System and method for meter enabled payment functionality
View Patent ↗A method of collecting a payment from a postage meter customer having a past due account including receiving a service request from the postage meter, requesting that the customer provide credit card information through the postage meter for purposes of charging the payment, and performing the service if the customer provides the credit card information, and denying the service if the customer does not provide the credit card information. Also, a method of updating payment method information for a customer including receiving a request from the postage meter for a postage refill to be charged to default credit card, attempting to charge payment for the refill to default credit card and determined that the charge has been rejected, receiving new credit card information from the postage meter and thereafter providing the postage refill and storing the new credit card information for use in the future trasactions.
1. A method of collecting a past due payment from a customer associated with a postage meter where the customer has a past due account, comprising:
receiving a request for a service from said postage meter;
determining that said customer has the past due account, wherein the past due account does not include a type of charge associated with said requested service;
requesting through said postage meter that said customer make said past due payment using a credit card and requesting that said customer provide credit card information through said postage meter relating to said credit card for purposes of charging said past due payment to said credit card; and
performing said service and charging said past due payment to said credit card if said customer provides said credit card information through said postage meter, and denying said service if said customer does not provide said credit card information.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said service comprises a postage refill for said postage meter.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said service comprises a remote inspection of said postage meter.
4. The method according to claim 1 , said method being performed at a data center of a provider of said postage meter, said data center being located remotely from said postage meter.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said customer enters said credit card information into said postage meter and said credit card information is transmitted electronically to said data center.
6. The method according to claim 1 , said payment comprising payment in full for said past due account.
7. The method according to claim 1 , said past due account relating to a rental of said postage meter.
8. The method according to claim 1 , said payment comprising partial payment for said past due account.
9. A method of collecting a past due payment from a customer associated with a postage meter where the customer has a past due account, comprising:
receiving a request for a postage refill transaction from said postage meter;
determining that said customer has the past due account wherein the past due account does not include postage refill transaction costs;
requesting through said postage meter that said customer make said past due payment and a postage refill transaction payment using a credit card and requesting that said customer provide credit card information through said postage meter relating to said credit card for purposes of charging said past due payment and said postage refill transaction payment to said credit card; and
performing said postage refill transaction and charging said past due payment and said postage refill transaction payment to said credit card if said customer provides said credit card information through said postage meter, and denying said postage refill transaction if said customer does not provide said credit card information.
10. The method according to claim 9 , said method being performed at a data center of a provider of said postage meter, said data center being located remotely from said postage meter.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said customer enters said credit card information into said postage meter and said credit card information is transmitted electronically to said data center.
12. The method according to claim 9 , said past due payment comprising payment in full for said past due account.
13. The method according to claim 9 , said past due account relating to a rental of said postage meter.
14. The method according to claim 9 , said payment comprising partial payment for said past due account.
15. A method of collecting a past due payment from a customer associated with a postage meter where the customer has a past due account, comprising:
receiving a request for a postage refill transaction from said postage meter;
determining that said customer has the past due account wherein the past due account does not include postage refill transaction costs;
determining that said customer has a stored credit card payment record associated with a credit card related to postage refill transactions;
requesting through said postage meter that said customer provide payment authorization to pay said past due payment and a postage refill transaction payment using the stored credit card payment record; and
performing said postage refill transaction and charging said past due payment and said postage refill transaction payment to said credit card if said customer provides said payment authorization through said postage meter, and denying said postage refill transaction if said customer does not provide said payment authorization.
16. The method according to claim 15 , said method being performed at a data center of a provider of said postage meter, said data center being located remotely from said postage meter.
17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein said customer enters said credit card payment authorization into said postage meter.
18. The method according to claim 15 , said past due payment comprising payment in full for said past due account.
19. The method according to claim 15 , said past due account relating to a rental of said postage meter.
20. The method according to claim 15 , said payment comprising partial payment for said past due account.