Systems and Methods for Applying Postal Rate Discounts

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide a shipper a discount for each postal item that is mailed by a delivery service provider. A facilitator offers the shipper an immediate discount that is based on the shipper meeting certain requirements, e.g. purchasing a certain amount of postage value, shipping a certain number of mail items, and/or shipping a certain type of mail item such as a qualified mail piece. The facilitator will receive a rebate from the delivery service provider based on the shipper ability to meet the established requirements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for handling postal usage of a plurality of shippers associated with a licensee, wherein each shipper mails a plurality of items with a delivery service provider using a license of said licensee, the method comprising:
 providing, by a facilitator, a postage discount to a shipper of said plurality of shippers for each postal item mailed by said associated plurality of shippers, through a licensee, such that said shipper is charged a first discount rate for said postage for each postal item, wherein said first discount rate is less than a normal rate that is accessible to said shipper from said delivery service provider for said postal item; and   tracking, by a computer of a facilitator, usage information associated with said licensee and said plurality of shippers of said licensee.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 enrolling said licensee in a discount program of a facilitator; and   enrolling said licensee in a rebate program of said delivery service provider.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein enrolling said licensee in said rebate program comprises:
 designating said facilitator to receive said rebate from said delivery service provider.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, by said facilitator, displayable information to said licensee based on said usage information.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said providing said displayable information provides one or more of:
 information on an aggregate savings from said discount rates of said plurality of items, a forecast of an aggregate savings for additional items to be mailed based on said discount rate, a forecast of a number of additional items to be mailed to achieve a higher discount rate, a forecast of an aggregate savings for additional items to be mailed based on said higher discount rate, information on savings from said discount rates per shipper, a forecast of savings for additional items to be mailed based on said discount rate per shipper, a forecast of a number of additional items to be mailed to achieve a higher discount rate per shipper; and a forecast of savings for additional items to be mailed based on said higher discount rate per shipper.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said discount rate is provided when said postal item comprises a cleansed address. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said discount rate is provided after a threshold number of postal items are shipped using said license of said licensee. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said discount rate is provided after a threshold amount of postage is purchased using said license of said licensee. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said discount rate is provided to a shipper of said plurality of shippers based on a forecast of a threshold number of postal items that will be shipped using said license of said licensee. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said discount rate is provided to a shipper of said plurality of shippers based on a forecast of a threshold amount of postage that will be purchased using said license of said licensee. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 analyzing, by said computer of said facilitator, said usage information of said plurality of shippers; and   creating, for one or more of said plurality of shippers, a customized rate table based on said analyzing of said usage information.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said creating is further based on a selection from the list consisting of: a predicted shipping habit of said one or more of said plurality of shippers, and an agreement made by said one or more of said plurality of shippers. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said customized rate table is displayed on an interactive graphical user interface. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first discount rate applies to items shipped up to a first threshold by said one or more of said plurality of shippers. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 providing, by said facilitator, a second discount rate, wherein said second discount rate applies to items shipped between said first threshold and a second threshold, and wherein said first discount rate and said second discount rate are different.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said postage discount comprises an immediate discount, which is realized in a single transaction, not a rebate process. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 charging, by said facilitator, a fee for said providing of said immediate discount.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, by said facilitator, a graphical user interface that provides information about discount programs, or discount rates, or both; and   allowing one or more of said plurality of shippers to do any of the list consisting of: interact with the graphical user interface, calculate expected savings, forecast possible savings, and identify shipping strategies.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 applying, by said facilitator, for a rebate for said postal items of said licensee from said delivery service provider, using said usage information; and   receiving, by said facilitator, a rebate from said delivery service provider for said postal items.   
     
     
         20 . A system comprising:
 a computer processor operable to:
 track usage information about each postage indicium obtained by a shipper from a facilitator; 
 determine, based on said tracked usage information, a total savings accumulated by obtaining postage indicia at a first discounted postage rate, wherein said first discounted postage rate is a rate that costs less than a normal postage rate charged by a delivery service provider to a majority of other shippers, 
 identify a threshold number of additional postage indicia that must be obtained by said shipper in order to obtain a higher discounted postage rate, and 
 forecast a savings total for to be obtained indicia based on said higher discount postage rate, wherein said forecast is further based on a future discount postage rate; and 
   an interactive graphical user interface operable to display said total savings, said threshold, and said forecasted savings.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein said computer processor is further operable to forecast a second savings total for said to be obtained indicia based on usage practices that are different from said usage information, and wherein said graphic user interface is operable to display said forecasted second savings total. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20  wherein said computer processor is further operable to create a customized discount program based on at least some of said usage information. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein said interactive graphic interface is further operable to display said customized discount program. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 20  wherein said computer processor is further operable to forecast a second savings total for said to be obtained indicia based on using a different delivery service provider. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said computer processor is further operable to:
 analyze said usage information; and   create, for shipper, a customized rate table based on an analysis of said usage information.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said computer processor is further operable to create said customized rate table, at least in part, based on a selection from the list consisting of: a predicted shipping habit of said shipper, and an agreement made by said shipper. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said interactive graphical user interface is operable to display said customized rate table. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said first discounted postage rate applies to items shipped up to a first threshold by said shipper. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said computer processor is further operable to:
 provide a second discounted postage rate, wherein said second discounted postage rate applies to items shipped between said first threshold and a second threshold, and wherein said first discounted postage rate and said discounted postage rate are different.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said first discounted postage rate comprises an immediate discount, which is realized in a single transaction, not a rebate process. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein said computer processor is further operable to:
 charge a fee for providing of said immediate discount.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said interactive graphical user interface provides information about discount programs, or discount rates, or both, and allows said shipper to do any of the list consisting of: interact with the graphical user interface calculate expected savings, forecast possible savings, and identify shipping strategies. 
     
     
         33 . A method comprising:
 providing, by a licensee to a shipper of a plurality of shippers, a discounted postage rate on a postage indicium, wherein said discounted postage rate is a postage rate that costs less than a normal postage rate charged by a delivery service provider to a majority of other shippers;   tracking, by a computer processor, postage usage information associated with said plurality of shippers; and   receiving, by an account of said licensee, a charge for said discounted postage rate, wherein said delivery service provider receives and delivers shipped postage items and said facilitator handles financial transactions between said licensee and said delivery service provider.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said receiving said charge comprises:
 receiving a debit by said account for said discounted postage rate.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said receiving said charge comprises:
 receiving a debit by said account for said normal rate for said postage indicium; and   receiving a credit by said account for said difference between said normal rate and said discount rate.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said receiving said credit occurs immediately after said receiving said debit. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising:
 said licensee enrolling in a discount program of said facilitator; and 
 said licensee enrolling in a rebate program of said delivery service provider such that said facilitator receives a rebate from said delivery service provider. 
 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said discount program provides said discount postage rate to said shipper after said shipper ships a threshold amount of mail pieces. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said discount program provides said discount postage rate to said shipper after said shipper obtains a threshold amount of postage value. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said discount program provides said discount postage rate to said shipper when said shipper ships a mail piece having a cleansed address. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising:
 reviewing purchasing habits of a plurality of shippers to forecast whether any one of said plurality of shippers are a qualifying shipper, wherein a qualifying shipper is any one of said plurality of shippers that is forecasted to reach a threshold required to qualify for a rebate program; and 
 offering, to said qualifying shipper, participation in a discount program based on said reviewing. 
 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising:
 providing, to said qualifying shipper, displayable information based on purchasing habits of said qualified shipper, wherein said providing said displayable information provides a forecast of an aggregate savings for items to be mailed based on said offered discount program. 
 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 providing, to said shipper, displayable information based on said usage information associated with said postage indicium.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said postage indicium is one of a plurality of postage indicia obtained by said shipper, and said method operates on each of said plurality of postage indicia, wherein said providing said displayable information provides information on an aggregate savings from all postage indicia obtained at said discounted postage rate. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said postage indicium is one of a plurality of postage indicia obtained by said shipper, and said method operates on each of said plurality of postage indicia, wherein said providing said displayable information provides a forecast of an aggregate savings for additional items to be mailed based on said discounted postage rate. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said postage indicium is one of a plurality of postage indicia obtained by said shipper, and said method operates on each of said plurality of postage indicia, wherein said providing said displayable information provides at least one of a forecast of a number of additional items that must be mailed to achieve a higher discount rate and a forecast of an aggregate savings for additional items to be mailed based on said higher discount rate. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 assigning, by said licensee, said discounted postage rate to each shipper of a plurality of shippers, wherein at least one shipper of said plurality of shippers has a different discounted postage rate than another shipper of said plurality of shippers.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 creating a customized discount program for said shipper, wherein said customized discount program defines said discounted postage rate, and wherein said customized discount program is based at least in part on purchasing habits of said shipper.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said discount is based on aggregated postage usage information of said plurality of shippers.