JPS61240360A - Postage charge processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remove necessity for carrying a machine when paying the postage charge by executing the processing as to the postage charge by means of a card on both parts of the post office and the customer. CONSTITUTION:The card offered by a customer is inserted in the card insertion part of the host processor and the amount of the advance deposite is inputted to an amount input part 5a. The recording of the amount to be paid, its display and the printing and issuing of a receipt are executed by operating a start key 5c. The processor, in parallel with the writing in the card, outputs the data of the user's code and the amount of advance deposite to a summing device 26 through a read control circuit 2c and an output control circuit 2b. And the said device 26 makes use of the data in summing the amount of the postage charge to be paid. In such way, by one time operation by the officer at the time of paying, the clerical services of such as receipt issuance and summing are conducted, therefore the service is rationalized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field to which the Invention Pertains This invention relates to a system in which a user pays postage to a post office using a predetermined method, and the user then uses a predetermined card and processing machine in his or her possession to post the required amount. The present invention relates to a postage processing device that allows users to set postage rates themselves, print stamps on mail items, and mail the items directly.

Prior Art and its Disadvantages I In the prepayment type, when making a prepayment, the user separates the container body containing the charge storage section, charge setting section, and processing section from the main body containing the printing section and brings it to the post office to check the charge amount. In exchange for payment, a bureau staff member will set the prepayment amount on the container.
Part of the charge memory 1 is permanently installed in the child and connected to the main unit 1
When the postage is set in the rate setting section according to the weight of the mail each time it is shipped, and when it is operated, a stamp of the same amount will be printed, and the processing section will reduce the amount in the stamp printing section from the prepaid amount in the rate storage section. It is something.

In addition, with the deferred payment type, when a stamp of the required amount is printed each time a shipment is sent, the processing section adds up the postage of the same amount and stores it in the charge storage section. By bringing the postage to the post office and paying the cumulative amount of unpaid postage to the post office, which is confirmed by the post office, the contents of the postage storage section are reset and the contents can be made available again.

As mentioned above, in the past, in both pre-payment and post-payment types, when paying the fee, a container with a considerable volume and weight had to be carried a long distance to the post office, which was not only inconvenient to handle. In addition, when paying fees, fill in the payer's name, machine number, payment date, payment amount, etc. on the application/receipt form written by the office and submit it. It is necessary to have the receipt affixed with an office seal, which wastes a lot of time for the user.Furthermore, the main processing machine performs back-office tasks such as tabulation and management based on the receipt copy. Logistics operations were also extremely complicated.

Purpose of the Invention In view of the above points, the first object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for users to bring equipment to the post office each time they pay postage.

The second purpose is to make the above-mentioned object applicable to each of the pre-payment and deferred payment-type devices, as well as the pre-payment and deferred payment-type devices that can be used up to a limit beyond the pre-payment amount.

Means for Achieving the Purpose In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in this invention, the amount of money that the user can use for printing stamps by paying postage in advance (advance payment 11i) or the total amount of unpaid postage used for printing stamps (unpaid amount) Using a card that magnetically records data and a numerical pattern and makes the numerical pattern visible, a processing machine installed at the user side performs arithmetic processing on postage based on stamp printing. , has the function of reading the card and writing the processing results, and the processing machine installed at the post office has the function of writing the prepaid amount to the card, or reading and erasing the unpaid amount. With this system, postage-related processing can be carried out using the card at both the post office and the user.

Embodiment of the Invention Next, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

To implement this invention, a card, a master processing machine installed at a post office to perform necessary processing regarding postage on the card brought by a user, and a predetermined processing machine installed at the user side A slave processing machine is required to perform stamp printing, amount calculation, and other necessary processing regarding the postage charges set by the user based on the card.

The configuration and functions of the master processing machine and slave processing machine are such that the user can use either the prepayment type where the user pays the postage in advance or the deferred payment type where the user pays the postage in arrears, or basically the prepayment type where the user can use the postage in excess of the prepaid amount. There are some differences depending on the type etc. Each type will be explained below.

Prepayment type (A1) card As illustrated in Fig. 3, the card used in this invention has the prepayment amount or the remaining amount after use and the user's number indicated on the back (Fig. 3 (a)). It has a second recording surface rB2 on which magnetic recording is performed in a pattern, and the surface (Fig. 3 (
(b)) The 0 surface preferably has a display section d that visibly displays the numerical pattern by receiving a magnetic force due to recording on the second recording surface, and preferably includes a title indicating the recorded contents of the card and a machine number of the user. Please print the entry field and post office name etc.0
The machine number will be entered by the station staff.

(B1) Main processing machine In the prepayment type, the main processing machine has the minimum function of issuing a new card C or the card C brought by the user when the user prepays postage. The method is to magnetically record the prepaid amount equal to the paid amount, visually display it, and issue or return it to the user, preferably the user who newly inputs or reads from the card. Based on the separate information and the entered prepayment amount, it is equipped with a function to print and issue a prepayment receipt and record the postage receipt in parallel with recording on the card.

B1 in FIG. 1 shows an example of the main processor, and when the card C is inserted into the card insertion section 1, the control section 2 shown in FIG. The control circuit 2a reads the first card of the card via the reading section 3a.
The remaining amount (x) of the prepaid amount and the user code, which is information for each user, are read from the recording surface ral, and these are stored in the storage control circuit 2.
The data is stored in the storage unit 4 via b.

The operating unit 5 of the main processing machine includes designation keys 5a and 5b for specifying whether to input the delivery amount or the deposit amount, and a numeric keypad for inputting the delivery amount or the deposit amount.
It is provided with a cancel key 5d for canceling the C1 input and a start key 5e for instructing the start of processing. and,
After inserting the card, press the advance payment designation key 5a and press the numeric keypad 5.
After entering the prepayment amount (y) from C and pressing the deposit designation key,
When the station staff enters the amount (Z) deposited by the user, y,
z is sequentially stored in a predetermined area of the storage unit 4,
Further, the images are displayed in parallel or alternately on the display unit 6 via the 1-display control circuit 2f.

When the start key 5e is pressed, first, the remaining amount X and the prepaid amount y are read out from the storage section 4 via the readout control circuit 2c of the control section 2, and are added by the calculation section 7, resulting in the addition result (x+y). is the current amount of the prepayment available to the user, and the current amount of the prepayment and the data of the user code are written to the first recording surface ral of the card C by the write control circuit 2g via the writing section 3b. The pattern of the current amount of prepayment is magnetically recorded on each of the two recording surfaces.

Since the card is held with its display section d facing toward the front through the see-through window 8 of the main processing machine, the current amount of the recorded deposit can be visually confirmed.

Further, when the start key 5e is pressed, the deposit amount (2) and the prepaid amount (y) are read out from the storage section 4 and given to the calculation section 7, which subtracts the latter from the former and ( y-z) The amount of change is calculated and displayed on the display section 6.

Therefore, the station staff can pay change according to this displayed amount.

Once the current amount of prepayment and user code have been recorded on the card, the card insertion section allows the card to be removed by the staff member. In order to facilitate the insertion of such a card, the writing of reading information on the card, and the removal of the card, some ingenuity is required.

To explain the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a see-through window 8 at least equal to the display area of the display section d of the card is provided on the front of the box of the main processor, and a card insertion slot 9 is provided on the top surface of the box. A frame 11 is provided at the rear of the window that can swing back and forth about a shaft 10, and a carriage 13 with a magnetic head 12 attached to the frame is provided with a threaded rod 15 passing through a guide 14 provided on the frame. The threaded rod can be rotated to the right or left by a reversible motor 16 attached to the frame.
The ends of the plungers 19 of 8 are connected, and the frame 11 is normally moved backward as shown by the chain line in FIG. 4 by a solenoid spring 20 to facilitate card insertion.
The magnetic head is brought into contact with the back of the card by energizing the solenoid based on the card insertion detection signal, energizing the frame as shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, and rotating the motor 16. to read from the first recording surface raI of the card and from the first recording surface r
It is possible to write to the second recording surface ra2.

Moreover, when the writing of the current amount of prepayment and the user code is completed, the energization to the solenoid 8 is stopped and the frame 11 is moved back again. When the card C is inserted from the insertion slot, it is received by the tray 21. The tray can be moved up and down between two positions, using a link connected to the tray and a solenoid, or a cam 22 and a motor in contact with the tray. The upper part of the card protrudes from the insertion slot so that the card can be easily removed.

Any known means can be used to raise and lower the tray.

In addition, in order to insert the card C into the insertion part of the processing machine and hold it in a state suitable for reading and writing by the reading part and the writing part, it is not limited to the above example, but for example, it is used in a tape deck, etc. When a card is placed in a front-opening tray and the tray is closed, the tray is locked and the back of the card comes into contact with the magnetic head of the carriage, which is reciprocatably held in a fixed frame. It can be configured as follows.

The above has explained the case where postage prepayment processing is performed for a user who brings a card, but in order to issue a card to a person who uses the device according to the present invention for the first time, it is necessary to make the first prepayment payment. A new card will be issued at that time.

In this case, after inserting a blank card into the insertion section, press the code input designation key 5f, enter the user code using the numeric keypad 5C, enter the prepayment amount, the amount to be paid, and press the start key. , the prepaid amount on the first recording surface,
The user code is the prepaid amount on the second recording surface.

Cards with each number pattern recorded on them will be created, and the post office will issue these to new book users.

The master processor also has a postage receipt issuing unit 23 and a user who stores the user code as an address and at least the name of the user and the number of the slave processor used by the user, which will be described later. It has a table 24, and when the start key 58 is pressed, the readout control circuit 2C reads the prepaid amount from the storage section 4, and the name and machine number of the user from the user table 24 based on the user code. are read out, and by manipulating the print control circuit 21, the machine number, user name, etc. The staff prints the name and prepaid amount and sends it out from the exit 25.The station staff cuts the sent item into a predetermined size along the perforation or with a cutter provided at the exit, takes it out, and fills the specified blank space. A post office stamp will be affixed to the document, and this document will be issued to the user as a postage receipt.

As described above, according to the present invention, by simply inserting the card submitted by the user into the card insertion section of the main processing machine, inputting the prepaid amount, and operating the start key, the prepaid amount can be recorded and displayed on the card. Receipts can be printed and issued.

Further, in parallel with writing to the card, the main processor outputs the read control circuit 2C and output control data to the totaling device 26 connected to this processor, and the totaling device totalizes the amount of postage paid. It is available for use. Instead of directly outputting the data to the outside, the data is stored in a storage medium using a separate storage means provided within the processing machine, and the storage medium is aggregated by an external aggregation device at regular intervals.
It can also be used for classification processing. In any case, back office work such as receipt issuance and aggregation can be done by a single operation at the time of postal charge payment by the office staff, which greatly streamlines the process.

(C1) Sub-processor A user who has prepaid postage at a post office must use a card with the machine number and post office name printed on it and the prepaid amount displayed on the display section d, as shown in Figure 3. By taking C home and inserting it into the card insertion part of the slave processor, the slave processor becomes usable.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a slave processor.

The slave processing machine, like the master processing machine, has a card insertion section 27 that holds the inserted card so that the display contents of the display section of the inserted card can be seen from the outside, and a card insertion section 27 that reads and reads the card in the insertion section.
In addition to having a reading section 28a and a writing section 28b for writing, there is also a charge setting section 2 on the operating section 29 of the processing machine, which consists of a numeric keypad for setting the amount of postage for outgoing mail.
9a, a start key 29b for commanding manual input of the amount set in the charge setting section, and a print key 29c for commanding journal print, which will be described later. A display section 30 is provided to display the set amount of postage.

The rate setting section may be configured with a rotary set of digital switches.

Further, a stamp printing section 31 and a journal printing section 32 are provided in the box of the slave processing machine, and a calculation section 33 is provided for controlling each section and performing calculation processing based on input data. If the processing machine is enabled to operate when a predetermined key is inserted into the keyhole 43 provided on the operation surface and the processing machine is operated, unauthorized use of the processing machine can be prevented.

Hereinafter, the operation of the above configuration will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG. 1O.

After operating the key, the user sets the postage amount f for the mail to be shipped using the fee setting section 29a, and the amount is displayed on the display section 30, allowing the user to check whether there is a setting error. Then, when you press the start key 29b,
The input control circuit 34a of the control unit 34 inputs the set amount f, and the reading control circuit 34b inputs the set amount f to the reading unit 2.
Prepayment balance x1 from the first recording surface of card C via 8a
is read, the set amount f and the balance of the prepaid amount Xi are stored in the storage section 35, and the arithmetic section 33 determines whether x1≧f via the arithmetic control circuit 34c.

If xl≧f, a lamp 36a provided in the display unit 36 is turned on based on an output signal to that effect from the calculation unit to inform the user that the remaining amount of the prepayment is insufficient. There is.

In addition, if xl>f or If there is no tape left, another lamp 36b of the display section 36 is turned on to indicate that the tape is out.

On the other hand, if there is a tape, the control section 34 reads the set amount f from the storage section 35 via the readout control circuit 34d, drives the stamp printing section 31 via the printing control circuit 34e, and sets the amount f. The control unit 34 causes the calculation unit 33 to calculate a calculation to subtract the set amount f from the prepayment balance x1 at the time of reading, and The calculation result and the user code are written to the first recording surface ral of the card C via the writing section 28b by the writing control circuit 34f.
Also, change the number pattern of the current amount of advance payment (x2) to the second
Each recording surface ra2 is magnetically recorded.

This means that the postage processing for one mail item has been completed.

However, from a management standpoint, users may want to know the number of mail shipments and the total amount of postal expenses during a certain period of time. In order to meet this demand, the slave processor is equipped with a counter 38 that counts the number of presses of the start key 29b or the number of times stamps are printed. is input to the tally recording section 39 and accumulated, and by operating the journal print command key 29d at regular intervals, the journal printing section 32 operates to print the data in the recording section 39. It is now possible to blit out. In addition, by connecting the date setting amount and clock 40 to the slave processor and inputting the date and time signal to the control unit 34, the printing date and time of each stamp can be recorded, and the progress can be tracked from the printed journal. It can also be made possible.

In this way, the stamp is printed and the output port 37
The tape is cut out using a cutter installed at the outlet.

Since this tape has glue attached to the back, it can be applied to mail by applying water to the back, and then directly inserted into the mailbox.

Every time a predetermined amount of stamps is printed, the arithmetic control circuit 34
The same amount f is calculated by the calculation unit via c as the current amount of advance payment X! The remaining amount (x2) is recorded on the first recording surface and the second recording surface of the card and displayed on the display section d.

Then, when the displayed amount becomes a certain amount, or at a predetermined time, take out Card C, or exchange it with another card that has enough prepayment amount, and bring the removed card to the post office. In exchange for payment of advance payment,
The card can be used again by recording the new prepaid amount by the parent processing machine.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, when a postage analog weighing scale 41 is attached to the slave processing machine and a postal item is placed on the tray 42, the postage amount indicated by the pointer is read and the postage setting section reads the postage amount indicated by the pointer. Although the setting may be made by operating 29a, it is also possible to use an electronic digital meter, a postage table corresponding to the weighing, and a start key 29b.
When pressed, the input control circuit 34a of the control unit 34 inputs the measured value of the scale, the input control circuit 34a reads out the postage table, determines the postage amount for the mail in the calculation unit, and stores it. It is also possible to store the set amount in a predetermined area of the section 35, so that just by placing the mail on the tray 42 and pressing the start key, the stamp will be automatically printed, the amount will be deducted from the prepaid amount, and the contents recorded on the card will be automatically printed. It is possible to provide a processor for updating information, counting shipments, and recording postage.

■ Deferred payment type (A2) card The structure of the card used in the deferred payment type is no different from that of the prepayment type, but the title is, for example, "Unpaid amount" and the amount displayed in display section d is the unpaid amount. means the amount of postage.

(B2) Parent processor The basic configuration of the parent processor in the deferred payment type is the same as that of the above-mentioned prepaid type parent processor.

In this case, the main function of the main processing machine is to automatically read the unpaid amount of postage used by the user over a certain period from the card the user brings, and then use this information to accurately pay the postage, issue a receipt, and tally the amount. Since it is used for saving the amount, the storage section 4 stores the cumulative amount of used postage x2 read from the second recording surface RA2 of the card inserted into the card insertion section L. and the user code, and are used to store the deposit amount z2 inputted from the amount input section, and the calculation section 7 is configured so that the cumulative amount x2 in the storage section and the deposit IEI Z 2 are x2≦ The difference is that it is determined whether the condition z2 is satisfied and the change amount (Z2-X2) is calculated by subtracting the cumulative amount from the deposited amount.

In this deferred payment type, as shown in Fig. 11, when the start key is operated after inputting the deposit amount, if it is determined that the condition x2≦22 is satisfied, the cumulative amount and usage are determined based on the output signal to that effect. The user code is stored in the aggregation device 26 or another storage medium for aggregation, and then the
The cumulative amount "0" and the user code are recorded on the recording surface ra1, a pattern of "0" is recorded on the second recording surface ra2, and "0" is displayed on the display section d, and the card is It is returned to its initial state and returned to the user.

Further, based on the operation of the start key 5e, the receipt issuing unit 23 first explains about FIG. 6 using the user code read from the user table 24 and the cumulative amount x2 data read from the storage unit 4. Print and issue a postage receipt similar to the one above.

(C2) Child processing machine The child processing machine in the post-delivery type becomes usable by inserting a card, and as shown in FIG. Part 3
When the start key 29b is pressed after confirming the displayed amount with 0, the stamp printing section prints a stamp of a predetermined amount based on the set charge f stored in the storage section 35 and feeds out the tape, and the same set charge is The calculation unit adds f to the already used postage amount fTo to obtain a cumulative amount fT.

is calculated. Then, the new cumulative amount data is recorded on the card together with the user code, and the latest cumulative amount fTn is always displayed on the display section d.

■ Prepayment and deferred payment type (A3) card This type is the same as the above two types except that the title is displayed as the current amount of prepayment. However, if there is a balance of the advance payment on the first recording surface r5Ll, it will be positive.
If stamp printing exceeds the prepaid amount and a shortage occurs, data (bits) each indicating a negative value are recorded together with data indicating the remaining amount or the shortage amount. In addition, if there is a balance of the prepaid amount on display part d, only numbers or "
``Remaining amount'' and a number are displayed, and in the case of a shortage, a - sign is displayed as a number or ``R deficit amount'' and a number are displayed respectively.

(B3) Main processor This type has basically the same configuration as the prepaid type mentioned above, but if the user pays the postage at the post office, it is assumed that the user will continue to use it. It would be desirable to have a payment amount y such that the prepayment balance (2 in Figure 7) on the card after payment is a certain amount (for example, 100,000 yen), and the prepayment amount should also be set at the slave processing machine. It is desired that the amount that can be used in excess of the amount (deficit amount) be limited to a certain amount (for example, -100,000 yen), and if you cancel the use, if X is positive, it will be refunded as surplus payment. , if X is negative, the same amount can be paid as unpaid postage.

(C3) In principle, slave processor users can use the service within the prepaid amount, but for those who pay a large amount of money in advance, they are unable to escape the feeling of losing the interest on their deposits due to bad weather, traffic congestion, etc. Considering that customers may not be able to go to the post office to pay their prepaid amount due to road closures or other reasons, the system is designed to allow customers to use the processing machine for more than their prepaid amount. .

In addition to adding a limit memory that stores the limit amount that can be used in excess of the prepaid amount to the configuration of the processing machine in the case of
The calculation section has a function that subtracts the amount input from the rate setting section (stamp amount) from the amount read from the card (prepaid amount or unpaid amount), and if the difference is positive, it outputs the difference, and the difference is If it is negative, the cumulative amount is calculated and output. Also, a comparing section is provided to compare the cumulative amount with the limit amount and output when the former does not exceed the latter. On the condition that a copy is output, the stamp printing section is allowed to print a stamp for the amount set by the fee setting section.

Other components, namely counter 38, recording section 39,
The functions of the date/clock 40 and the journal printing section 32 are the same as in the case of the prepaid type described above.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the first invention, the user brings only the designated card to the post office, prepays the required amount of postage, and writes the prepaid amount on the card using the processing machine. By asking them to do this, they can load it into the slave processing machine and carry out postal work.4
The balance of the prepayment is displayed on the card, which is convenient while using the slave processor, and also easy to check when paying the prepayment at the post office. be.

Further, according to the second invention, postal shipping work is performed based on the card, and when the unpaid amount reaches a predetermined amount or periodically, the card alone is brought to the post office and the information displayed on the card is displayed. You can pay the unpaid amount, change the displayed amount to O, and use the card again.

Furthermore, according to the third invention, stamps are printed based on the prepaid amount recorded on the card, and it is possible to use more than the prepaid amount depending on convenience, up to the limit! In this case as well, by bringing only the card to the post office and paying the shortfall and advance payment, the card can be recorded and used repeatedly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 10 show an embodiment of the first invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main processor, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main processor, and FIG. 3 is the apparatus of the invention. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an example of the card insertion section, FIG. 5 is a rear view showing the magnetic head moving mechanism of the card reading/writing section, and FIG. 6 is a card issued by the main processing machine. FIG. 7 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the master processor, FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the slave processor, and FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the slave processor. FIG. 1θ is a flowchart explaining the operation of the child processor. FIG. 11 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the parent processor of the second invention, and FIG. 12 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the slave processor of the second invention. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the slave processor of the third invention. Patent applicant Nippon Signal Co., Ltd. Figure 5 Figure 8 Figure 1 Figure 10 Figure 7 Figure 13 Figure 12 Figure 11

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) (a) Postage processing machines installed at post offices (
Hereinafter, it will be referred to as the parent processor. ), a postage processing/printing machine (hereinafter referred to as a child processing machine) permanently installed on the postal user side, and a master processing machine and a child processing machine that read and write postage and user identification information, respectively. (b) The card includes a first recording surface that magnetically records data regarding the prepaid amount of postage and user identification information, and the prepaid amount. or a second recording surface for magnetically recording the remaining amount in a numerical pattern, and a display section for visually displaying the numerical pattern recorded on the second recording surface; [1] A reading unit that reads the remaining amount and user identification information from the card; [2] An amount input unit that inputs the amount to be paid by the user in advance; [3] The amount read from the card and the amount input unit [4] a writing unit that writes the calculation result of the calculation unit and user identification information to the card; (d) the slave processing machine: a) a rate setting unit that sets the postage rate for each mail item to be sent; b) reads at least the prepaid amount or its remaining amount from the first recording surface of the card, and displays the remaining amount and the remaining amount output from the calculation unit described below on the same recording surface; a reading/writing section that writes the user identification information in the numerical pattern of the remaining amount on a second recording surface, and c) subtracts the amount input from the rate setting section from the prepaid amount read from the card or the remaining amount. , an arithmetic unit that outputs the remaining amount, and d) a printing unit that prints a postal stamp of the amount set by the rate setting unit if the subtraction result is not negative. . (2) (a) A master processing machine installed at a post office, a child processing machine permanently installed at a postal user, and a master processing machine and a child processing machine each reading and transmitting postage and user identification information.
(b) The card consists of a first recording surface that magnetically records data regarding the unpaid amount of postage and user identification information, and a numeric pattern of the amount of postage that is magnetically recorded on the card. (c) The slave processing machine has a second recording surface for recording numerical patterns, and a display section for visually displaying the numerical pattern recorded on the second recording surface; a charge setting section that sets charges; b) reading data from a first recording surface of the card, and transmitting the cumulative amount of unpaid amount and user identification information outputted from the calculation section described later to the same recording surface onto a second recording surface; a reading/writing unit that writes each numerical pattern of the cumulative amount; c) a calculation unit that adds the amount input from the fee setting unit to the unpaid amount read from the card and outputs the cumulative amount; d) (c) the main processing machine includes: [1] a reading unit that reads the unpaid amount and user identification information from the card; and [2] ] An amount input section for inputting the unpaid amount to be paid by the user; [3] Compare the unpaid amount read from the card with the payment amount input from the amount input section, and determine whether the latter is greater than the former, etc. [4] A postage processing device comprising: a calculation section that outputs an output when the calculation section is output; and [4] a writing section that writes user identification information to the card based on the output of the calculation section. (3) (a) A master processor installed at the post office, a slave processor permanently installed at the postal user side, and the master processor and slave processor read and write postage and user-specific information, respectively. (b) The card has a first recording surface that magnetically records data regarding the prepaid or unpaid amount of postage and user identification information, and a numerical pattern of the amount of postage. (c) The slave processing machine has a second recording surface for magnetically recording the numbers, and a display section for visually displaying the numerical pattern recorded on the second recording surface; a) a rate setting unit that sets the postage rate; b) reading data from the first recording surface of the card, and outputting the positive difference (prepayment balance) or negative difference amount to the same recording surface from the calculation unit described later; c) a reading/writing unit that writes the amount (unpaid amount) and user identification information on a second recording surface as a numerical pattern of the remaining prepaid amount or the cumulative amount, and c) the rate setting unit from the amount read from the card. d) A calculation unit that subtracts the input amount and outputs the difference if the difference is positive, and calculates the cumulative amount if the difference is negative, and d) memorizes the unpaid amount limit set at the post office. e) a comparison section that compares the cumulative amount with the maximum amount in the maximum amount memory and outputs an output when the cumulative amount does not exceed the maximum amount, and f) conditional on the output of the comparison section. (d) the main processing machine has a printing unit that prints a postal stamp for the amount set in the rate setting unit; [2] An amount input section for inputting the amount to be paid in advance by the user; [3] Adding up the amount read from the card (remaining amount of prepayment or unpaid amount) and the amount input from the amount input section. and [4] a writing section that writes the calculation results of the calculation section and user identification information onto the card.