capable supplier and value personal service, we could be a good partner for you in the print, mailroom & technology space. For more information about Franking Sense®, why not check out our short explainer video.

Why should I change franking machine supplier?

That's the reason you are here! We genuinely believe that we can offer you something different - Owner managed business with a UK help desk, national service cover, friendly experienced team, with strong customer service ethos. Whether you’re looking for improved technology, reduced costs or a better service from your franking machine supplier, our offer consists of great value, excellent service support and a "can do" attitude. In short, we won’t let you down. Our knowledgeable and helpful team will get to know you and tailor everything we do to meet your expectations.

I'm already tied into a long term contract with my existing franking machine supplier – how can I switch to a better deal with Franking Sense®?

No problem - through our sister company, Nationwide Capital Finance Limited, we can help you to switch from any of the other franking machine suppliers to a better franking machine deal with absolutely no hassle. We can settle the current franking machine agreement and reduce your costs right now. Franking Sense® are experts at negotiating a new contract that meets all of your objectives. Call us and put us to the test today! Due to changing work practices and recent events, we can renegotiate your franking machine contract at arm’s length via video call or telephone review. We follow a simple Q&A process to determine your current application, talk you through our benefits and quote remotely. If you are happy with your new solution, we can agree and exchange contracts and ship your new device. Subject to the prevailing conditions we can install the device on site or arrange a remote install.

Our Service Delivery Manager will then sign off the transaction as complete once you are 100% satisfied.

Which franking machines do you sell?

As an independent franking machine supplier, Franking Sense® can offer the best franking machine to suit your specific requirements. Unlike many franking machine suppliers, we are not limited to a single make or range of franking machines. We bench test every franking machine and assess the performance, features, functions and reliability of each one. Only when a franking machine passes our rigorous testing and meets our high standards does it go into our Royal Mail franking machine range. Our range is a hybrid offer of best of class products.

There is a franking machine to cover every requirement, from our Office franking machine range of compact, easy to use desktop franking machines, through our Professional franking machines, ideal for larger mailrooms who operate batch processing, right up to our Enterprise franking machine range, with mixed mail processing and the most highly efficient full-colour franking machines for creating professional impactful mail. Colour franking increases openability dramatically for large mailing houses and marketers.

Can I get finance to buy my franking machine?

Absolutely. We can provide variable finance for your franking machine through our sister company, Nationwide Capital Finance. We offer transparent and flexible lease terms to suit your requirement and budget.

Do I need a Royal Mail licence to operate a franking machine?

Yes, all franking machines are licensed by Royal Mail. But don’t worry, we will take care of that for you. We will apply for your Royal Mail Franking Machine licence for you to ensure you are fully compliant as part of our service.

Who will install my franking machine?

The latest franking machines require installation on a LAN and we recognise that you may need some assistance to install your franking machine correctly. Here at Franking Sense®, we guarantee that we will never leave you to go it alone. Once we deliver your franking machine, you will benefit from a full installation support service by one of our Master Technicians and our Service Support Team to ensure your franking machine is installed correctly. You will then benefit from full training on how to use your franking machine. We have found this level of service is often charged for by our competitors, but we believe it is the least we can do for a customer who has chosen Franking Sense® as a partner. We see the installation of your new franking machine as the most important part of the process as this is where the relationship starts. If we succeed here we can create the environment to extend the relationship into something bigger with the introduction potentially of our extended range of products.

What happens if I have a problem with my franking machine?

The franking machines we supply are very reliable. However, occasionally you might experience an issue and need some technical help or advice. When you need help, unlike many franking machine suppliers, we don’t ask you to phone an overseas call centre or access online self-help, nor do we use third-party service companies to provide your franking machine service. Service is the cornerstone of our business philosophy. All members of our UK-based help desk are selected and trained with customer support in mind. In all cases, our support team develop a relationship with you and understand how your business works, to try to create a true, personalised supplier/client service.

Our UK-based in-house Technical Help Desk is here to help you as your first port of call. As many as 80% of calls to our Help Desk result in issues being fixed over the phone there and then.

If we can’t resolve your issue, we will send one of our Master technicians to your premises to fix the problem. Our average response time from call to attendance on site is 6 working hours nationwide.

With every Franking Sense® franking machine, we provide a fully comprehensive service and maintenance package. This package includes all call-outs, parts and labour. More details of Franking Sense® service.

Where can I buy ink, supplies and envelopes for my franking machine?

You can get all of your franking machine inks, labels and envelopes from Franking Sense. There are two ways to do this:

• Shop online – We offer all of our franking machine inks, labels and envelopes in our webstore.
• By phone to our in-house Supplies Team and Customer Service staff, who will be happy to help you to buy your franking machine supplies. Simply call 01204 30 30 15 and ask for the Supplies Team. Our Supplies Team is front of house in managing our relationship together. If you need anything they will guide you in the right direction and help resolve issues.

It is important to advise that all of our inks are compliant Royal Mail approved ink cartridges, approved for use in Royal Mail licensed franking machines.

What if I need to change my franking machine in the future?

No problem - with our flexible franking machine contracts you can change your franking machine and mailroom products to suit your circumstances. You can upgrade or right size your franking machine and we will be happy to advise you on the best franking machine for you at all times. We will always endeavour to meet your changing requirements. Working with our group company Nationwide Capital Finance Limited allows for quick decisions and immediate response to any customer change requests.

Can I save money using a franking machine?

Sending mail is cheaper using a Royal Mail franking machine than using stamps. The price of mail is variable, but the savings using franking machines can be very significant, particularly with the latest Mailmark™ franking machines.

Franking machine users obtain generous discounts, whilst professional mailers can benefit from additional discounts off standard tariffs by using a Royal Mail service like Business Mail Advanced. Mailmark™ pricing is stated by royal mail to be the lowest business pricing offer.

Ready to get a franking machine?

Get a franking machine quote from Franking Sense now. Request a franking machine quote.