Guaranteed postage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9495809-B2
Application number	US-40287109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2009
Priority date	Mar 12, 2009
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A system and method for managing a value of a descending register of a postal security device (PSD) in accordance with a guarantee is disclosed. Mailing data including a guarantee rate, and a public rate of postage disbursed for a mailpiece franked under terms of the guarantee, can be received. The public rate and the guarantee rate can be compared, and if the public rate is equal to or less than the guarantee rate, postage funds can be downloaded from an account corresponding to a lessee of the PSD.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing a value of a descending register of a postal security device (PSD) in accordance with a guarantee having a face value, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, mailing data that includes at least one rate factor and a value of postage disbursed for each of a plurality of mailpieces franked under terms of the guarantee by the PSD, the guarantee specifying a maximum postage rate, less than a corresponding public rate, that a postal customer is required to pay for the plurality of mailpieces;
accumulating, by the processor, the value of postage disbursed for each of the plurality of mailpieces franked by the PSD under the terms of the guarantee;
comparing, by the processor, the accumulated value of postage disbursed with the face value of the guarantee;
in response to the comparison, downloading, by the processor from a first account maintained by a first system and corresponding to a lessee of the PSD, a first value; and
downloading, by the processor from a second account maintained by a second system and corresponding to a provider of the guarantee, a second value in an amount equal to a difference between the accumulated value of postage disbursed and the face value,
wherein the second account, the second system, and the provider of the guarantee are separate from the first account, the first system, and the lessee of the PSD.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the accumulated value of postage disbursed is greater than or equal to the face value of the guarantee.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
reading the value of the descending register of the PSD;
comparing the value of the descending register to a threshold; and
in response to determining that the value of the descending register is less than the threshold, downloading postage funds to the PSD, thereby increasing the value of the descending register.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the downloading postage funds comprises increasing the value of the descending register to an amount greater than the threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rate factor includes at least one from the group of: a class of service; a weight; and a physical dimension.

6. The method of claim 1 , further including identifying the guarantee under which each of the plurality of mailpieces was franked.

7. The method of claim 6 , further including identifying the second account and debiting the second account at least part of the second value.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising debiting the first account an amount corresponding to a guarantee rate of the guarantee.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising debiting the second account an amount corresponding to the difference between the public rate and a guarantee rate of the guarantee.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the guarantee indicates a number of mailpieces for which the maximum postage rate is guaranteed.

11. A system for managing a value of a descending register of a postal security device (PSD) in accordance with a guarantee having a face value, the system comprising:
a database implemented on a storage device that stores mailing data, terms of the guarantee, and PSD status data;
a device comprising a processor, the device in signal communication with the database;
a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium in communication with the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving mailing data that includes at least one rate factor and a value of postage disbursed for each of a plurality of mailpieces franked under terms of the guarantee by the PSD, the guarantee specifying a maximum postage rate, less than a corresponding public rate, that a postal customer is required to pay for the plurality of mailpieces;
accumulating the value of postage disbursed for each of the plurality of mailpieces franked by the PSD under the terms of the guarantee;
comparing the accumulated value of postage disbursed with the face value of the guarantee;
in response to the comparison, downloading from a first account maintained by a first system and corresponding to a lessee of the PSD, a first value; and
downloading from a second account maintained by a second system and corresponding to a provider of the guarantee, a second value in an amount equal to a difference between the accumulated value of postage disbursed and the face value,
wherein the second account, the second system, and the provider of the guarantee are separate from the first account, the first system, and the lessee of the PSD.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining that the accumulated value of postage disbursed is greater than or equal to the face value of the guarantee.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein mailing data includes at least one from the group of: a value of funds disbursed by the PSD to process each of the plurality of mailpieces; rate factors for each processed mailpiece; a date on which each mailpiece was processed; and the time of day at which each mailpiece was processed.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying the guarantee under which each of the plurality of mailpieces was franked.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying the second account and debiting the second account at least part of the second value.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the value of postage disbursed upon each of the plurality of mailpieces is equal to the public rate; and the operations further comprise:
debiting the first account an amount corresponding to a guarantee rate of the guarantee.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
comparing the guarantee rate to the public rate; and
debiting the second account an amount corresponding to the difference between the public rate and the guarantee rate if the public rate is greater than the guarantee rate.

18. The system of claim 11 , said database further configured to store: an origin of one or more accounts from which to transfer postage to the PSD; a value of an ascending register of the PSD; a value of a descending register of the PSD; and an indication of whether the PSD contains sufficient funds to disburse postage under the terms of the guarantee.

19. A system comprising:
a database implemented on a storage device, the database storing a guarantee having a face value and specifying a maximum postage rate, less than a corresponding public rate, that a postal customer is required to pay for a plurality of mail pieces;
a postal security device (PSD) storing components comprising a descending register;
a processor in communication with the database and the PSD; and
a non-transitory, computer-readable medium in communication with the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the processor from the PSD, mailing data that includes a rate factor and a value of postage disbursed for each of a plurality of mail pieces franked by the PSD;
accumulating, by the processor, the value of postage disbursed for each of the plurality of mail pieces franked by the PSD;
comparing the accumulated value of postage disbursed with the face value of the guarantee; and
in response to the comparison, downloading, by the processor from a first account maint

Assignees

• Brookner George
• Morris Gary
• Neopost Tech

Inventors

• Brookner George
• Morris Gary

Classifications

• G06Q40/12

  Accounting · CPC title

• G06Q20/10

  specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems · CPC title

• G07B2017/00161

  from a central, non-user location, e.g. for updating rates or software, or for refilling funds · CPC title

• G07B2017/00169

  from a franking apparatus, e.g. for verifying accounting · CPC title

• G07B2017/00427

  Special accounting procedures, e.g. storing special information · CPC title