Abstract: A system and method for allowing a customer to maintain multiple customer accounts used for generating and printing postage without having to maintain a minimum amount of funds in each account. When multiple accounts are maintained for a customer, only one the of the multiple accounts maintains pre-paid funds in the registers. The other accounts do not have any pre-paid funds, i.e., maintain zero funds, in the registers. When a customer account that does not have any pre-paid funds stored therein is utilized to generate postage, the register in that account is refilled for the exact amount of postage to be generated from a customer payment account. By performing on-demand postage refills for the exact amount needed to generate an indicium, the customer is no longer required to have funds committed to each customer account while still being able to utilize multiple accounts for multiple postage printing devices.

Abstract: A system and method for allowing multiple postage meters to utilize removable storage media to accurately track and protect data generated during use is provided. A unique identifier is provided for each removable storage medium, and the removable storage medium is associated with a single meter. A catalog of additional meters authorized for use with the storage medium is maintained on each medium. When the storage medium is attached to a meter, the meter determines if the storage medium has been authorized for use with the meter or, if allowable, establishes a new entry in the catalog for the meter. Thus, data for a plurality of meters can be maintained on the same storage medium. Any discrepancies that exist between the data stored in the meter and the storage medium can be reconciled by the user, thereby allowing accurate maintenance of the data.

Abstract: A postage meter includes a vault that accounts for postage dispensed by the postage meter; and a printhead module having a printhead for printing the postage dispensed; a smart card chip having a ROM having software code stored therein; an EEPROM having an encrypted key and executable code stored therein, a CPU; a RAM; and a flash memory having an encrypted pointer data file stored therein.

Abstract: A postage meter includes a vault that accounts for postage dispensed by the postage meter; and a printhead module having a printhead for printing the postage dispensed; a smart card chip having a ROM having software code stored therein; an EEPROM having an encrypted key and executable code stored therein, a CPU; a RAM; and a flash memory having an encrypted pointer data file stored therein.

Abstract: A value dispensing system includes a vault that accounts for units of a currency type dispensed by the value dispensing system, the vault including a first identifier that indicates one of different first and second currency types the vault is currently accounting for and a second identifier indicative of whether the vault is pending conversion to account for the one of the first and second currency types it is not currently accounting for in lieu of the one of the first and second currency types it is currently accounting for; a printing module which prints an indicium indicative of value, the printing module having a first indicator indicative of which of the first and second currency types the printhead module is set to print as part of the indicium; and an apparatus for determining if a first predetermined relationship exists between the first indicator, the first identifier, and the second identifier and for preventing the printing of the indicium if the predetermined relationship does not exist.

Abstract: A postage metering system which performs a plurality of different functions including printing of postage and exchange of data with a remotely located data center to accomplish a postage fund refill of the postage metering system, a remote postage metering system inspection, and a download of location data into the postage metering system is provided and further includes a portable vault having first data indicative of location stored therein, the portable vault accounting for the value of postage printed; and a terminal which houses structure for removably receiving the portable vault, a printing mechanism for printing postage, apparatus for communicating with the data center to perform the remote postage metering system inspection, the postage fund refill of the postage metering system, and the download of location data into the postage metering system, structure for storing second data indicative of location, and apparatus for comparing the first and second data at times when the portable vault is inserted