Method and system for payment of permit mail

Abstract

A system and method that allows mailers of all sizes to pay for permit mail without presenting cash or a check at the time of induction is provided. A permit payment aggregator establishes a master account with the postal system for the payment of permit mail. A plurality of mailers each establish a separate account with the permit payment aggregator and transfer control of payment of mail inducted under their respective permit imprints to the permit payment aggregator. When the mailer desires to send a mailing, a request for payment of postage is made to the permit payment aggregator, which processes the information related to the mailing. The induction site communicates with the permit payment aggregator and the mailing as presented is compared with the information processed by the permit payment aggregator. If the mailing is accepted, the master account is debited for payment.

1 . A method for a payment service to pay a postal service for permit mail comprising: 
 establishing a master payment account with the postal service to pay for permit mail inducted by the postal service under a plurality of different permit imprint numbers issued to a plurality of different mailers;    receiving, at the payment service, a request from one of the plurality of mailers for the payment service to make payment for a mailing under a permit imprint number issued to the mailer;    providing information related to the mailing to a postal service induction site for the mailing; and    if the mailing is accepted by the postal service induction site, providing payment to the postal service for the mailing from the master payment account.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 establishing at least one associated mailer account for each of the plurality of mailers.    
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein providing payment to the postal service further comprises: 
 transferring funds to pay for the mailing from the at least one associated mailer account for the mailer to the master payment account.    
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the information related to the mailing includes at least one of a postal service induction site where the mailing will be inducted, a permit imprint number under which the mailing will be inducted, a range of dates during which the mailing will be inducted, a number of pieces included in the mailing, an estimated cost of the mailing, and a return address on the mailing.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein if the mailing is accepted by the postal service induction site, the method further comprises: 
 receiving, at the payment service, confirmation of induction of the mailing from the postal service induction site.    
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 providing the notification of induction of the mailing received from the postal service induction site to a third party.    
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein if a lettershop was used to prepare the mailing under a permit imprint number issued to the mailer, providing payment for the mailing from the master payment account further comprises: 
 providing payment to the lettershop for preparing the mailing from the master payment account.