Patent ID: 8527284

Claim:
A mail piece tracking system including: A. one or more servers that are configured to perform the operations of: i. acquiring delivery information, about a plurality of mail pieces electronically, by receiving messages from and/or by access to respective databases of (1) multiple different delivery companies, (2) a postal service and at least one delivery company, or (3) one or more senders and either of (1) or (2) the delivery information about a given mail piece identifying an intended recipient of the given mail piece, ii. associating the delivery information about the given mail piece, and the actual given mail piece, with a user identifier that corresponds, in the system, to the intended recipient, iii. at a linking component creating linked information corresponding to the given mail piece, said linked information including (1) delivery status information (2) address and delivery particulars, (3) a digital copy of the mail piece, and (4) an excerpt from the mail piece; associating said linked information with the user identifier of the intended recipient; and sending an email with a link or providing access to the linked information to a web component, thereby providing the user with the capability to track and trace the given mail piece, said linked information being sent or accessible to the user by logging onto a website; iv. at the web component upon clicking on the sent link, or while logging into website, authenticating a user-supplied user identifier and associated password and providing, for display to the user, the delivery status information linked to the user identifier including (1) the date of shipment of the given mail piece, (2) the date of delivery of the mail piece, and (3) one or more dates of debiting or crediting one or more payments associated with the mail piece; and B. a web browser displaying the one or more graphical user interfaces through which the user enters their user identifier and their associated password and, after authentication by the web component, displaying the delivery status information linked to the user identifier on the website.