Patent ID: 8065237

Claim:
A system for identifying two or more packages to consolidate into a pouch in a shipping environment, said system comprising a memory and a processor, the processor configured for: receiving package details associated with a first package to be shipped to a first ultimate recipient, the package details comprising a first unique identifier identifying the first package, one or more delivery service options for the first package, and an address of the first ultimate recipient; retrieving a pouching template from the memory, the pouching template identifying one or more incompatibility factors for a pouch wherein the one or more incompatibility factors comprise a predetermined list including one or more delivery service options selected from a group consisting of: cash-on-delivery (COD), hold for pickup, certified mail, return service, verbal confirmation of delivery, and return receipt; comparing the one or more delivery service options for the first package with the incompatibility factors identified in the pouching template; in response to the one or more delivery service options for the first package not matching one or more of the incompatibility factors, electronically adding the first unique identifier to a pouch manifest associated with the pouch; receiving package details associated with a second package to be shipped to a second ultimate recipient, the package details associated with the second package comprising a second unique identifier identifying the second package, one or more delivery service options for the second package, and an address of the second ultimate recipient; comparing the package details associated with the second package with the incompatibility factors identified in the pouching template; and in response to the package details associated with the second package not matching one or more of the incompatibility factors, electronically adding the second unique identifier identifying the second package to the pouch manifest associated with the pouch, wherein the address of the first ultimate recipient and the address of the second ultimate recipient are different.