US 7,257,558 B2 · System and method for conducting a financial transaction between a sender and recipient of a mail piece

Abstract

In a postage payment system, a secure integrated circuit (IC) card is used to manage postage funds, and created encrypted postage indicia. Among other things, the system is capable of performing charge-back accounting of postage expenses and generating mail contents. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the postage indicia are applied onto selected locations of the mail contents while they are being generated. In the preferred embodiment, each mail content is placed in a window envelope such that the postage indicium on the mail content exposes through a window of the envelope to facilitate inspection of the indicium. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, by including transactional data in addition to the traditional postal data in a postage indicium, the indicium can be used to pay bills, purchase products and services, including any courier service different than the postal service.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An apparatus for dispensing postage for a mail piece comprising:

a memory for storing first data representative of a value of postage funds;
an interface, operably connected to the memory, for receiving selected information concerning a mail piece content and information concerning a value of the postage, the value of the postage funds being a function of the value of the postage;
and
a processor operably connected to the memory and the interface for receiving selected information, for encrypting at least the selected information to generate second data, the first data and the second data being provided to a mail processor for creation of an indicium indicative of payment of the postage, the mail piece content, an additional payment amount, and payee to receive the additional payment;
wherein the mail processor generates control instructions to a printer for printing the indicium in a selected location on the mail piece content such that the indicium is exposed through a window, the window being on a cover for enclosing the mail piece content;
and
wherein the additional payment amount is deposited in an account belonging to the payee when the mail piece is processed by a mail piece carrier.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for conducting a financial transaction between a sender and recipient of a mail piece

Life of this patent

System and method for conducting a financial transaction between a sender and recipient of a mail piece

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19