How to Buy a Postal Scale

Postal scales accurately calculate the weight of items needing to be shipped, which reduces the chance you'll overspend on shipping costs. The United States Post Office, UPS and FedEx offer pickup at your location, so once postage is purchased, you don't even have to waste time driving.

Instructions

1. Decide whether you want a manual scale or a digital scale. Manual scales, while accurate, still leave room for error because the operator must determine the weight based on the position of the mechanical needle. A digital scale uses a LCD display to show the weight and can be integrated to show the exact price of the postage.

2. Figure out the capacity for weight that you need. Small postal scales show the ounces and cover a range from 0 oz. to 3 or 5 lbs. Larger scales register the higher weights but may not register anything under 6 lbs.

3. Get a postal scale large enough to hold the packages you ship. Or buy one that locks the weight in automatically until it's manually cleared.

4. Compare features like battery operated versus one with an AC adapter. Other options include a wall mount display and a tare function. Some scales can be linked to the Internet to upgrade shipping prices where others only display the weight.

5. Choose a scale that can connect to a postal meter to automatically print the correct postage. Some setups have password protection to prevent unauthorized use.

Tips & Warnings

• Some digital scales require you to buy a new chip to upgrade shipping prices.