Patent ID: 7702593

Claim:
A method of providing postage for a batch of mail pieces using a mail processing system wherein delivery fee discounts are provided based on one or more sorting levels based on destination postal codes, wherein each sorting level has a plurality of particular sorting level codes, wherein each sorting level has a sorting level discount associated therewith, and wherein a highest one of said sorting level discounts is associated with a highest one of said sorting levels, the method comprising: processing each of said mail pieces through said mail processing system in a first run, wherein during said first run said method includes: obtaining a destination postal code from each of said mail pieces; keeping a running tally for each particular sorting level code in each sorting level, said running tally for each said particular sorting level code keeping track of the number of said mail pieces that correspond to that particular sorting level code based on the destination postal codes obtained from the mail pieces; and for each particular sorting level code in said highest one of said sorting levels having a running tally that reaches a predetermined minimum, printing an indicium reflecting said highest one of said sorting level discounts on: (i) the one of said mail pieces whose destination postal code caused the running tally to reach the predetermined minimum, and (ii) any ones of said mail pieces that have a destination postal code that corresponds to that particular sorting level code that are processed through said mail processing system during said first run at a time subsequent to the running tally reaching said predetermined minimum; and processing each of said mail pieces not having an indicium printed thereon during said first run through said mail processing system in a second run, wherein during said second run said method includes: obtaining a destination postal code from each of said mail pieces not having an indicium printed thereon during said first run; and for each of said mail pieces not having an indicium printed thereon during said first run, printing an indicium thereon which reflects a proper one of said sorting level discounts, if any, based on the destination postal code obtained therefrom and one or more of said running tallies.