Economics
What should I charge for mail scanning?
Straight answer
Most independent stores price scanning per request with a set number of included pages, then charge $0.25 to $1 per additional page. Many plans also include a monthly page allowance. Avoid unlimited scanning: labor scales with page count, and a few heavy accounts can consume more staff time than their plan price covers.
Checked September 3, 2026
How should a scan fee be structured?
Charge per scan request with a few included pages, then a per-page overage. The request fee covers opening and handling; the overage covers time at the scanner.
A scan request has two costs. The first is fixed: someone pulls the item, opens it, and logs it. The second grows with the item: each page goes through the scanner and gets checked. A price with a request component and a page component matches both.
- Per request: a flat fee that includes the first few pages. This is what most customers pay for a typical letter.
- Per page overage: charged only beyond the included pages, so a thick document pays for its own scanning time.
- Monthly allowance: higher plans include a set number of sheets per month before the overage applies, which gives customers a reason to move up a tier.
What are typical scan prices at independent stores?
Typical ranges are a per-request fee that includes the first few pages, then $0.25 to $1 per extra page, with higher-tier plans carrying a monthly sheet allowance.
| Component | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Envelope exterior photo | Usually included with the arrival notice |
| Scan request | A flat fee that includes the first few pages |
| Per-page overage | $0.25 to $1 per page |
| Monthly sheet allowance | A set number of sheets on mid and upper plans, then the overage |
Where you land inside the range depends on your local labor cost and the kind of customer you serve. Business customers who receive contracts and statements will accept a higher per-page price than individuals receiving the occasional letter.
Why is unlimited scanning a mistake?
Scanning is labor. Unlimited plans let a small number of heavy customers set your staffing cost while paying the same as everyone else.
The economics of a flat unlimited plan depend on most customers using very little. That holds until it does not. One customer who routes every vendor statement and legal notice to the box can generate hours of scanning a month, and there is nothing in the price to slow them down or pay for it.
Included pages solve this without punishing normal use. A customer who receives three letters a month never sees the overage. The customer who receives forty pages of contracts pays for the forty pages.
Should scans be charged per request or per page?
Both. Per request alone under-charges thick documents; per page alone makes a one-page letter feel expensive.
Innbocks prices scans exactly this way: a per-request fee, a number of included pages, and a per-page overage that you set. Plans can carry a monthly sheet allowance, and customers can hold optional prepaid action credits so staff never chase small charges. The scan itself is delivered to the customer portal and the Innbocks app.
Mail scanning in Innbocks
Per-request pricing with included pages, overage, and monthly sheet allowances on plans.
Set your own scan pricing
Innbocks lets you set the request fee, included pages, and per-page overage per plan, and charges a flat per-customer platform fee with no revenue share.