By Felicity Ussher, 20 November 1998 17:48
NEWS AOL has teamed up with E-Stamp to offer US customers a respite from post office queues. The deal, announced yesterday, will enable AOL customers to download digital stamps from a secure site and print them onto envelopes via a standard printer. E-Stamp is currently on trial in limited areas of the US, but the United States Postal Service (USPS) is expected to give approval for a nationwide roll out early next year. AOL will launch its Postage Services Center as soon as approval is granted. E-Stamp software keeps track of the financial side of the transaction. Every time customers download a stamp, their account is debited. The company was not available to comment on the security issues of the technology. E-Stamp's investors include AT&T, Compaq and Microsoft. The USPS is currently evaluating a rival service from Pitney Bowes, which dominates the US market in offline postage meters. The UK's Royal Mail said it is not planning to offer a similar scheme in the UK.
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