1. A distribution based system for tracking postage comprising: a distribution unit comprising a plurality of postage items, each of the postage items comprising said distribution unit having a tracking number printed thereon, said distribution unit comprising a machine readable tracking identifier indicative of the tracking number printed on the postage items comprising said distribution unit; a machine reader for reading the machine readable tracking identifier as said distribution unit is distributed and for determining the tracking number therefrom; and a computer system having a memory associated therewith, said computer system receiving the tracking number from said machine reader and storing in the memory the tracking number along with a time and date the distribution unit was distributed.