Systems and methods for value bearing indicia balance reservation

A method comprising:

• determining if sufficient value is available in an account to complete a value bearing indicia processing session;
• if said sufficient value is available, reserving a predetermined amount of value with respect to said account to facilitate completing said value bearing indicia processing session, wherein said reserving said predetermined amount of value prevents said predetermined amount of value from being utilized with respect to any other value bearing indicia processing session until the value reservation is released;
• and
• if said sufficient value is not available, providing insufficient value processing with respect to said value bearing indicia processing session, wherein said insufficient value processing comprises:
• allowing partial operation with respect to said value bearing indicia processing so as to provide value bearing indicia processing not to exceed said value available in said account;
• and
• reserving an amount of value corresponding to said partial operation to facilitate completing said partial operation with respect to said value bearing indicia processing.

A method comprising:

• establishing hierarchical priority levels for use with respect to value bearing indicia processing sessions;
• determining if sufficient value is available in an account to complete a value bearing indicia processing session;
• if said sufficient value is available, reserving a predetermined amount of value with respect to said account to facilitate completing said value bearing indicia processing session, wherein said reserving said predetermined amount of value prevents said predetermined amount of value from being utilized with respect to any other value bearing indicia processing session until the value reservation is released;
• prior to said reserving said predetermined amount of value, determining if a priority level associated with said value bearing indicia processing session allows said reserving said predetermined amount of value in light of current value reservations made with respect to said account;
• and
• if said sufficient value is not available, providing insufficient value processing with respect to said value bearing indicia processing session.

A method comprising:

• establishing a value reservation with respect to a multi-user postage metering system account balance, an amount of said value reservation corresponding to a total amount of postage for a postage generation session;
• assigning value reservation identification to said value reservation;
• providing said value reservation identification to a system controlling said postage generation session;
• preventing transactions with respect to said account not associated with said postage generation session from debiting said account balance below a balance corresponding to said value reservation while said value reservation is active;
• and
• monitoring transactions with respect to said account for association with said value reservation identification, wherein said preventing said transactions from debiting said account is performed as a function of said monitoring, wherein transactions associated with said postage generation session include an updated amount for said value reservation included therein.

A method comprising:

• establishing a value reservation with respect to a multi-user postage metering system account balance, an amount of said value reservation corresponding to a total amount of postage for a postage generation session;
• preventing transactions with respect to said account not associated with said postage generation session from debiting said account balance below a balance corresponding to said value reservation while said value reservation is active, wherein said preventing transactions with respect to said account not associated with said postage generation session from debiting said account balance below a balance corresponding to said value reservation while said value reservation is active comprises:
• allowing partial operation with respect to said postage generation session so as to provide value bearing indicia processing not to exceed a value available in said account;
• and
• reserving an amount of value corresponding to said partial operation to facilitate completing said partial operation with respect to said postage generation session.

A method comprising:

• establishing hierarchical priority levels for use with respect to postage generation sessions;
• establishing a value reservation with respect to a multi-user postage metering system account balance, an amount of said value reservation corresponding to a total amount of postage for a postage generation session;
• prior to said establishing said value reservation, determining if a priority level associated said postage generation session allows said reserving said amount in light of current value reservations made with respect to said account;
• and
• preventing transactions with respect to said account not associated with said postage generation session from debiting said account balance below a balance corresponding to said value reservation while said value reservation is active.

A system comprising:

• a multi-user value bearing indicia metering system, wherein at least one account balance is controlled by said value bearing indicia metering system, said value bearing indicia metering system including a computer readable medium storing computer executable code thereon, said computer executable code including code for establishing a value reservation with respect to said account balance, said value reservation operable to reserve a predetermined amount of value with respect to said account to facilitate completing a value bearing indicia processing session, wherein said computer executable code further includes code for:
• establishing hierarchical priority levels for use with respect to value bearing indicia processing sessions;
• and
• prior to said reserving said value reservation, determining if a priority level associated said value bearing indicia processing session allows said reserving said value reservation in light of current value reservations made with respect to said account.