Deadline warning to anyone using 1st or 2nd class stamps

Royal Mail has issued a last call to customers, reminding them they have less than a week left to use any non-barcoded stamps they may have.

After July 31, 2023, non-barcoded stamps will cease to be valid, and mail sent using them could incur a surcharge of £1.10.

This announcement follows a six-month grace period, extending the initial deadline of January 31.

The transition to barcoded stamps represents a significant shift for the Royal Mail, bringing traditional stamping into the digital era.

“All of our regular stamps now carry a barcode,” a Royal Mail spokesperson confirmed.

The newly introduced barcoded stamps feature a plain coloured background and a profile of the late Queen Elizabeth.

In addition to facilitating a smoother postal process, these barcodes pave the way for innovative services.

They will enable the connection of physical stamps to the digital world via the Royal Mail app, offering new ways to manage and track your mail.

Royal Mail’s ‘Stamp Swap Out’ scheme allows customers who have non-barcoded stamps they don’t wish to use before the deadline to swap them for new barcoded versions.

The scheme covers regular 1st and 2nd Class ‘everyday’ definitive stamps and all other values featuring the profile of the late Queen.

However, non-barcoded Christmas and other special stamps with images remain valid for postage and should not be submitted for swapping.

Matthew Parkes, Managing Director, Stamps and Collectibles, stated, “As we approach the 31 July deadline, we encourage our customers to use any non-barcoded stamps before it is too late.”

Parkes reassured customers, adding, “Nobody should be out of pocket as a result of this change.”

The Royal Mail has provided multiple ways for customers to access the ‘Stamp Swap Out’ scheme.

Leaflets with forms have been delivered to households, and customers can print a form from the Royal Mail’s website, call the Customer Experience team to order one, or pick one up from a local Royal Mail delivery office or Post Office.

Despite the availability of the ‘Swap Out’ forms at local Post Offices, customers won’t be able to directly swap their non-barcoded stamps for barcoded ones there.

You can use the Swap Out Scheme via the Royal Mail website where they can download a form, by contacting Royal Mail’s Customer Experience team by telephone on 03457 740740, by visiting one of more than 1,200 local delivery office Customer Service Points or Post Office branches nationwide.

Customers can complete a standard Swap Out scheme form for stamps worth up to the value of £200. Those wishing to swap stamps with a value of more than £200 will need to request and complete a Bulk Stamp Swap Out form here.

Those returning the form and non-barcoded stamps can do so free of charge.