Systems and methods for providing change of address services over a network

摘要

This disclosure describes systems and methods for collecting and processing change of address data and providing change of address services to a customer using a computer network. The address data can include a physical address, an electronic address, or both. The systems and methods may also provide additional services to the customer to assist in changing addresses.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for providing an electronic change-of-address service from a first old address of a first customer to a first new address of the first customer, comprising:
receiving, with a computer, change-of-address information and credit card information from the first customer over a network; verifying an identity of the first customer comprising:
determining, with the computer, whether the credit card information matches fraudulent credit card information stored in a fraud database;receiving, with the computer, credit card verification information from a third party credit card verifier indicating whether the credit card information matches collected address information for the first customer stored in an address database; andverifying the identity, with the computer, when there is no match with the fraudulent credit card information, and the credit card verification information indicates the credit card information matches the collected address information; processing the change-of-address information electronically to enable the first customer to receive a delivery item addressed to the first old address of the first customer at the first new address of the first customer, wherein the processing includes detection of duplicate change-of-address information; providing, using a processor associated with the computer, a value-added service to the first customer, including:
displaying, to the first customer over the network, a value-added services menu listing a plurality of value-added services to assist the first customer in changing from the first old address to the first new address, wherein the plurality of value-added services includes an e-mail forwarding service;receiving, from the first customer over the network, a selection of at least one of the plurality of value-added services from the menu; andfacilitating providing the selected value-added service to the first customer;wherein the at least one selected value-added services includes the e-mail forwarding service and providing the e-mail forwarding service comprises:
receiving a new email address and an old email address from the first customer;generating a deflector record comprising the old email address;sending the deflector record to an old email service provider;receiving an email addressed to the old email address from the old email service provider based on the deflector record; andforwarding the email addressed to the old email address to the new email address; and contacting a second customer who has changed from a second old address to a second new address comprising:
receiving a request from the first customer to contact the second customer using the second old address;determining the second new address for the second customer using a database storing change-of-address information including the second old address and the second new address; andproviding the first new address of the first customer to the second customer at the second new address.