Handwritten postage

A method for tracking an activation status of handwritten postage, comprising:

• receiving an activation message that comprises a postage value and a unique identifier associated with an instance of handwritten postage on an envelope, wherein the handwritten postage includes a postage doodle in the upper right portion of the envelope;
• performing a first update to a record in an handwritten postage database to associate the unique identifier with the postage value;
• receiving a deactivation message from a carrier that received an item with the instance of handwritten postage affixed to the item;
• and
• performing a second update to the record in the handwritten postage database to deactivate the instance of handwritten postage.

A method of processing handwritten postage, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a carrier, an item with an instance of handwritten postage on the item;
• identifying a validation identifier from the instance of handwritten postage;
• authenticating the instance of handwritten postage by comparing the validation identifier with a previously stored unique identifier stored in a postage system, wherein the unique identifier is stored upon activation of the instance of handwritten postage;
• and
• communicating a deactivation message to the handwritten postage service that prevents the instance of handwritten postage from being reused as valid postage.