Title 39: Postal Service
PART 501—AUTHORIZATION TO MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE POSTAGE EVIDENCING SYSTEMS
Browse Next
§ 501.1 Definitions.
(a) Postage Evidencing Systems regulated by part 501 produce evidence of prepayment of postage by any method other than postage stamps and permit imprints. A Postage Evidencing System is a device or system of components that a customer uses to generate and print evidence that postage required for mailing has been paid. Postage Evidencing Systems print indicia, such as meter imprints or information-based indicia to indicate postage payment. They include but are not limited to postage meters and PC Postage systems.
(b) A postage meter is a Postal Service-approved Postage Evidencing System that uses a device to account for postage purchased and printed. The term meter as used in this part refers to a postage meter.
(c) PC Postage products are Postal Service-approved Postage Evidencing Systems that use a personal computer as an integral part of the system. PC Postage products may use the Internet to download postage to a mailer's computer from which the postage indicia may then be printed.
(d) A provider is a person or entity authorized under this section to manufacture and/or distribute Postage Evidencing Systems to customers.
(e) A manufacturer of postage meters produces postage meters.
(f) A distributor of postage meters may be a manufacturer who leases postage meters directly to end-user customers or may be an independent entity who leases postage meters to end-user customers on behalf of the manufacturer.
(g) A customer is a person or entity authorized by the Postal Service to use a Postage Evidencing System in accordance with Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service , Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 604 Postage Payment Methods, 4.0 Postage Meters and PC Postage Products (Postage Evidencing Systems).
