Method of electronically consolidating mail items

A method of electronically consolidating mail items between a plurality of senders and a postal administration that handles delivery of said mail items to their destinations, said method comprising the following steps:

• at the premises of each of the senders:
• using print means to affix a unique identity code to each mail item for the purpose of identifying both the sender and the mail item;
• and
• using a computer to create a mail item consignment file in a database, which file contains, for each mail item, said unique identity code and the address of the destination of said mail item, and sending said file via a network to a remote central server of a third party entity;
• and
• at the central server of the third party entity:
• consolidating the files received from all of the senders into a single consolidation file in a central database;
• sending a collection order to a mail item collection service so that a collection employee collects the mail items to be sent from the various senders, the collection step also including an input step for inputting said unique identity code borne by each mail item at input means and a transmission step for transmitting said code to said remote central server from said input means, via a wireless telecommunications network;
• taking delivery of the mail items after the collection and using print means for printing a bar code onto each of them for the purpose of facilitating subsequent sorting of them by the postal administration;
• and
• sending said single consolidation file to a server of the postal administration and handing over the mail items to a collection office of the postal administration.