The modern alternative to franking machines

Alternatives to a traditional franking machine include sending letters at a post office, using a mail consolidator or switching to a digital print and mail service. Pingen provides a digital alternative that requires no in-house franking machine: letters are submitted digitally, while Pingen handles printing and mailing. Letters to recipients in Germany are printed locally and handed over directly to Deutsche Post.

Unlike a traditional franking machine, Pingen requires no dedicated hardware, maintenance or consumables. There is also no need to purchase postage in advance or pre-fund a postage balance – costs only arise for letters that are actually sent. In Germany, customers also benefit from highly discounted Deutsche Post postage rates through Pingen's optimized mailing process.

Yes, Pingen is also suitable for sending just a few letters. Since no in-house franking machine is required, there are no hardware purchase, maintenance or ongoing operating costs. Customers only pay for letters that are actually sent, with no minimum volume or monthly base fee. This makes Pingen a flexible alternative to a traditional franking machine even for smaller mailing volumes.

Yes, Pingen is also suitable for large mailing volumes. The WebApp handles up to 10.000 letters at once, while integrations and the API support larger and recurring automated mailings. This allows businesses to send large volumes within Germany and internationally without operating their own franking or mailing infrastructure.

Yes, Pingen can fully replace a traditional franking machine for outgoing postal mail. Instead of printing, inserting and franking letters in-house, documents are submitted digitally to Pingen. Pingen then handles the entire physical mailing process. This eliminates the need for an in-house franking machine, pre-funded postage or manual handover to Deutsche Post.

Whether a franking machine or digital mailing is cheaper depends on the volumes and existing processes. Next to postage, a franking machine often involves purchase or rental costs, maintenance, consumables and manual processing. With Pingen, costs only arise for letters sent. For sending letters within Germany, Pingen can therefore be a cost-effective alternative to operating a franking machine.

Without an in-house franking machine, there are no expenses for purchasing or renting hardware, maintenance or consumables. There is also no need to purchase and pre-fund a postage balance. With Pingen, customers only pay for letters that are actually sent, while printing, inserting and Deutsche Post postage are already included in the letter price.