METHOD FOR REMOVING FUNDS FROM A POSTAL SECURITY DEVICE

摘要

A method for removing postal funds from a postage meter provides an accounting unit of a postage meter with indicium-related information which i s invalid for mailing. The accounting unit generates a digital signature, whic h is an encrypted value of the postal funds removed from the postage meter and other postal data including the indicium-related information. The accounting unit through a Host PC sends to a data center the amount of the postal funds removed from the postage meter and the digital signature. The data center verifies that the digital signature has been generated using the indicium-re lated information. The meter is disabled when the digital signature cannot be verified. When the digital signature is verified a request for a refund i s sent by the data center to a postal authority. An example of the indicium-re lated information is an invalid destination postal code or an invalid origination postal code.