Patent ID: 8073787

Claim:
A system for authenticating a mail object, said mail object being provided to a mail carrier and including mail identification data affixed on said mail object in a single barcode, comprising: a first computer configured to communicate at least a first portion of said mail identification data over a network, said mail identification data including a shipping portion, a recipient portion, a sender portion, and an identifier portion, wherein said shipping portion includes shipping method data, said recipient portion includes an address of a recipient of said mail object, and said identifier portion includes a unique identifier that consists of a numeric value assigned by a sender of said mail object; a database; and a second computer comprising a verification application, said second computer being configured to receive at least said first portion of said mail identification data from said first computer via said network, said first portion of said mail identification data consisting of said shipping portion, said sender portion and said identifier portion; wherein said verification application is in communication with said database and configured to authenticate said first portion of said mail identification data by determining whether said first portion of said mail identification data is stored in said database and providing verifying data to said first computer via said network, said verifying data indicating whether said first portion of said mail identification data is stored in said database, wherein at least a portion of said first portion can be used by said mail carrier to identify said sender of said mail object.