Patent ID: 7818267

Claim:
A shipping management computer system, said shipping management computer system comprising at least one computer device, wherein said shipping management computer system is programmed to: (A) receive, via a first remote user client computer device of a plurality of remote user client computer devices, a first input from a first user associated with the first remote user client computer device, said first input comprising first set of parcel specifications for a first parcel, wherein the shipping management computer system is operable to associate a first user-specific origin identifier with the first user, wherein the first user accesses the shipping management computer system via a global communications network via the first remote user client computer device, wherein the first remote user client computer device is adapted for communication via the global communications network, and wherein the first set of parcel specifications comprises a first set of physical dimensions of the first parcel and a first physical weight of the first parcel; and (B) in response to the first input: (1) apply a respective set of carrier-specific dimensional weight calculation rules, for each respective carrier of a plurality of carriers, to the first set of parcel specifications to calculate a respective carrier-specific dimensional weight according to the first set of physical dimensions of the first parcel in view of the first physical weight of the first parcel; and (2) apply a respective set of carrier-specific billable weight rules, for each respective carrier of the plurality of carriers, to the first set of parcel specifications to determine a respective carrier-specific billable weight of the first parcel for the respective carrier, wherein the respective carrier-specific billable weight of the first parcel for the respective carrier is selected from a group consisting of: the physical weight of the first parcel, the respective carrier-specific dimensional weight of the first parcel for the respective carrier calculated in step (B)(1), a respective carrier-specific oversize weight of the first parcel, and a respective carrier-specific letter weight.