A method for recovering postage for metered mail pieces that have not been posted, the method includes: placing information that uniquely identifies the mail piece .[.in a postal indicia.]. ; storing the information that uniquely identifies each metered mail piece at a remote site; requesting a refund for a mail piece that has not been posted; determining if the information .[.in the postal indicia.]. .Iadd.that appears on the face of the mail piece .Iaddend.that uniquely identifies the mail piece is the same as the information that uniquely identifies the mail piece that is stored in the remote site; and refunding the postage if the information .[.in the postal indicia.]. that uniquely identifies the mail piece is the same as the information that uniquely identifies the mail piece that is stored in the remote site.