Interesting Facts About Franking | By Mailcoms

Franking has a longer and more interesting history than most people realise. Franking machines were first sold commercially in the UK in 1922, the word franking comes from the Latin francus meaning free, and to this day every franking machine and the ink it uses must be Royal Mail authorised. Here are some interesting facts about franking machines and the franking industry.

Interesting facts about franking

• The word franking comes from the Latin word francus, which translates as free.
• Franking machines were first sold commercially in the UK in 1922.
• Some government officials have a franking privilege, allowing mail to be sent without a postage stamp or other sign of paid postage.
• In Italy, mail could once be sent free of charge to the President, until this franking privilege was abolished in 1999.
• All franking machines must be licensed to use.
• All franking ink used in a franking machine must be Royal Mail authorised.
• Some franking impressions require two different ink cartridges – one for the top half and one for the bottom half of the frank.
• Before digital franking, when you needed to top up your machine’s postage you had to take the entire machine to your local Post Office to reset it.
• Early franking machines were operated by hand, until technology advanced and electronic machines took over.

If you would like to buy a new, low-cost franking machine, get a franking machine quote or a Mailmark franking machine quote here.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the word franking come from?

Franking comes from the Latin word francus, meaning free.

When were franking machines first used in the UK?

Franking machines were first sold commercially in the UK in 1922.

Does franking ink have to be Royal Mail authorised?

Yes. All franking ink used in a franking machine must be Royal Mail authorised, and every franking machine must be licensed to use.