System and method for restrictively authorizing reprinting of mail pieces having postage indicia

A computer implemented method to enable a user to reprint a postage indicia at a client computer, comprising:

• receiving a request from a client computer for authorization to reprint a mail piece that includes a postage indicia, wherein the request includes information identifying an account for printing postage indicia;
• evaluating the request, including verifying that said account is valid;
• and
• sending a reply to the client computer that includes a reprint authorization when the account is verified and other criteria are satisfied, and otherwise sending a negative reply to the client computer that does not include the reprint authorization;
• the evaluating step including applying the other criteria to the request, the other criteria including a limit on reprint requests to be authorized for the account during a predefined time period.

A computer implemented method to enable a user to reprint a postage indicia at a client computer, comprising:

• receiving a request from a client computer for authorization to reprint a mail piece that includes a postage indicia, wherein the request includes information identifying an account for printing postage indicia;
• evaluating the request, including verifying that said account is valid;
• and
• sending a reply to the client computer that includes a reprint authorization when the account is verified and other criteria are satisfied, and otherwise sending a negative reply to the client computer that does not include the reprint authorization;
• the evaluating step including applying the other criteria to the request, the other criteria including a cumulative monetary limit on reprint requests to be authorized for the account during a predefined time period.

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

• a mail metering module that includes instructions for:
• generating a mail piece that includes a postage indicia;
• printing the mail piece;
• upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, sending a reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location;
• upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, enabling the user to print a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia;
• and
• preventing reprinting of the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority;
• wherein the reprint authorization from the authorizing authority is denied when, upon evaluation of the reprint request by the authorizing authority, the reprint request is determined to not satisfy at least one of a plurality of criteria, the plurality of criteria including an account verification criterion and a reprint limit criterion, the reprint limit criterion comprising a limit on reprint requests to be authorized for an account associated with the user during a predefined time period.

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

• a reprint authorization module that includes instructions for:
• receiving a request from a client computer for authorization to reprint a mail piece that includes a postage indicia, wherein the request includes information identifying an account for printing postage indicia;
• evaluating the request, including verifying that said account is valid;
• sending a reply to the client computer that includes a reprint authorization when the account is verified and other criteria are satisfied, and otherwise sending a negative reply to the client computer that does not include the reprint authorization;
• wherein the request evaluating instructions in the reprint authorization module include instructions for applying the other criteria to the request, the other criteria including a limit on reprint requests to be authorized for the account during a predefined time period.

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

• a reprint authorization module that includes instructions for:
• receiving a request from a client computer for authorization to reprint a mail piece that includes a postage indicia, wherein the request includes information identifying an account for printing postage indicia;
• evaluating the request, including verifying that said account is valid;
• sending a reply to the client computer that includes a reprint authorization when the account is verified and other criteria are satisfied, and otherwise sending a negative reply to the client computer that does not include the reprint authorization;
• the request evaluating instructions in the reprint authorization module include instructions for applying the other criteria to the request, the other criteria including a cumulative monetary limit on reprint requests to be authorized for the account during a predefined time period.

A computer data signal residing on a medium, the computer data signal carrying program module data for receipt and storage in a computer system, the program module data comprising:

• a mail metering module that includes instructions for:
• generating a mail piece that includes a postage indicia;
• printing the mail piece
• upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, sending a reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location;
• upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, enabling the user to print a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia;
• preventing reprinting of the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority;
• wherein the reprint authorization from the authorizing authority is denied when, upon evaluation of the reprint request by the authorizing authority, the reprint request is determined to not satisfy at least one of a plurality of criteria, the plurality of criteria including an account verification criterion and a reprint limit criterion, the reprint limit criterion comprising a limit on reprint requests to be authorized for an account associated with the user during a predefined time period.

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

• a mail metering module that includes instructions for:
• generating a mail piece that includes a postage indicia;
• printing the mail piece;
• upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, sending a reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location;
• upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, enabling the user to print a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia;
• and
• preventing reprinting of the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority;
• wherein the reprint authorization from the authorizing authority is denied when, upon evaluation of the reprint request by the authorizing authority, the reprint request is determined to not satisfy at least one of a plurality of criteria, the plurality of criteria including an account verification criterion and a reprint limit criterion, the reprint limit criterion comprising a cumulative monetary limit on reprint requests to be authorized for an account associated with the user.

A computer implemented method to enable a user to reprint a postage indicia at a client computer, comprising:

• generating a postage indicia;
• printing a mail piece with said indicia thereon;
• upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, sending a reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location;
• upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, enabling the user to print a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia;
• and
• preventing reprinting of the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority;
• wherein the reprint authorization from the authorizing authority is denied when, upon evaluation of the reprint request by the authorizing authority, the reprint request is determined to not satisfy at least one of a plurality of criteria, the plurality of criteria including an account verification criterion and a reprint limit criterion, the reprint limit criterion comprising a cumulative monetary limit on reprint requests to be authorized for an account associated with the user.