POSTAL COUNTER POSTAGE EVIDENCING SYSTEM WITH CLOSED LOOP VERIFICATION

A method for auditing postage dispensing transactions at a postal facility includes the steps of: receiving in a secure processor based device a request to dispense an amount of postage; updating, in response to the request, accounting data within the secure processor based device to account for the amount of postage; cryptographically securing the updated accounting data in the secure processor based device; dispensing the amount of postage by generating and applying the cryptographically, secured, updated accounting data to a mailpiece. The method further includes receiving cash value for the amount of postage dispensed; sending from the secure processor based device to an administrative computer a cryptographically secure message including the updated accounting data; obtaining and comparing, at the administrative computer, the updated accounting data from the secure message with the cash value received and previous updated accounting data received from a previous secure message from the secure processor based device, and determining if any inconsistencies exist based on the comparing; and obtaining and analyzing, at a funds management computer, the updated accounting data from the mailpiece and the updated accounting data from the secure message and determining if any inconsistencies exist based on the analyzing. An apparatus incorporates the method.