System and method for securely disseminating and managing postal rates
US8751409B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 9, 2011 |
| Grant date | Jun 10, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 8, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07B2017/00161
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The system and method described herein may securely disseminate and manage postal rate information, including discount or custom postal rates established in contractual agreements negotiated between a postal service and certain mailers, among other postal rate types. For example, the postal service may upload postal rates to a server associated with a postage vendor and optionally associate the postal rates with particular mailers. The postal service and/or postage vendor may then validate whether the postal rates were correctly uploaded, and the postage vendor may then enable applicable mailers to utilize the postal rates in response to validating that the postal rates were correctly uploaded. Additionally, the postage vendor may maintain records relating to postage transactions, which a mailer can use to support a request to negotiate the custom postal rates with the postal service and subsequently prove compliance with any terms and conditions associated therewith.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.