Friend-to-friend mail systems and methods
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorLyn Seidler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for a three party mailing service. The process may enable a first party, such as an advertiser, to create a mailpiece, such as a postcard, marked with a unique code (step 106). The mailpiece may be provided to a second party, such as a household (208), who can send the mailpiece without adding any postage to the mailpiece. The mailpiece may then be delivered to a third party (step 121), and the first party may be billed for the postage due for delivery of the mailpiece from the second party to the third party (216).
Claims21
A method for providing a three party mailing service, comprising the steps of:
- enabling an advertiser to create a postcard marked with a unique code;
- receiving the postcard addressed to a third party from a household, wherein the household had not added any postage to the postcard;
- delivering the postcard to the third party;
- and
- billing the advertiser for the postage due for the delivery of the postcard to the third party.
A method for providing a three party mailing service, comprising:
- enabling a first party to create a mailpiece marked with information identifying the first party;
- receiving the mailpiece from a second party, wherein the mailpiece is addressed to a third party;
- providing the mailpiece to a service provider for delivery;
- and
- billing the first party for delivery of the mailpiece.
A system for providing a three party mailing service, comprising:
- means for enabling a first party to create a mailpiece marked with information identifying the first party;
- means for receiving the mailpiece from a second party, wherein the mailpiece is addressed to a third party;
- means for providing the mailpiece to a service provider for delivery;
- and
- means for billing the first party for delivery of the mailpiece.
A computer program product, comprising a computer readable medium having computer program code embodied in said medium, for providing a three party mailing service, wherein the program code comprises:
- code for enabling a first party to create a mailpiece marked with information identifying the first party;
- code for receiving the mailpiece from a second party, wherein the mailpiece is addressed to a third party;
- code for providing the mailpiece to a service provider for delivery;
- and
- code for billing the first party for delivery of the mailpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.