Abstract: The apparatus has a weight sensor for determining the weight of a mailing item, as well as a measuring device for measuring the size of the same. A processing device determines an appropriate fee depending on the weight and size and, where applicable, other parameters, such as destination and type of shipping. The apparatus then generates a fee label indicative of the determined fee, e.g. in a machine readable code. The measuring device for measuring the size of the mailing item is formed by markings applied to walls perpendicular to the weighing table. The fee labels advantageously carry two machine readable encodings, one of which can be read by a cash register, while the other can be read in a shipping plant.