A new barcode system will mean thousands of Royal Mail stamps are set to be unusable within months. The traditional stamp system will soon be replaced with a new barcode system.
People with current stamps have been warned to use them or lose them within the next few months, Birmingham Mail reports. From January 31, 2023, you won't be able to use the current style of stamps.
Instead, only new style stamps complete with barcodes will be valid. The barcode system is said to be safer and will make sending letters easier.
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The barcodes will soon become commonplace on all standard and Christmas stamps with each one having a "digital twin" that contains a unique code alongside it. It's in an attempt to make letter sending more secure, but it doesn't make post any easier or cheaper for customers to track.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said: "This initiative will see Royal Mail become one of the first postal authorities in the world to add unique barcodes to stamps. By doing this, we are looking to transform the humble stamp so that we can offer our customers even more convenient, new services in the future."
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