Method to account for domestic and international mail fees

• US 20030093389A1
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Critelli, Michael J., Sansone, Ronald P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/402
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00362 Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00427 Special accounting procedures, e.g. storing special information

Abstract

The invention makes it easier for the post office to calculate accurately terminal dues by providing information to the post regarding each piece or parcel of mail that crosses an international border. The invention also makes it easier for the post offices to calculate terminal dues by obtaining fee information from mail that is sent internationally. The foregoing is accomplished by placing an indication on the mail that the fees for delivering the mail have been paid or will be paid by a mailer who has an account with the post office; sorting the mail to find international mail; storing the fees that have been paid or will be paid for international mail; reporting the fees that have been paid for international mail to all participating post offices; and calculating the fees that are to be transferred to participating post offices.

Claims

1. A method to account for mail fees, said method comprising the steps of:

placing an indication on the mail that the fees for delivering the mail have been paid or will be paid by a mailer who has an account with the post;

sorting the mail to find international mail;

storing the fees that have been paid or will be paid for international mail;

reporting the fees that have been paid for international mail to all participating posts; and

calculating the fees that are to be transferred to participating posts.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the steps of:

sorting the mail to find domestic mail;

storing the fees that have been paid or will be paid for domestic mail; and

reporting the fees that have been paid or will be paid for domestic mail.

3. A method to account for domestic and international mail fees, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing indicator accounts that senders of mail use for carrier services;

issuing indicators that uniquely identify mail, specify the services requested to be performed by the carrier and the sender of the mail;

placing an indicator on the face of the mail;

scanning the face of the mail including the indicator to find international mail;

determining the fees to deliver international mail;

storing the fees that have been paid or will be paid for international mail; and

processing the mail if the indicator was issued to the sender and not heretofore used.

4. The method claimed in claim 3, further including the step of:

reporting the fees that have been paid for international mail to all participating posts.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, further including the step of:

calculating the fees that are to be transferred to participating posts.

6. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein the requested services may be charged to the sender'"'"'s credit card.

7. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein the determining step further includes the steps of:

weighing the mail;

calculating the amount of monies due the carrier using the requested services and the weight of the mail; and

debiting a sender'"'"'s account for the calculated services.

8. The method claimed in claim 7, further including the step of:

canceling the indicator.

9. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein the determining step further includes the steps of:

deciding the size of the mail;

calculating the amount of monies due the carrier using the requested services and the size of the mail; and

debiting a sender'"'"'s account for the calculated services.

10. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein the determining step further includes the steps of:

deciding the cost of the requested service; and

charging the requested service to the mailer.

11. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein the processing step further includes the step of:

tracking the mail; and

routing the mail to the recipient.

12. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein the indicators are labels that are affixed to the mail.

13. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein the indicator is printed on security material.

14. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein indicators on the labels are printed by an electronic postage meter.

15. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein indicators on the labels are printed by a personal computer meter.

16. The method claimed in claim 12, further including the step of:

collecting the costs of all mail that is going to be delivered to a foreign country.

17. The method claimed in claim 12, further including the step of:

sending the recipient'"'"'s name and address to the foreign countries'"'"' official name and address data base to establish if the mail is deliverable to the recipient.

18. The method claimed in claim 17, further including the step of:

determining the costs that the foreign carrier charges the domestic carrier to deliver the mail in the foreign country.

19. The method claimed in claim 17, further including the step of:

increasing the terminal dues for delivering mail addressed to a destination in a foreign country if the foreign carrier'"'"'s periodic cost for delivering the mail is greater than expected.

20. The method claimed in claim 17, further including the step of:

using the foreign and domestic carriers'"'"' actual costs to deliver the mail to negotiate new terminal dues charges between the domestic and foreign carriers.