FP Franking Machines: 2026 PostBase & MyMail Prices UK

FP doesn't shout as loudly as Pitney Bowes or Quadient, but walk into a lot of small UK offices and you'll find one of its machines on the side. FP is short for Francotyp-Postalia, a German company that's been making franking machines for a very long time, and its PostBase range is one of the best known lines for small and mid sized businesses.

This guide pulls together the FP range in one place: what each family is for, how they compare, and what you should check before you sign.

The FP range in a nutshell

FP has sold several families of machines in the UK over the years. You'll come across these names:

• MyMail. FP's compact entry machine for very low volumes. Read our FP MyMail review.
• Optimail. An older mid volume family you'll still find in offices and on the second hand market. See our Optimail page.
• PostBase Qi3, Qi4 and Qi6. The PostBase line that brought touchscreen operation and connectivity to FP's desktop machines. We've reviewed the Qi3, Qi4 and Qi6 separately.
• PostBase Vision. The current headline range, split into the Vision 3S, 5S, 7A and 9A.

If you're buying new in 2026, the Vision models are what most FP dealers will put in front of you. If you already have an older FP machine, check that it's Mailmark enabled. Since 1 January 2023 Royal Mail returns franked mail that doesn't carry a Mailmark barcode (Royal Mail Business Price Guide, checked October 2026).

PostBase Vision compared

Here are the four Vision models side by side. Figures are from FP dealer spec sheets, checked October 2026. Daily volumes are the dealer's suggested maximum, not a hard limit.

Model	Speed	Scale	Max thickness	Suggested daily volume	Weighing
Vision 3S	30 letters a minute	2kg	5mm	Up to 200	Standard
Vision 5S	50 letters a minute	5kg	8mm	Up to 300	Standard
Vision 7A	75 letters a minute	7kg	10mm	Up to 500	Differential
Vision 9A	120 letters a minute	10kg	16mm	Over 800	Dynamic

All four connect over LAN or Wi-Fi and are Mailmark ready.

Vision 3S

This is FP's small office machine. A 2kg scale and 5mm thickness limit mean it's really built for letters and thin large letters. Labels are dispensed manually. If your post is mostly invoices and statements, it's plenty.

Vision 5S

The 5S adds a 5kg scale, takes items up to 8mm thick and dispenses labels automatically. That makes it much less fiddly if you send small packets alongside letters.

Vision 7A

Here's the one we'd point most busy offices towards. Differential weighing means you can put a pile of mixed mail on the scale and the machine works out each item's weight as you take it off. That saves a lot of sorting time. A power conveyor stacker is optional.

Vision 9A

The 9A is the mailroom machine. Dynamic weighing measures items as they travel through, so mixed batches fly through at up to 120 letters a minute. The conveyor stacker comes as standard.

PostBase vs Optimail vs MyMail

If you're comparing older FP machines, or weighing up a second hand deal, here's the simple way to think about them.

MyMail is the basic option for very low volumes. It's fine for a sole trader, but it's not designed for heavy use.

Optimail was the mid volume workhorse for years. Plenty are still around, but if you're offered one, the first question is whether it's Mailmark enabled. If it isn't, it can't frank mail any more.

PostBase machines brought touchscreens, network connections and easier postage downloads. The Qi models and the newer Vision models are the ones to look at today.

Prices

FP, like the other big manufacturers, doesn't publish fixed lease prices. Monthly costs depend on the model, the term, the scale size and whether you add extras like a stacker or extra accounts.

The postage, though, is fixed by Royal Mail and identical across every brand. From 7 April 2026 (Royal Mail, checked October 2026):

Item	Stamp	Mailmark franked
1st Class letter up to 100g	£1.80	£1.77
2nd Class letter up to 100g	91p	88p
1st Class large letter up to 100g	£3.30	£2.86
1st Class large letter 101g to 250g	£3.60	£3.28
2nd Class large letter 101g to 250g	£1.90	£1.81

The difference is small on standard letters and large on 1st Class large letters. If your post is mostly A4 envelopes, an FP machine can pay for itself quickly. Our franking machine prices guide covers what to expect on the lease side.

Contracts

When you're handed an FP quote, check these before you sign:

• Term. How many years, and is there an option to upgrade part way through?
• Renewal. Does it auto renew, and what's the notice window?
• Service. Are engineer visits and replacement parts included?
• Ink. What does a cartridge cost and roughly how many franks will it do?
• Software. Is the online account and reporting included, or an extra monthly fee?

A lot of FP machines are sold through independent dealers rather than direct, so service quality varies. Ask the dealer how they handle breakdowns and whether they keep loan machines.

What setting up an FP machine looks like

If you've never had a franking machine, the set up is less daunting than it sounds. Your dealer delivers the machine, connects it to your network and registers it with Royal Mail on your behalf. You'll then add money to your postage account, which the machine draws on each time you frank an item.

Day to day, the routine is simple. You choose the service on the touchscreen (1st Class, 2nd Class, Signed For and so on), place the item on the scale, and feed it through. For thick items or parcels, you print a label and stick it on instead. At the end of the day, franked mail goes in a franked mail post box, gets handed to your collection driver, or is taken to a Post Office. Our guide to presenting franked mail explains the rules.

A couple of habits make a real difference. Keep the scale clear when the machine starts up so it zeros properly, and check the date has rolled over each morning. Mail franked with the wrong date can be delayed.

Who should choose FP?

FP is a strong choice if:

• You're a small or mid sized office that wants a modern touchscreen machine without paying for mailroom features.
• You want differential weighing at a mid range level (the Vision 7A).
• You want a third quote to put alongside Pitney Bowes and Quadient. Even if you don't pick FP, it'll sharpen the other two.

It's less of a fit if you need the very top end of mailroom automation, where Quadient's iX-7 and the larger Pitney Bowes systems are more common.

Buying a used FP machine

Second hand FP machines turn up often, especially older Optimail and early PostBase units. They can look like bargains, but there are three checks to make before you hand over any money. Is it Mailmark enabled? Will FP or an authorised dealer register it to your business and set up a postage account? And are ink and parts still available for it? If the answer to any of those is no, walk away. Our second hand franking machines guide covers this in more detail.

Verdict

FP's PostBase Vision range covers almost every small and mid sized office well, with a sensible step up at each level. The 3S and 5S suit offices posting up to a few hundred items a day, while the 7A is the stand out for anyone with mixed mail. As always, the machine matters less than the contract, so compare full term costs and read the renewal terms closely.

Want to see how FP stacks up against the others? Our best franking machines list ranks all the main brands, and our comparison page lines them up side by side.

FAQs

What does FP stand for?

Francotyp-Postalia, the German company behind the brand.

Is the FP MyMail still worth buying?

Only if it's Mailmark enabled and your volume is very low. For most new buyers, a PostBase Vision 3S is a better starting point.

Can I use compatible ink in an FP machine?

Check your contract. Many leases require genuine cartridges, and poor quality ink can cause Mailmark barcodes to be misread.

Can FP machines frank parcels?

Yes. Use the scale (or an external weighing platform on bigger models) and print a franking label for the parcel.

Looking for a deal?

FP dealers are often keen to win business from the bigger brands. Tell us how much post you send and we'll match you with approved suppliers so you can compare FP against the rest. Compare franking machine prices.