POSTAL: Pay-as-You-Go Postage

Deutsche Post, the German post office, has teamed with Pitney Bowes and Direct-Marketing Logistic on a pilot program to invoice direct mail postage online. If successful, the six-month test could lead to savings for customers, the company said. The effort is being pursued in line with the European Commission initiative called REMPI (Re-engineering the Mailer Post Interface). Normally, mailers pay in advance for postage. Under the new procedure, they will be billed online as the mailing is being sent. Instead of traditional postage, envelopes will carry two additional barcodes. Equipment and software is being supplied by Pitney Bowes. As they prepare mail, lettershops and mailers will transmit data, including the volume, postal codes and postage, to Deutsche Post. In turn, they will be notified immediately when the order has been fulfilled and then billed for the amount. In addition, marketers will be able to monitor the exact timing and volume of their mailings. Direct-Marketing Logistic, a unit of LufthansaAirPlus in Neu Isenburg, Germany, is a direct mail service bureau. U.S.-based Pitney Bowes, which manufactures traditional postage meters, is now helping client companies conduct their billing online. According to the International Herald Tribune, it is about to roll out with ClickStamp, which will enable customers to buy postage over the Web.