EP2093716A1 - Verfahren zur Postbezahlung für einen individuell angepassten Portosatz - Google Patents

Verfahren zur Postbezahlung für einen individuell angepassten Portosatz Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2093716A1
EP2093716A1 EP09152451A EP09152451A EP2093716A1 EP 2093716 A1 EP2093716 A1 EP 2093716A1 EP 09152451 A EP09152451 A EP 09152451A EP 09152451 A EP09152451 A EP 09152451A EP 2093716 A1 EP2093716 A1 EP 2093716A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
stamps
postage
stamp
postal
customized
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
EP09152451A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Darryl T. Rathbun
Jr. Frederick W. Ryan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pitney Bowes Inc
Original Assignee
Pitney Bowes Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US12/325,463 external-priority patent/US8239322B2/en
Application filed by Pitney Bowes Inc filed Critical Pitney Bowes Inc
Publication of EP2093716A1 publication Critical patent/EP2093716A1/de
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00467—Transporting mailpieces
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00435—Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00016—Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system
    • G07B17/00024—Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
    • G07B2017/00048—Software architecture
    • G07B2017/00056—Client-server
    • G07B2017/00064—Virtual meter, online stamp; PSD functions or indicia creation not at user's location

Definitions

  • the invention relates generally to the field of postage stamps and more particularly, to postage stamps having Information Based Indicia.
  • postage stamps As an indication that postage has been paid for the delivery of a mailpiece.
  • postage stamps are typically produced and issued by a government agency and procured for use by the general public.
  • the postage stamps can either.be obtained at a local post office or can be procured out of a postal vending machine.
  • the postal authority often produces a limited number of special edition or commemorative stamps which are distributed for sale and used for the payment of postage or alternatively are saved as a collector's item.
  • Post Offices have also found that it is desirable to permit a consumer to obtain a postage stamp which can be personally customized in appearance by the consumer.
  • IBI Information-Based Indicia
  • the IBI consists of a two-dimensional bar code containing hundreds of bytes of information about the mail piece and certain human-readable information.
  • the indicium includes a digital signature to preclude the forgery of indicia by unauthorized parties.
  • the IBI technology of the United States Postal Service offers the postal customer a way to pay for postage without stamps. Envelopes are franked using the postal customer's personal computer, a Postal Security Device add-on, and the customer's printer.
  • the Postal Security Device provides postal value storage and the link to the USPS and the manufacturer of the personal computer compatible add-on.
  • the USPS is interested in increasing their retail presence and availability of postal products.
  • the USPS permits several different modes for paying for postage, which include postal indicia, permit mail, and stamps. None of the above is conducive to selling at a retail environment.
  • Postal indicia require a meter that ties up funds in a prepaid account and produces a monochromatic imprint that is not considered appropriate for personal mail.
  • Permit mail requires extensive processes for controlled acceptance and is even less appropriate for personal mail.
  • Stamps are appropriate for personal mail, but since they are actual payment for postage, instead of evidence of payment like indicia or paid at controlled acceptance like permit mail, retailers do not like to use stamps. There are three issues which prevent retailers from carrying stamps: cost of inventory, risk of theft, and inventory can become outdated after postal rate changes.
  • Stamps tie up retailer funds in inventory and are perceived to be a primary target for theft since they equate to a cash value. Also, in order to have a diverse inventory of stamp pictures, even more stamps must be tied up in inventory. As a result, retailers often provide minimum service by only having one type of stamp (e.g. books of twenty standard 1-ounce rate flag stamps) to limit their inventory costs.
  • one type of stamp e.g. books of twenty standard 1-ounce rate flag stamps
  • forever stamps e.g. special value stamps or stamps with a vanity/special image
  • Customized Postage such as Pitney Bowes Stamp Expressions Sheet of Stamps product
  • IBI Information Based indicia
  • ID is unique and therefore individually identifiable. Since these stamps are created from a meter in a similar process as an indicium, the postal value has already been paid to the USPS, so it does not solve the problem of the retailer tying up funds in postage.
  • This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method that enables the "pay upon use" payment for a set of multiple information-based indicia (IBI) postage (such as a sheet or booklet of Customized Postage Stamps) by charging for the entire set of postage the first time any one item of postage has been scanned by the USPS (or another postal authority).
  • a set of postage may also be a box of envelopes with postage, a roll of postage, or even an arbitrary grouping of printed postage that may be divided prior to distribution. Even if only a fraction of stamps are scanned by postal processing equipment, the following demonstrates that at least one stamp from a set will probably be scanned.
  • the probability that at least one Pay Upon Use stamp in a set will be scanned is 1 - (1-P)N, where:
  • the probability that at least one PUU stamp will be scanned is 1 -(1-0.75)10, or 99.9999%. Even if the probability of a scan is as low as 50%, the probability that at least one PUU stamp would be scanned is 1 - (1-0.5)10, or still over 99.9%.
  • the aforementioned probabilities could be used to determine an optimal mix between customer demand for smaller PUU set of stamps and the post's willingness to sacrifice a small amount of revenue to gain more retail penetration and displace costly postage stamps.
  • An advantage of this invention is that it permits proper PUU payment of all postage with the flexibility of not requiring every mailpiece to be scanned.
  • An additional advantage of this invention is that the Posts obtain proper payment of postage without the need to scan every mailpiece and gain greater penetration of postal products into the retail environment.
  • a further advantage of this invention is that the Posts are able to obtain another source of income through a wide range of specialized pictures on Customized Postage without having to sequester a large amount of cash in their postal product inventory.
  • a still further advantage of this invention is that mailers gain a greater variety of special postal products such as vanity stamps, special occasion stamps, special rate stamps (oversize, multiple ounces, and package) and only pay for postage when they start using the postal products.
  • special postal products such as vanity stamps, special occasion stamps, special rate stamps (oversize, multiple ounces, and package) and only pay for postage when they start using the postal products.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
EP09152451A 2008-02-20 2009-02-10 Verfahren zur Postbezahlung für einen individuell angepassten Portosatz Ceased EP2093716A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US3003708P 2008-02-20 2008-02-20
US12/325,463 US8239322B2 (en) 2008-02-20 2008-12-01 Method of postal payment for set of customized postage

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2093716A1 true EP2093716A1 (de) 2009-08-26

Family

ID=40652716

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP09152451A Ceased EP2093716A1 (de) 2008-02-20 2009-02-10 Verfahren zur Postbezahlung für einen individuell angepassten Portosatz

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2093716A1 (de)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20020073039A1 (en) * 2000-10-10 2002-06-13 Ogg Craig L. System and method for providing computer-based postage stamps
WO2003032110A2 (en) * 2001-10-09 2003-04-17 The Escher Group, Ltd. Sytem for combining postage, mailing address information, and payment services
US20040122779A1 (en) * 2002-08-29 2004-06-24 Vantresa Stickler Systems and methods for mid-stream postage adjustment
US20060122947A1 (en) 2004-12-08 2006-06-08 Lockheed Martin Corporation Automatic revenue protection and adjustment of postal indicia products

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20020073039A1 (en) * 2000-10-10 2002-06-13 Ogg Craig L. System and method for providing computer-based postage stamps
WO2003032110A2 (en) * 2001-10-09 2003-04-17 The Escher Group, Ltd. Sytem for combining postage, mailing address information, and payment services
US20040122779A1 (en) * 2002-08-29 2004-06-24 Vantresa Stickler Systems and methods for mid-stream postage adjustment
US20060122947A1 (en) 2004-12-08 2006-06-08 Lockheed Martin Corporation Automatic revenue protection and adjustment of postal indicia products

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