Patent ID: 6941286

Claim:
A method for facilitating refunds in a postage metering system, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at a computer a request for a refund of a postage amount, the request being associated with a postage meter; using the computer for accessing a dispute account database for identifying a dispute account having a value therein that is indicative of a level of refund activity attributable to the postage meter, the dispute account being associated with the request; determining, via the computer, if the value in the dispute account is acceptable for permitting a refund of the postage amount; and at times when the value is determined to be acceptable for permitting the refund of the postage amount, refunding the postage amount to a user of the postage meter by sending enabling data from the computer to the postage meter, the enabling data useable by the postage meter to add the postage amount to a vault of the postage meter.