EP2093716A1 - Method of postal payment for set of customized postage - Google Patents
Method of postal payment for set of customized postage Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2093716A1 EP2093716A1 EP09152451A EP09152451A EP2093716A1 EP 2093716 A1 EP2093716 A1 EP 2093716A1 EP 09152451 A EP09152451 A EP 09152451A EP 09152451 A EP09152451 A EP 09152451A EP 2093716 A1 EP2093716 A1 EP 2093716A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- stamps
- postage
- stamp
- postal
- customized
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
- G07B17/00467—Transporting mailpieces
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
- G07B17/00435—Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00016—Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system
- G07B17/00024—Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
- G07B2017/00048—Software architecture
- G07B2017/00056—Client-server
- G07B2017/00064—Virtual meter, online stamp; PSD functions or indicia creation not at user's location
Definitions
- the invention relates generally to the field of postage stamps and more particularly, to postage stamps having Information Based Indicia.
- postage stamps As an indication that postage has been paid for the delivery of a mailpiece.
- postage stamps are typically produced and issued by a government agency and procured for use by the general public.
- the postage stamps can either.be obtained at a local post office or can be procured out of a postal vending machine.
- the postal authority often produces a limited number of special edition or commemorative stamps which are distributed for sale and used for the payment of postage or alternatively are saved as a collector's item.
- Post Offices have also found that it is desirable to permit a consumer to obtain a postage stamp which can be personally customized in appearance by the consumer.
- IBI Information-Based Indicia
- the IBI consists of a two-dimensional bar code containing hundreds of bytes of information about the mail piece and certain human-readable information.
- the indicium includes a digital signature to preclude the forgery of indicia by unauthorized parties.
- the IBI technology of the United States Postal Service offers the postal customer a way to pay for postage without stamps. Envelopes are franked using the postal customer's personal computer, a Postal Security Device add-on, and the customer's printer.
- the Postal Security Device provides postal value storage and the link to the USPS and the manufacturer of the personal computer compatible add-on.
- the USPS is interested in increasing their retail presence and availability of postal products.
- the USPS permits several different modes for paying for postage, which include postal indicia, permit mail, and stamps. None of the above is conducive to selling at a retail environment.
- Postal indicia require a meter that ties up funds in a prepaid account and produces a monochromatic imprint that is not considered appropriate for personal mail.
- Permit mail requires extensive processes for controlled acceptance and is even less appropriate for personal mail.
- Stamps are appropriate for personal mail, but since they are actual payment for postage, instead of evidence of payment like indicia or paid at controlled acceptance like permit mail, retailers do not like to use stamps. There are three issues which prevent retailers from carrying stamps: cost of inventory, risk of theft, and inventory can become outdated after postal rate changes.
- Stamps tie up retailer funds in inventory and are perceived to be a primary target for theft since they equate to a cash value. Also, in order to have a diverse inventory of stamp pictures, even more stamps must be tied up in inventory. As a result, retailers often provide minimum service by only having one type of stamp (e.g. books of twenty standard 1-ounce rate flag stamps) to limit their inventory costs.
- one type of stamp e.g. books of twenty standard 1-ounce rate flag stamps
- forever stamps e.g. special value stamps or stamps with a vanity/special image
- Customized Postage such as Pitney Bowes Stamp Expressions Sheet of Stamps product
- IBI Information Based indicia
- ID is unique and therefore individually identifiable. Since these stamps are created from a meter in a similar process as an indicium, the postal value has already been paid to the USPS, so it does not solve the problem of the retailer tying up funds in postage.
- This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method that enables the "pay upon use" payment for a set of multiple information-based indicia (IBI) postage (such as a sheet or booklet of Customized Postage Stamps) by charging for the entire set of postage the first time any one item of postage has been scanned by the USPS (or another postal authority).
- a set of postage may also be a box of envelopes with postage, a roll of postage, or even an arbitrary grouping of printed postage that may be divided prior to distribution. Even if only a fraction of stamps are scanned by postal processing equipment, the following demonstrates that at least one stamp from a set will probably be scanned.
- the probability that at least one Pay Upon Use stamp in a set will be scanned is 1 - (1-P)N, where:
- the probability that at least one PUU stamp will be scanned is 1 -(1-0.75)10, or 99.9999%. Even if the probability of a scan is as low as 50%, the probability that at least one PUU stamp would be scanned is 1 - (1-0.5)10, or still over 99.9%.
- the aforementioned probabilities could be used to determine an optimal mix between customer demand for smaller PUU set of stamps and the post's willingness to sacrifice a small amount of revenue to gain more retail penetration and displace costly postage stamps.
- An advantage of this invention is that it permits proper PUU payment of all postage with the flexibility of not requiring every mailpiece to be scanned.
- An additional advantage of this invention is that the Posts obtain proper payment of postage without the need to scan every mailpiece and gain greater penetration of postal products into the retail environment.
- a further advantage of this invention is that the Posts are able to obtain another source of income through a wide range of specialized pictures on Customized Postage without having to sequester a large amount of cash in their postal product inventory.
- a still further advantage of this invention is that mailers gain a greater variety of special postal products such as vanity stamps, special occasion stamps, special rate stamps (oversize, multiple ounces, and package) and only pay for postage when they start using the postal products.
- special postal products such as vanity stamps, special occasion stamps, special rate stamps (oversize, multiple ounces, and package) and only pay for postage when they start using the postal products.
Abstract
Description
- This Application claims the benefit of the filing date of
U.S. Provisional Application Number 61/030,037 filed February 20, 2008 - The invention relates generally to the field of postage stamps and more particularly, to postage stamps having Information Based Indicia.
- It is a common practice throughout the world to use postage stamps as an indication that postage has been paid for the delivery of a mailpiece. These postage stamps are typically produced and issued by a government agency and procured for use by the general public. The postage stamps can either.be obtained at a local post office or can be procured out of a postal vending machine. Moreover, for certain holidays or for certain special events the postal authority often produces a limited number of special edition or commemorative stamps which are distributed for sale and used for the payment of postage or alternatively are saved as a collector's item.
- Post Offices have also found that it is desirable to permit a consumer to obtain a postage stamp which can be personally customized in appearance by the consumer.
- Currently the United States Postal Services allows mailers to use their desktop computer and printer to apply postage in the form of an Information-Based Indicia (IBI) directly onto envelopes or labels while applying an address. The IBI consists of a two-dimensional bar code containing hundreds of bytes of information about the mail piece and certain human-readable information. The indicium includes a digital signature to preclude the forgery of indicia by unauthorized parties.
- The IBI technology of the United States Postal Service (USPS) offers the postal customer a way to pay for postage without stamps. Envelopes are franked using the postal customer's personal computer, a Postal Security Device add-on, and the customer's printer. The Postal Security Device provides postal value storage and the link to the USPS and the manufacturer of the personal computer compatible add-on.
- Presently, not every mailpiece is scanned by the USPS. Because of this, it is impossible to use the originator information in an IBI to charge the originator for the postage. The foregoing is one reason why the USPS requires the postage to be prepaid before the mailpiece enters the mail stream.
- At this time the USPS is interested in increasing their retail presence and availability of postal products. The USPS permits several different modes for paying for postage, which include postal indicia, permit mail, and stamps. None of the above is conducive to selling at a retail environment. Postal indicia require a meter that ties up funds in a prepaid account and produces a monochromatic imprint that is not considered appropriate for personal mail. Permit mail requires extensive processes for controlled acceptance and is even less appropriate for personal mail. Stamps are appropriate for personal mail, but since they are actual payment for postage, instead of evidence of payment like indicia or paid at controlled acceptance like permit mail, retailers do not like to use stamps. There are three issues which prevent retailers from carrying stamps: cost of inventory, risk of theft, and inventory can become outdated after postal rate changes.
- Stamps tie up retailer funds in inventory and are perceived to be a primary target for theft since they equate to a cash value. Also, in order to have a diverse inventory of stamp pictures, even more stamps must be tied up in inventory. As a result, retailers often provide minimum service by only having one type of stamp (e.g. books of twenty standard 1-ounce rate flag stamps) to limit their inventory costs.
- The risk of theft is another deterrent for retailers to carry stamps. Stolen stamps are still genuine postage and cannot be differentiated from stamps that were obtained legally. Therefore, they cannot be "deactivated" nor can they even be individually traced. To prevent theft, retailers often lock up their stamps in drawers under the supervision of cashiers. As a result, they miss an opportunity on the visual advertising aspects, of the impulse buyers, and other marketing techniques. Buyers are often not even aware that the store sells stamps unless they ask.
- The final problem is that stamps lose their usefulness after a postal rate change. Forever stamps do not lose their usefulness after a rate change, but are only available in limited styles and application (e.g. one ounce first class rate). Stamps other than forever stamps (e.g. special value stamps or stamps with a vanity/special image) are still valid postage for the value indicated on the stamp, but very few people want to have to buy stamps with the "old rate" and buy "make-up rate" stamps in addition. The USPS position on this issue is that since it is still valid postage, they will not offer a refund. Therefore, the retailers will end up with undesired postage after a postal rate change and will also need to carry rate makeup stamps in addition.
- Customized Postage, such as Pitney Bowes Stamp Expressions Sheet of Stamps product, is created with an Information Based indicia (IBI) that has a unique identification (ID) consisting of the meter vendor ID, meter ID, and a piece count. This ID is unique and therefore individually identifiable. Since these stamps are created from a meter in a similar process as an indicium, the postal value has already been paid to the USPS, so it does not solve the problem of the retailer tying up funds in postage.
- Other service providers, such as the prepaid phone card and gift card industries, have attempted to solve the problem of tying up retailer funds by activating the prepaid item at the point of sale terminal. However, this requires integration of the retailer's sales and inventory system with the service provider's Information Technology (IT) infrastructure. The integration can be complex and is not cost effective for low value items such as postage stamps.
- This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method that enables the "pay upon use" payment for a set of multiple information-based indicia (IBI) postage (such as a sheet or booklet of Customized Postage Stamps) by charging for the entire set of postage the first time any one item of postage has been scanned by the USPS (or another postal authority). A set of postage may also be a box of envelopes with postage, a roll of postage, or even an arbitrary grouping of printed postage that may be divided prior to distribution. Even if only a fraction of stamps are scanned by postal processing equipment, the following demonstrates that at least one stamp from a set will probably be scanned. This enables proper payment of a set of postage stamps even if all stamps in the set are not scanned. There is a slight possibility that all of the Pay Upon Use (PUU) payment of postage in a set of stamps could be used with none of the stamps being scanned by the post. This probability decreases with an increased number of PUU postage stamps in a set and with an increase in the percentage of mailpiece with PUU stamps being successfully scanned.
- The probability that at least one Pay Upon Use stamp in a set will be scanned is 1 - (1-P)N, where:
- ● P = Ps*Pf = probability that a mailpiece having a PUU stamp is successfully scanned by the post
- ● Ps = probability that a scan of a mailpiece having a PUU stamp is attempted by the post
- ● Pf = probability that a scanned PUU stamp can be properly read (assuming no intentional defacing)
- ● N = number of PUU stamps in a set
- For example, if the probability of a successful scan is 75% and there are 10 PUU stamps in a set, then the probability that at least one PUU stamp will be scanned is 1 -(1-0.75)10, or 99.9999%. Even if the probability of a scan is as low as 50%, the probability that at least one PUU stamp would be scanned is 1 - (1-0.5)10, or still over 99.9%.
- However, for smaller numbers of PUU stamps in a set, this number can drop dramatically. If the probability of a successful scan is 75% and there are only 4 PUU stamps in a set, the probability that at least one PUU stamp would be scanned is 1 - (1-.75)4, or only 99.6%. This means that the post would, on average, lose approximately 0.4% of their revenue from PUU stamps. This is still considerably lower than the cost the post incurs for the alternative of currently used postage stamps, which includes the cost of creating, distributing, storing, maintaining, and destroying the postage stamps.
- The aforementioned probabilities could be used to determine an optimal mix between customer demand for smaller PUU set of stamps and the post's willingness to sacrifice a small amount of revenue to gain more retail penetration and displace costly postage stamps.
- An advantage of this invention is that it permits proper PUU payment of all postage with the flexibility of not requiring every mailpiece to be scanned.
- An additional advantage of this invention is that the Posts obtain proper payment of postage without the need to scan every mailpiece and gain greater penetration of postal products into the retail environment.
- A further advantage of this invention is that the Posts are able to obtain another source of income through a wide range of specialized pictures on Customized Postage without having to sequester a large amount of cash in their postal product inventory.
- A still further advantage of this invention is that mailers gain a greater variety of special postal products such as vanity stamps, special occasion stamps, special rate stamps (oversize, multiple ounces, and package) and only pay for postage when they start using the postal products.
-
Fig. 1 is a drawing of a mailpiece having a customized stamp affixed thereto; -
Fig. 2 is a drawing showing the customized stamp ofFig. 1 , as one of a plurality of customized stamps on a sheet of stamps; and -
Fig. 3 is a diagram describing this invention.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly toFig. 1 , the reference character 11 represents a portion of a mailpiece, having astamp 12 affixed thereto.Stamp 12 includes a Information Based Indicia (IBI), i.e., a twodimensional bar code 13.Stamp 12 may also include a customized stamp, i.e., a personalized picture, picture of noted personalities, natural scenes, artistic works, slogans, logos, etc. inarea 14, ameter number 15 and the term U.S. Postage inspace 16. Although this figure represents the stamp as Customized Postage, one skilled in the art will recognize that this invention may be applied to any set where the individual items or set of items can be uniquely identified.
Fig. 2 is a drawing showing the customized stamp ofFig. 1 , as one of a plurality of customized stamps on a sheet of stamps.Customized stamps 12 are arranged on asheet 17 in a manner thatstamps 12 may be removed fromsheet 17 and still have enough adhesive to be affixed to a mail piece.Sheet 12 has acode 18 affixed thereto to uniquely identify thestamps 12 onsheet 17.Code 18 may be alphanumeric, glyphs, or a bar code or any combination of the foregoing.Sheet 17 may be combined withsimilar sheets 17 to make a booklet of stamps.
Fig. 3 is a diagram describing this invention. The invention prints customizedstamps 12 on individual adhesive labels, envelopes, sheets that form booklets, and/or on sheet 17 (Fig. 2 ), disposes of the stamps by sale or gift, distributes the stamps and accounts for their usage. A computer 50 (e.g. a personal computer or server) is coupled to apostal security device 51, aprinter 52 and a scanner/camera 53. In thepreferred embodiment computer 50, Postal Security Device (PSD) 51 andprinter 52 comprise a customizedmetering system 54. It should be noted thatPSD 51 may be a physical device, such as a Pitney Bowes Cygnus X-2 Postal Security Device or a virtual device such as the Pitney Bowes Clickstamp® Online postage metering service. Alternatively the functions of the PSD, creating the IBI barcode data and accounting for the total value of IBI created, could be performed totally in software oncomputer 50. It should also be understood thatComputer 50,PSD 51,printer 52 and camera/scanner 53 may not be physically located in a single location, but may be otherwise connected, e.g., via networks, by transferring information using portable media, etc. In the preferred embodiment,computer 50 is connected to the internet to facilitate communication with postal authorities and financial institutions for the management of postal funds. Personalized pictures, pictures of noted personalities, natural scenes, artistic works, slogans, logos, etc. are entered intocomputer 50 via scanner/camera 53 or loaded intocomputer 51 via the internet or transferred tocomputer 50 using other suitable networks or portable media.Computer 50 requests and receives IBI data fromPSD 51 which accounts for the creation of the IBI data.Computer 50 combines one or more pictures and multiple IBI to create sets of PUU postage which are printed byprinter 52 on media (e.g., labels, envelopes, paper, etc.) for the formation of customized stamps.
Metering system 54 produces one or more customizedstamps 12, which may be anindividual stamp 12, or a set of stamps contained in asheet 17 or one ormore sheets 17 combined to form a booklet. The unique number contained inIBI 13 onstamp 12, thecode 18 that identifies eachstamp 12 onsheet 17 and other relevant information will be transmitted and stored in a memory incomputer 65. Relevant information may include: the date of stamp creation, the intended distributor of the set (e.g., a retail outlet), etc. It should be noted thatcomputer 65 need not be separate fromcomputer 50.Meter 54 may be located at a central production site, a retail establishment, an office or home. The Posts may charge additional funds for the production and /or use of customizedstamps 12.Printer 52 may producestamps 12 in color or monochrome on various types of paper known in the art.
Ifmeter 54 is not located at a retail establishment,stamps 12 are distributed toretail outlet 55. A customer purchases a sheet ofstamps 17 atretail outlet 55 and affixes one ormore stamps 12 tomailpiece 60 and then mailsmailpiece 60. After mailing, apostal scanner 61 readsIBI 13 fromstamp 12 and transmits the information contained inIBI 13 to a database contained incomputer 65.Computer 65 determines instep 66 whether or not anindicia 13, contained in astamp 12 onsheet 17 has been previously scanned or if more than a predetermined period of time, e.g., 90 days, has passed since a certain event forstamps 12 onsheet 17. The event could be any particular event related to thesheet 17, such as the date of creation of theindicia 13, the date of the printing of thesheet 17, the date of distribution to theoutlet 55, or the date of the purchase from theoutlet 55. Ifcomputer 65 determines that anindicia 13 contained in astamp 12 onsheet 17 has been previously scanned or if more than the predetermined period of time has passed since an event for thestamps 12 onsheet 17,computer 65 will marksheet 17 as paid instep 67. Instep 68, the postal processor is paid for the postage value ofsheet 17 using, for example, a postage meter account, electronic file transfer of funds between banking accounts, or other funds transfer method. While scanning and payment has been described with respect to asheet 17 it will be understood a set of stamps may be formed as a set of envelopes, sheets, etc. It should be noted thatsteps 66 through 68 may be performed in real-time or as a batch. Therefore,payment 68 may be made for individual sets of postage or as an aggregate for all sets of postage processed over a period of time, for example daily.
The above specification describes a new and improved method of paying for postage stamps. It is realized that the above description may indicate to those skilled in the art additional ways in which the principles of this invention may be used without departing from the spirit. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
Claims (16)
- A method of paying for postage stamps, comprising the steps of:generating a plurality of postage stamps (12), wherein each of the stamps has a unique identification code (13); anddebiting (68) an account for the generation of the plurality of stamps when a carrier process one of the plurality of stamps.
- The method claimed in Claim 1, wherein the unique identification code is an Information Based Indicium (13).
- The method claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the Information Based indicium includes a meter number (15).
- The method claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the Information Based Indicium includes a user number.
- The method claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the Information Based Indicium includes a piece count.
- The method claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the postage stamps are customized.
- The method claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the account is stored in a meter (54).
- The method claimed in any preceding claim, further including the step of:debiting the account that generated the plurality of stamps after a predetermined length of time if the carrier has not processed one of the plurality of stamps.
- The method claimed in Claim 8, wherein the predetermined length of time begins when the plurality of stamps have been sold.
- The method claimed in Claim 8, wherein the predetermined length of time begins when the plurality of stamps have been generated.
- The method claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of postage stamps have different values.
- The method claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of postage stamps are first class stamps.
- The method claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of postage stamps are forever stamps.
- The method claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a value of the plurality of postage stamps is contained in the unique identification code.
- The method claimed in Claim 14, further including the step of:changing the value of the stamp (12) in the unique code when the stamp (12) is sold.
- A postage stamp payment system, comprising:a supplier processor (50) that generates a plurality of postage stamps (12), wherein each of the stamps has a unique identification code; anda carrier processor (65) that debits an account for the generation of the plurality of stamps when a carrier process one of the plurality of stamps.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US3003708P | 2008-02-20 | 2008-02-20 | |
US12/325,463 US8239322B2 (en) | 2008-02-20 | 2008-12-01 | Method of postal payment for set of customized postage |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP2093716A1 true EP2093716A1 (en) | 2009-08-26 |
Family
ID=40652716
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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EP09152451A Ceased EP2093716A1 (en) | 2008-02-20 | 2009-02-10 | Method of postal payment for set of customized postage |
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EP (1) | EP2093716A1 (en) |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20020073039A1 (en) * | 2000-10-10 | 2002-06-13 | Ogg Craig L. | System and method for providing computer-based postage stamps |
WO2003032110A2 (en) * | 2001-10-09 | 2003-04-17 | The Escher Group, Ltd. | Sytem for combining postage, mailing address information, and payment services |
US20040122779A1 (en) * | 2002-08-29 | 2004-06-24 | Vantresa Stickler | Systems and methods for mid-stream postage adjustment |
US20060122947A1 (en) | 2004-12-08 | 2006-06-08 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | Automatic revenue protection and adjustment of postal indicia products |
-
2009
- 2009-02-10 EP EP09152451A patent/EP2093716A1/en not_active Ceased
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20020073039A1 (en) * | 2000-10-10 | 2002-06-13 | Ogg Craig L. | System and method for providing computer-based postage stamps |
WO2003032110A2 (en) * | 2001-10-09 | 2003-04-17 | The Escher Group, Ltd. | Sytem for combining postage, mailing address information, and payment services |
US20040122779A1 (en) * | 2002-08-29 | 2004-06-24 | Vantresa Stickler | Systems and methods for mid-stream postage adjustment |
US20060122947A1 (en) | 2004-12-08 | 2006-06-08 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | Automatic revenue protection and adjustment of postal indicia products |
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