| 摘要 |
A method and a device for sending a standard postcard or letter which is prepaid as determined in advance by the producer or distributor in agreement with the post office, whereby a major investment in meeting the needs of the market can be avoided. This kind of prepayment may be validated by a machine with the post office's authority, and is valid according to zones such as continents or groups of countries. The machine is monitored by an appropriate department of the post office which then charges for the number of prepaid devices on a monthly basis. Ideally, the producer or distributor is sent a monthly bill for only those devices which have been registered at postal sorting centres, regardless of the large number of prepaid devices which are still available in retail outlets or held in stock. This prepayment system is valid for all mailings from all post boxes, at all times and in all approved retail outlets at a national level, and means the producer or distributor can avoid making major investments in buying large quantities of conventional stamps, while the post office can achieve large savings on the cost of printing conventional stamps and distributing them to retail outlets. This device, prepaid according to the MEFTAH system, is particularly suitable for the citizen or tourist, who can save time, and provides cost-, energy- and time-effectiveness for the post office and the operators of the system. A prepaid device according to the system is shown in figures 1R and 1V depicting the front and back of said device. The back of the device includes a large window (1) for displaying the picture on a standard postcard once it has been inserted into the device and is ready to be posted, while the front carries a prepayment symbol according to the MEFTAH system. Figure 4R shows a standard postcard inserted into the prepaid and sealed envelop (''A & D'' envelope) and ready for posting. |
