Method of verifying proper payment of postage

摘要

A method is disclosed for ensuring proper payment by a mailer for postage indicia printed by the postage meter of a mailing machine operated by the mailer. The method includes a series of steps carried out by the mailer in connection with the preparation of a discrete quantity of mail by use of a mailing machine which has the capability of determining and recording in a database various characteristics of the mail that affect the postage required for a postal facility to handle the mail, and generates a product usage profile of the mailer's history of mailing. The Post Office counts the mail, and then calculates an expected cost of the mailing using data from the mailer's product usage profile, and then compares that expected cost with the amount of postage credit funds remaining in the mailer's postage meter to determine whether it is likely that any fraud has occurred in the preparation of the mailing.