Postage meter
[4][1] Working independently, a young Chicago inventor, Arthur Pitney, obtained his first mailing system patent in 1902.Pitney's first machine consisted of a manual crank, chain action, printing die, counter, and lockout device.Years ago, users needed to take their meter to a postal office in order to add additional postage (sometimes called a "reset" or "refill").Today, users can add to their postage balance by telephone, prepaid cards, via the web or through a direct connection over the Internet.The most advanced systems print Information Based Indicia (IBI), a two-dimensional Data Matrix or bar code combined with visually identifiable characters and symbols.The data matrix contains such information as amount of postage, origin zip code, destination, mail class, weight, and confirmation/tracking numbers.In 1999, Stamps.com became the first organization to be licensed by the United States Postal Service to print valid postage from a traditional PC printer.Other elements include: For high-volume mailers, a postage meter may also be incorporated into an inserting system which prepares mail end-to-end.
Pitney Bowespostagefrankingcancellationpostmarkmeter stampaffixing machineArthur PitneyWorlds FairWalter BowesGirling LtdSherman Antitrust ActtobaccoAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineerskeyboardtelephoneprepaid cardsInformation Based IndiciaData Matrixbar codezip codePayPalStamps.comNeopostNeopost web-enabled stampsThe American Society of Mechanical EngineersGibbons Stamp MonthlyStanley GibbonsThe World's Work: A History of Our TimeMail and postal systemsHistoryTimeline of postal historyPostal censorshipAdvertising mailBulk mailEnvelopeIndiciaInformation-Based IndiciaLetter boxMail bagParcelParcel lockerPost box / MailboxRelay boxPost officePost office boxPostage stampPostal codePostal markingVariable value stampAirmailExpressPackage deliveryRegisteredSurfaceSurface Air Lifted (SAL)Mail carrierPostal workerPostmasterPostmaster GeneralIntelligent Mail barcodeMail Isolation Control and TrackingMultiline Optical Character ReaderMail coverMail sortingPackage forwardingPLANETPOSTNETPostal entitiesPostal museumsPostal servicesCourierPhilatelymost expensive philatelic itemsStamp collectingnotable stampscatalogues