GENERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRE-PAID RETURN SHIPMENT POSTAGE
Systems and techniques are provided that allow for pre-paid return shipping labels to be generated using an automated kiosk or comparable device. A return shipper provides an item to be sent to the initial shipper to the kiosk, which verifies that the item matches the initially-shipped item and generates a suitable return shipping label.
1 . A method of providing return shipping postage, the method comprising, at an automated kiosk:
receiving, from a return shipper, a computer-readable representation of a unique identifier associated with a request to return an item sent by an initial shipper to the return shipper;
obtaining shipping dimensions of a package from the return shipper;
providing the unique identifier to a shipping provider;
responsive to providing the unique identifier to the shipping provider, receiving, from the shipping provider, a return shipping label;
providing the return shipping label to the return shipper; and
receiving, from the return shipper, the package and the return shipping label.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of obtaining the shipping dimensions comprises automatically measuring dimensions of the package by the automated kiosk.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of obtaining the shipping dimensions comprises receiving the shipping dimensions from the return shipper.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of obtaining the shipping dimensions comprises obtaining the shipping dimensions from a computer-readable representation received from the return shipper.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising validating the shipping dimensions by comparing the shipping dimensions to a pre-defined set of dimensions or a range of dimensions.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the validating comprises comparing shipping dimensions encoded in a computer-readable representation received from the return shipper to the obtained shipping dimensions.
7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the validating comprises comparing the shipping dimensions to ranges of shipping dimensions received from the shipping provider or the initial shipper.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the range is a specific set of shipping dimensions.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the specific dimensions are based on an initial shipment.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving verification that the shipping dimensions are acceptable for the return shipment from the shipping provider.
11 . A method of providing a return shipping label, the method comprising:
receiving a request for a return shipping label for a return shipment associated with an initial shipper;
verifying sufficient funds exist in a VPSD associated with an account of the initial shipper and, subsequent to the verifying:
decrementing a register of the VPSD in an amount sufficient to generate the return shipping label;
generating a return shipping label;
receiving a unique identifier;
receiving dimensions of a package to be sent with the return postage label;
verifying that the dimensions are within a range allowed for an initial shipment sent by the initial shipper and associated with the unique identifier; and
responsive to the verifying, providing the return shipping label.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the request for the return shipping label is received from the return shipper.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the request for the return shipping label is received from an automated kiosk.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the unique identifier is received from the return shipper.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the unique identifier is received from an automated kiosk.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the return shipping label is provided to an automated kiosk.
17 - 19 . (canceled)