Method for tracking mail piece data

1 . A method for tracking data related to a mail piece, comprising:

assigning a mail delivery service code to the mail piece;

storing the mail delivery service code in a database;

receiving data corresponding to the mail piece;

storing the data in the database; and

linking the mail delivery service code to the data in the database.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery service code comprises a USPS information based indicia.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery service code comprises a USPS information based indicia, and wherein the data comprises a destination address.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery service code comprises a USPS information based indicia, and wherein the data comprises:

a destination address;

a tracking number;

a postal reading location; and

a delivery date.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data corresponding to the mail piece comprises:

reading an address on the mail piece;

reading the mail delivery service code on the mail piece;

posting the address and the mail delivery service code on a website; and

reading the address and the mail delivery service code from the website.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the originator in the database and linking the originator with the mail delivery service code.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the mail delivery service code includes a user field having data corresponding to the originator.

8 . A method for tracking data related to mail pieces, comprising:

assigning a machine readable information based indicia to a mail piece corresponding to a unique number;

printing the machine readable information based indicia on the mail piece;

posting the unique number to a database on an internet service provider's server;

posting a destination address corresponding to the mail piece to the database; and

linking the unique number to the destination address in the database.

9 . The method of claim 8 further comprising posting data comprising a tracking number and a postal reading location corresponding to the mail piece to the database; and linking the unique number to data in the database.

10 . The method of claim 8 further comprising posting an originator corresponding to the mail piece to the database; and linking the unique number to the originator in the database.

11 . The method of claim 8 further comprising providing a user access application enabling the user to access the unique number or data linked to the unique number.

12 . The method of claim 8 further comprising providing a user access application on the server enabling the user to access the unique number or data linked to the unique number, wherein the user access application is accessible by a user over the internet and wherein the user can search for other unique numbers corresponding to other mail pieces originated by the user.

13 . The method of claim 8 wherein the machine readable information based indicia is printed on the mail piece with a franking machine, and wherein the franking machine posts the unique number to the database.

14 . A method for tracking data related to mail pieces for multiple users comprising:

a. providing a database on an internet service provider's server;

b. providing a user access application on the server enabling the multiple users to access the database;

d. storing data corresponding to originators of the mail pieces in the database;

d. storing unique numbers corresponding to machine readable information based indicia on the mail pieces in the database;

e. storing additional data corresponding to the mail pieces in the database; and

f. linking the data corresponding to originators and the additional data to the unique numbers in the database.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the additional data comprises destination addresses, and wherein the destination addresses are read from a postal web site.

16 . The method of claim 14 wherein the additional data comprises tracking numbers, and wherein the tracking numbers and the unique numbers are read from a postal web site.

17 . The method of claim 14 wherein the user access application allows the user to search the database by originator or additional data corresponding to destination address.

18 . The method of claim 14 wherein the user access application segregates the additional data and the unique numbers by user.

19 . The method of claim 14 wherein the application tracks the number of times a user accesses the application.

20 . The method of claim 14 wherein the application provides at least two different levels of access rights corresponding to administrative users and originating users.