Patent ID: 7917453

Claim:
A method of having a postal imprint printed by an external imprint label dispenser connected via a communications link to a postage meter, said method comprising: during an initialization step for initializing the communications link, the postage meter authenticates the imprint label dispenser by exchanging an authentication code and the postage meter securely transmits to the imprint label dispenser a predetermined image data set that is signed with a secret key generated during said initialization step on the basis of said authentication code and following said initialization step, for each printing cycle, the postage meter computes postal data relating to the mail item that is to be franked, securely transmits the resulting computed data as signed with said secret key to the imprint label dispenser, and the imprint label dispenser converts said postal data into additional image data, and prints a postal imprint incorporating said additional image data and said predetermined image data on a continuous label tape delivered by the imprint label dispenser.