Patent ID: 8204835

Claim:
A method for creating valid postage labels for use on mail pieces, comprising: monitoring a location of mail pieces in a high-speed letter processing system; calculating a postage amount due for each of the mail pieces; creating valid postage labels associated with each of the mail pieces before the mail pieces arrive at a location comprising a postage indicium applicator; printing, by a printer on blank labels, the valid postage labels comprising postage indicia corresponding to the postage amount calculated for the mail pieces and comprising images, wherein each of the postage indicia is associated with a particular one of the mail pieces, and wherein said images of at least two of the valid postage labels are not identical; applying, by said high-speed letter processing system, the valid postage labels to the associated mail pieces wherein no human readable portions of said valid postage labels display permit information and wherein the valid postage labels display a postage amount in an increment that is available from the delivery service, whereby said associated mail pieces have an appearance of a mail item comprising a postage stamp that was obtained from a delivery service and was applied by hand; and coordinating the operation of the postage indicium applicator and the location of the mail pieces to ensure that the correct valid postage labels are applied to each envelope.