Activatable postage

A package-delivery system, comprising:

• a plurality of packaging items that each include machine-readable code that is encoded to (1) launch a postage-activation application that is present on a mobile device or, when not present, to present application-identification information that is usable to identify the postage-activation application, and (2) serve as activatable postage;
• and
• one or more computer-storage media comprising instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one processor of a remote computing device, cause the mobile computing device to perform a method comprising:
• scanning a first instance of the machine-readable code that is on one of the plurality of packaging items;
• launching an instance a postage-activation application in response to the scanning;
• determining, via the postage-activation application, a unique identifier associated with the machine-readable code, where the unique identifier is associated with a first record in an activatable-postage database;
• presenting, via the instance of the postage-activation application, instructions to scan a Universal Product Code (“UPC”) barcode of an item to be mailed in the packaging item, thereby providing for the determination of UPC information sufficient to identify the item to be mailed;
• communicating the UPC information to a products database to lookup physical information about the item;
• receiving physical information about the item;
• presenting an option to receive additional postage-related information;
• based on the physical information and the additional postage-related information, determining a postage value to mail the item;
• receiving payment information equal to at least the postage value;
• and
• communicating an activation indication to the first record in the activatable -postage database such that the postage associated with the unique identifier is transitioned to an activated state, thereby enabling the item to be mailed via the packaging item and further enabling a centralized postage service to determine that the packaging item is authorized to be mailed.