Using Postful, anyone with access to email can send a real, paper letter to anyone with a postal address. How it works? Send an email to quickletter@postful.com, with the mailing address in the subject line, write the letter in the email's message body, click send, and the email is printed and posted. Postful does not add branding or advertising.
Users can set up special email addresses for frequent contacts. Rather than typing out Aunt Kate's postal address every time, a user can create auntkate@postful.com, specifying her address, and Postful takes care of the rest. Combine that with Jott, the voice to text service we featured last week, and anyone can send a printed letter by 'jotting' a voice message. Not limited to text, letters can also include photos—view a sample letter (PDF).
Pricing is simple: USD 0.99 for the first page and USD 0.25 for each additional page, which includes full-colour printing, paper, envelope and first-class postage. Currently only available in the United States, but international mailing is one of the most requested features from beta users, so Postful is hard at work to start offering that as soon as possible. The first step will be to offer international airmail service from their printers in the US, which is planned for June 2007, and the next step will be to set up international print stations. The latter would speed up delivery and lower costs; Postful's target is to reach a single flat fee for a letter sent anywhere in the world.
Postful currently sends out any email entering the system within 24 hours, excluding weekends. The start-up aims to decrease turnaround time over the next months, aiming for any email received by 3 PM PST to go out as post the same day. Meanwhile, Australian L-Mail offers a very similar service, including international printing stations which are already up and running. L-Mail users can also send Braille and audio letters (the company turns an email into a recorded talking letter, which is posted by CD or cassette tape), but only prints in black and white.
Sounds like something national postal companies should hurry up and partner with. And how about niche services, for small businesses, wedding planners, children's birthday parties, etc? As it's becoming harder for email to get through to readers, snail mail could see a revival. Hey, we might even start sending out Springwise newsletters to your postal address ;-)
Website: www.postful.com - www.l-mail.com
Contact: feedback@postful-inc.com - support@l-mail.com
Spotted by: Bill McMahon
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I am really excited about this idea - have already thought of quite a few people who would love to have hard copies of letters from me. It's especially handy for those of us who spend too much time in front of the computer and never seem to be able to manage to get to the post office for a stamp!
Having read Springwise since, I think, the launch, it's exciting to see my own service show up! Thank you very much for the write-up.
For all the readers who sent in requests to join the Postful beta, I'll be getting invites out in the next couple of days!
Nice service .. shouldn't have taken so long for someone to implement it !
Send out Cards, already does this but with greeting cards.
They have an added advantage in that the message on the card can be written in your own handwriting.
Gavin Allinson
www.OutsourceSuccess.com
PC2Paper ( http://www.pc2paper.co.uk ) have been doing this in the UK since 2003!
A paid version from Australia:
http://www.mypostie.com/
Could be a nice idea, but only if the letters and envelopes being used are from recycled sources...
Thanks to everyone for your comments! We'll check out those other services, too. And Justin -- great to hear that you're a reader :)
As another long time reader of Springwise, I'm happy to see a mention of good old postal mail here. If you have a need to send business-scale mailings, check out Click2Mail's service offered in partnership with the US Postal Service - NetPost Mailing Online. It's been around since 2000 and provides totally web-enabled access to postal mail, with no minimum volume and discounted postage on every letter.
i want to have and advertise this product here in Nigeria so people will be aware of this product here.
New company in CANADA just started... Plus it's FREE right now... http://www.easypost.ca
See at www.correios.com.br. Since 1998 the Brazilian Postal Service offers letters and telegrams by web.
I had this exact idea over 2 years ago but noticed that the USPS was already doing something similar and had been for a couple of years prior...So I pulled the plug...Funny how it comes back around to bite you...
Hi Jim. Photos i received. Thanks
Finally! A way to make regular letters available for the NSA to read without the bother of having to steam open all of the envelopes!
Wondering how these services differ from the much more expensive Western Union Mailgram which iTelegram still provide...?
hay!!
good project :)
senks :)
Hello everybody, my name is Damion, and I'm glad to join your conmunity,
and wish to assit as far as possible.
There is also http://www.pdqit.com/ and http://www.viapost.com/ in the UK (although ViaPost looks like it is still in beta).
http://www.postalmethods.com/ does something similar with an emphasis on API access, enabling developers to automate the sending of letters from custom applications, such as CRM and invoicing.
For India - this service is offered by govt postal service. www.indiapost.nic.in
For RS.10 i.e. < 25 cents!
Don't forget www.POSTALETTER.Com.
Also, http://www.cfhdocmail.com
Doesn't seem to do it by email yet, but you can upload word files and send to a list of people.
And it's bloody cheap!!
Hi all,
I joined up to L-Mail just recently, the thing that I really like about this service which seems alittle different to the others is they have multiple printing locations around the world.
I live in the UK so this allows me to send letters to my friends in Australia from a printing location in Australia, meaning there is no airmail delay, the letter is printed and posted within Australia. This gives the possibility of the letter arriving the next day.... How great is that!!
Ben.
Hi all,
I joined up to L-Mail just recently, the thing that I really like about this service which seems alittle different to the others is they have multiple printing locations around the world.
I live in the UK so this allows me to send letters to my friends in Australia from a printing location in Australia, meaning there is no airmail delay, the letter is printed and posted within Australia. This gives the possibility of the letter arriving the next day.... How great is that!!
Ben.
As a dedicated user of Blinksale, the online invoice service, I think they should integrate with Postful or L-mail to let me send paper invoices to clients who can't deal with digital invoices.
Fred Gleeson | April 25, 2007 9:42 AM