Systems and methods which provide postage indicia using mobile communication handsets are shown. According to embodiments, users are enabled to introduce mail pieces into a mail delivery stream which are accepted as having activated, value comprising postage indicia associated therewith without the use of traditional metering systems, processor-based postage generation and printing systems, or even printers. Instead, a token comprising substantially unique identification information identifying a mail piece is activated as an activated token having postage value associated therewith using mobile communication handsets, such as a smart phone, network enabled personal digital assistant, etc. according to embodiments of the invention.

A system and method for high-speed processing of mail pieces is disclosed. The high-speed system includes client server that forms and prints a shipping label comprising reduced Information-Based Indicia (RIBI) on each piece of mail. The client server provides funds to the system server and reports the RIBI usage to the system server. The system server issues tokens to the client server that allow the client server to the print a shipping label including RIBI indicia for a certain value of postage.

Systems and methods which provide metering of postage value using accumulated postage information are shown. Embodiments implement an accumulated postage register in a postage security device which is incremented each time a postage indicium is generated and which is reset when a postage value settlement operation is performed. Accumulated postage may be paid for using various accounts, including pre-funded or pre-paid accounts, credit accounts, debit accounts, and billing accounts. Accordingly, embodiments may be used with respect to a post-paid metering model, a pre-paid metering model, and combinations thereof.

Receiving payment includes the establishment, at a first server, a transaction record including information identifying a payment amount, a first account to be credited by the payment amount, and a second account to be debited by a debit amount. A financial authorization network performs an authorization analysis on at least the second account. The second account is debited if the authorization analysis is successfully completed, and the first account is directly credited by the payment amount to conclude the transaction. Risk analysis may be performed for each individual. Payment is integrated with shipping.

A mailing machine that provides for permanent postage is described. Postage may be purchased at one point of time at a then prevailing rate and used in the future at the same effective purchasing power even if a new more expensive rate schedule is in effect. The mailing machine provides for the accounting of such rate purchased postage using a Postal Security Device and may include multiple rate-table based accounts each associated with a particular postage rate table.