Patent ID: 7814032

Claim:
A method for using a single barcode to verify the authenticity of and identify a sender of a physical mail object that is being sent from said sender to a recipient via a mail carrier, comprising: a sender of a physical mail object generating a unique identifier, wherein said unique identifier comprises a numeric value, can be used by said sender to identify said physical mail object, and is distinguishable from a second unique identifier that can be used by said sender to identify a second physical mail object that is being sent from said sender to said recipient via said mail carrier; encoding at least said unique identifier, sender data and recipient data into a single barcode, wherein said sender data identifies said sender of said physical mail object and said recipient data identifies a recipient of said physical mail object; storing at least a portion of said encoded data in a database, said portion comprising at least said unique identifier, said sender data and said recipient data; printing said single barcode on said physical mail object; submitting said physical mail object to a postal carrier; scanning by a scanner said single barcode to acquire said encoded data; and comparing by a computer at least a portion of said encoded data to data stored in said database to verify the authenticity of said physical mail object, wherein said at least a portion of said encoded data comprises at least said unique identifier, said sender data and said recipient data and can be used by said postal carrier to identify said sender of said physical mail object.