[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 39, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 39CFR501.1]

[Page 160]
 
                        TITLE 39--POSTAL SERVICE
 
                 CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
 
PART 501_AUTHORIZATION TO MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE POSTAGE
 
Sec.  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).