Existing Royal Mail stamps will become unusable in the new year, after a new barcode system is rolled out. However, households will have until January 31, 2023 to use old stamps that don't have the new barcodes - and, after that will be able to exchange them.
The Royal Mail new barcode stamps will replace the old traditional system. People are being urged to check their stamps and encouraged to use Royal Mail's Swap Out exchange scheme.
The Mirror reports that people risk being charged for using the old 1st and 2nd class stamps once they become outdated. If stamps that have passed their expiry date are used, they will be treated as if they have been posted with no stamp on them at all, which incurs an extra fee or results in the post being returned to its sender.
Barcodes are to be added to all of Royal Mail's 'everyday' stamps - the ones that feature the profile of the Queen on a plain background. The barcodes will enable customers to use new services via their stamp by accessing the Royal Mail app wen they scan them.
Special Stamps, which have a different picture on such as to commemorate an event, and Christmas Stamps that don’t have a barcode will still be valid after the end of January and will not need to be swapped out. Non-barcoded stamps will still be valid until 31 January 2023.
There is no need to rush to use old stamps ahead of this date, however, because people will be able to exchange them for the new barcoded variety via the Swap Out scheme. Anyone with up to £200 of regular stamps can fill in a Swap Out form and send it and the stamps to Royal Mail in an envelope addressed to Freepost Swap Out.
Those who do will receive their new barcoded stamps within seven working days. However, Royal Mail has warned that high demand could mean it takes longer.
The Swap Out forms can be printed off from the Royal Mail website, or alternatively they can be collected from any Delivery Office Customer Service Point. Swap Out forms cannot be picked up from Post Offices nor can old stamps be exchanged at any.
Anyone with more than £200 worth of stamps to swap will need to fill in a Bulk Stamp Swap Out form and send it with the stamps to: Royal Mail, Swap Out, Tallents House, 21 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9PB. Those who don’t have a printer can request a form to be posted to them by completing a request form online or calling Royal Mail customer services.
Nick Landon, Royal Mail chief commercial officer, said earlier this year: "Please check your kitchen drawers, wallets and purses for older non-barcoded stamps and make sure you use them up by 31 January 2023." For more information on swapping your stamps you can head to the Royal Mail website.
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