Systems and methods for the provision of postage

1. A method comprising:

providing a customer with a postage meter device;

loading the postage meter with postage credits before charging the customer for the value of the postage credits,

printing indicia on one or more items to be mailed using the postage meter;

monitoring information provided by a postal service for data associated with each of the one or more items;

determining from the data a descending register value associated with each of the one or more items;

identifying a first smallest descending register value appearing in the data during a time;

identifying a second smallest descending register value, the second smallest descending register value being the smallest descending register value appearing in the data during a previous time period;

subtracting the first smallest descending register value from the second smallest descending register value;

adjusting the result if the postage meter was refilled during the time period;

based upon the result, determining a value of postage associated with the one or more items that is a value of postage actually used by the customer; and

charging the customer for the determined value of postage.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

printing indicia on each item processed by the postage meter device;

wherein the postage meter device is a Postal Security Device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the value of postage actually used is determined relative to a fixed period of time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the value of postage actually used is determined based on an ascending register value.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of determining the value of postage actually used further comprises:

examining the data during a period of time;

identifying a first greatest ascending register value appearing in the data during the time period;

identifying a second greatest ascending register value, the second greatest ascending register value being the greatest ascending register value appearing in the data during a previous time period;

subtracting from the greatest ascending register value the second ascending register value.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

adjusting the value of postage actually used for individual items processed by the Postal Security Device and not appearing in the data.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the value of postage actually used is adjusted based on a customer notification that an item was processed by the Postal Security Device but was not delivered to the Postal Service.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the value comprises:

identifying an ascending register value of each item appearing in the data during the time period;

identifying a postage value associated with each item appearing in the data during the time period;

using the ascending register values and the postage values to identify items processed by the Postal Security Device but not yet appearing in the information; and

adjusting the value of postage actually used based on the items not yet appearing in the data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the value of postage further comprises:

determining from the data an ascending register value associated with each of the one or more items;

identifying a first greatest ascending register value appearing in the data during a time period; and

identifying a second greatest ascending register value, the second greatest ascending register value being the greatest ascending register value appearing in the data during a previous time period;

subtracting from the greatest ascending register value the second greatest ascending register value.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining whether items, with ascending register values between the greatest ascending register value and the greatest ascending register value appearing in the data during the previous time period, were never mailed; and

deducting a value of postage on unmailed items from the value of postage charged to the customer.

11. A system comprising:

a postage meter device, provisioned to a user by a service provider, in communication with a meter management system maintained by the service provider;

a billing system maintained by the service provider, in communication with both the meter management system and a service provider mail stream interface; and

a mail processing system maintained by a postal service in communication with a postal service mail stream interface, the postal service mail stream interface in communication with the service provider mail stream interface;

wherein the billing system is configured to:

monitor information provided by a postal service for data associated with each of the one or more items;

determine from the data a descending register value associated with each of the one or more items;

identify a first smallest descending register value appearing in the data during a time period;

identify a second smallest descending register value, the second smallest descending register value being the smallest descending register value appearing in the data during a previous time period;

subtract the first smallest descending register value from the second smallest descending register value;

adjust the result if the postage meter was refilled during the time period;

based upon the result, determine a value of postage associated with the one or more items that is the value of postage actually used by the customer; and

charge the customer for the determined value of postage.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the billing system is configured to determine the value of postage by:

determining from the information an ascending register value associated with each of the one or more items;

identifying a greatest ascending register value appearing in the information during a time period; and

subtracting from the greatest ascending register value the value of a greatest ascending register value appearing in the information during a previous time period.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the billing system is further configured to deduct from the required payment an amount of postage appearing on items never mailed with ascending register values between the greatest ascending register value and the greatest ascending register value appearing in the information during the previous time period.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein: the value of postage actually used is determined relative to a fixed period of time.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the value of postage actually used is determined based on an ascending register value.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the step of determining the value of postage actually used further comprises:

examining the data during a period of time;

identifying a first greatest ascending register value appearing in the data during the time period;

identifying a second greatest ascending register value, the second greatest ascending register value being the greatest ascending register value appearing in the data during a previous time period;

subtracting from the greatest ascending register value the second ascending register.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:

adjusting the value of postage actually used for individual items processed by the Postal Security Device and not appearing in the data.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the value of postage actually used is adjusted based on a customer notification that an item was processed by the Postal Security Device but was not delivered to the Postal Service.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein adjusting the value comprises:

identifying an ascending register value of each item appearing in the data during the time period;

identifying a postage value associated with each item appearing in the data during the time period;

using the ascending register values and the postage values to identify items processed by the Postal Security Device but not yet appearing in the information; and

adjusting the value of postage actually used based on the items not yet appearing in the data.