Aspects of the technology described herein provide an activatable postage. The activatable postage is printed on a media, such as an envelope or sticker. Initially, the activatable postage has no postage value and may not have any value until activated. Each instance of activatable postage can include a unique identifier encoded in a machine-readable format. Postage value is added to the activatable postage through an activation process. To activate an individual instance of activatable postage, the unique identifier encoded in the activatable postage needs to be provided to the activation application. At the end of the activation process, a central database is updated to associate the unique identifier with a postal value calculated during activation. When the Postal Service receives an item with activatable postage it validates the activatable postage and then deactivates the activatable postage by updating the central database.

Systems and methods which provide secure value bearing indicia using clear media are shown. Embodiments of the invention provide value bearing indicia on clear media having security features to discourage reuse and/or copying. Embodiments provide value bearing indicia on clear media having controlled cuts in the surface of the clear media to facilitate the destruction of the value bearing indicia when removal is attempted after affixing to a host object. Patterns in which controlled cuts are provided in the clear media are preferably adapted to facilitate desired destruction of the value bearing indicia on clear media. Embodiments may utilize adhesive patterning to facilitate destruction or otherwise disabling the clear fungible postage indicia when removal from a host object is attempted. Embodiments of the invention may additionally or alternatively use adhesive adaption, such as adhesive colorization and/or adhesive characteristic variation, to provide security with respect to clear fungible postage indicia.

Systems, methods, and computer readable media for transferring data from a delivery item to a label for application of the label onto the delivery item are disclosed. In some aspects, the system can include a camera configured to capture an image of the data on the delivery item, a control computer including at least one hardware processor and memory, the control computer being configured to process the image of the data, integrate the image of the data into a label template, and to generate a print file from the label template, and at least one label applicator disposed after the camera relative to a direction of travel of the delivery item on a conveyor, the at least one label applicator being configured to print the label including the data contained in the print file and apply the printed label onto a top surface of the delivery item.

A distribution item is disclosed. The distribution item includes a first item comprising a container having an outer surface defining an enclosed space. A computer-readable code is disposed on the outer surface. The computer-readable code is associated with a first level entity. The first item also includes destination information associated with a second level entity disposed on the outer surface. The distribution item also includes one or more second items removably positioned within the enclosed space of the first item. Each of the one or more second items includes the computer-readable code associated with the first level entity.

Mailpiece manufacturing, distribution and communication system comprising at least one production centre, a production software/server for generating and sending production orders to at least one processing equipment over a network for printing documents and assembling the printed documents in a mailpiece, a distribution centre for delivering the mailpiece to a customer and a domain server for interactive customer communication, the mailpiece comprising a single barcode containing a web page link for accessing the domain server and comprising processing equipment control codes or a mailpiece identifier for controlling the at least one processing equipment and for interactive customer communication.

Various embodiments of present invention provide systems, methods, and computer-program products containing executable code for processing a package for shipping with a common carrier. Various embodiments include a wireless computing device that may be one of several types of devices such as smartphones, mobile telephones, mobile computers, portable digital assistants, laptop computers, gaming devices, electronic tablets, or other types of similar devices that may be used to facilitate the shipping and expedited tracking of objects having a tracking number via multimedia capture and processing.

Various embodiments of present invention provide systems, methods, and computer-program products containing executable code for processing a package for shipping with a common carrier. Various embodiments include a wireless computing device that may be one of several types of devices such as smartphones, mobile telephones, mobile computers, portable digital assistants, laptop computers, gaming devices, electronic tablets, or other types of similar devices. In particular embodiments, executable code is installed on the wireless computing device that, when executed, causes the device to perform certain functionality. For instance, in particular embodiments, the wireless computing device records an image of a shipping form being placed on a package, verifies the image is suitable for analysis and transmission, and extracts a tracking number from the image. Further, the wireless computing device transmits the image to a common carrier so that the carrier may process information extracted from the image to facilitate shipping the package.

Various embodiments of present invention provide systems, methods, and computer-program products containing executable code for processing a package for shipping with a common carrier. Various embodiments include a wireless computing device that may be one of several types of devices such as smartphones, mobile telephones, mobile computers, portable digital assistants, laptop computers, gaming devices, electronic tablets, or other types of similar devices. In particular embodiments, executable code is installed on the wireless computing device that, when executed, causes the device to perform certain functionality. For instance, in particular embodiments, the wireless computing device records an image of a shipping form being placed on a package, verifies the image is suitable for analysis and transmission, and extracts a tracking number from the image. Further, the wireless computing device transmits the image to a common carrier so that the carrier may process information extracted from the image to facilitate shipping the package.

Systems described herein for controlling, requesting, and coordinating the creation and generation of labels can be a label broker, providing a centralized location for storing label information created by various entities, and managing the requests for generation of physical labels coming from various sources and entities.

Aspects of the technology described herein provide an activatable postage. The activatable postage is printed on a media, such as an envelope or sticker. Initially, the activatable postage has no postage value and may not have any value until activated. Each instance of activatable postage can include a unique identifier encoded in a machine-readable format. Postage value is added to the activatable postage through an activation process. To activate an individual instance of activatable postage, the unique identifier encoded in the activatable postage needs to be provided to the activation application. At the end of the activation process, a central database is updated to associate the unique identifier with a postal value calculated during activation. When the Postal Service receives an item with activatable postage it validates the activatable postage and then deactivates the activatable postage by updating the central database.