Method and system for conveying funds to postage meters

A postage meter comprising:

• a funds storage location for storing funds for funds consumption of the postage meter;
• a scheduler for setting date-based rules defining a plurality of idle periods;
• a mechanism for determining:
• if a level of funds in the funds storage location is below a predetermined amount;
• a period of time between the time the level of funds is below the predetermined amount and a beginning of a next idle period based on the date-based rules;
• and
• a funds requesting module whereby, if the period of time until the next idle period is greater than a predetermined length, as indicated in the date-based rules, the funds requesting module automatically requests a transfer of funds to the postage meter funds storage location;
• and if the period of time until the next idle period is less than the predetermined length, as indicated in the date-based rules, then the funds requesting module suppresses the step of automatically requesting the transfer of funds to the postage meter funds storage location.

A postal operations system comprising:

• a central funds manager device operatively connected to a central funds location, and a plurality of postage meters operatively connected to the central funds manager device, wherein each of the postage meters comprises:
• a funds storage location for storing funds for consumption by said postage meter;
• a mechanism for determining if the level of funds in the funds storage location is below a predetermined amount;
• and
• a mechanism for requesting a transfer of funds for replenishing the funds in the funds storage location, and wherein the central funds manager device comprises:
• a scheduler for setting date-based rules, defining a plurality of idle periods;
• a mechanism for determining the period of time between the time the level of funds is below the predetermined amount at the requesting postage meter and the beginning of the next idle period based on the date-based rules;
• and the funds consumption by the requesting postage meter for said period of time;
• and
• a mechanism for requesting a transfer of funds from a funds central location before the beginning of the next idle period if an amount of funds based on said predetermined amount is insufficient to meet the determined funds consumption, otherwise requesting said transfer of funds after the end of said next idle period so as to replenish the funds in the funds storage location of the requesting postage meter.