Pitney Bowes - 2010 to Date -
"Mail&Go" Machines
The company has placed about 200 of these machines throughout the USA (quantity based on the serial numbers - many may still be in storage, because only about 50 operational machines have been independently located). These are generally found on private property, often in mail rooms of colleges and universities where Pitney Bowes Management Services, Inc. has contracted to operate the mail rooms.
In January 2013, a PB company reseller LePages, Inc., of Toronto, Canada, has been active in placing the machines in the USA, which support its office products line of business. As a result, about 12 machines are operating in Rite-Aid drug stores in central California (as of mid-March 2013). The US Postal Service has incorporated the locations into its on-line database of post offices by calling these locations "Self Service" postal units that are selling "stamps on demand". Packages and letters franked with stamps from these machines may be deposited in the mail deposit boxes that are sitting next to the machines. The USPS collects the mail from these locations.
In universities, the mail is generally collected form the deposit boxes by the mail room staff and combined with the outgoing mail from the universities, and taken to the local post offices. The operations are not fully incorporated into the USPS mail stream network.
In January 2013, a PB company reseller LePages, Inc., of Toronto, Canada, has been active in placing the machines in the USA, which support its office products line of business. As a result, about 12 machines are operating in Rite-Aid drug stores in central California (as of mid-March 2013). The US Postal Service has incorporated the locations into its on-line database of post offices by calling these locations "Self Service" postal units that are selling "stamps on demand". Packages and letters franked with stamps from these machines may be deposited in the mail deposit boxes that are sitting next to the machines. The USPS collects the mail from these locations.
In universities, the mail is generally collected form the deposit boxes by the mail room staff and combined with the outgoing mail from the universities, and taken to the local post offices. The operations are not fully incorporated into the USPS mail stream network.
PB Mail&Go - Typical Holiday design type.
Prior to end of 2012, the Mail&Go machines dispensed one black and white postage item for packages and "flats" (see below) and a color stamps in a US flag design. In October 2012, the company installed additional color designs into a few machines that began to dispense 25 different stamps in small sheets of 10. These are also shown below. It appears that about 10 of the 200 machines, at most, have been outfitted or updated to sell theses sheets.
The operators of the machines must pay for the paper and toner supplies loaded in them, and yet they sell stamps for face value, which the postal service receives in full. It costs approximately 6-cents extra to print a stamp, not including the cost to rent or lease the machine. For this reason, it is understandable that the company does not make it generally known to collectors where the machines are located.
The operators of the machines must pay for the paper and toner supplies loaded in them, and yet they sell stamps for face value, which the postal service receives in full. It costs approximately 6-cents extra to print a stamp, not including the cost to rent or lease the machine. For this reason, it is understandable that the company does not make it generally known to collectors where the machines are located.
Mail&Go - Example of typical sheetlet of 10
25 different designs comprise
the 2012 set. See offers below.
the 2012 set. See offers below.