Royal Mail has introduced Britain's first digital postage stamp, a new online postage purchasing system called SmartStamp
SmartStamp customers can buy the stamps online or on CD, add their own logos, and print them directly onto envelopes or labels.
The service carries a subscription fee of £4.99 per month or £49.99 per year, but the software is free.
According to Alison White, Royal Mail's head of small business, the service is aimed at small businesses and people working from home, and can be used for both international and domestic mail.
Royal Mail said the new service had been trialled with favourable results, among financial advisers, accountants, estate agents, and medical and legal professionals.
Royal Mail is aiming to upgrade its service to customers and increase profitability, and plans to offer mortgages, credit cards and other personal finance products in competition with financial institutions
