ROYAL MAIL MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: Royal Mail Urges Customers to Check their Stamps as Millions set to be Unusable in 100 Days

Today begins a 100-day countdown before barcoded stamps become invalid. With Christmas fast approaching, now is the perfect time to use up non-barcoded stamps when sending festive greetings to friends and family.

There are some non-barcoded stamps that can be used after the deadline. Customers can continue to use Special Stamps issued on a theme or to commemorate special events and non-barcoded Christmas stamps, as these will continue to be valid for postage. These cannot be swapped for barcoded stamps.

If customers cannot use up their non-barcoded Definitive ‘everyday’ stamps before the deadline, they can swap them for equivalent in barcoded stamps.

Royal Mail is keen to ensure that no customers are left out of pocket following the transition. People who cannot use their stamps before 31 Jan 2023 can swap their non-barcoded stamps for barcoded equivalents – free of charge.

Earlier this month. Royal Mail launched a national awareness programme to ensure that everyone who wishes to swap out their stamps will have the opportunity to do so. Leaflets are being delivered to 31 million addresses, giving people the opportunity to swap their old stamps for the new barcoded version. A national marketing campaign has also been launched in newspapers, on radio and on social media.

The unique barcodes now used on stamps can facilitate operational efficiencies, enable the introduction of added security features and pave the way for innovative services for customers.

The call to use existing stocks of stamps or swap them for barcoded stamps of the equivalent value is not connected to the change of Monarch. Further details on stamps featuring His Majesty King Charles III will be made at the appropriate time, after consultation with the Royal Household.

Stamps eligible for the Swap Out scheme:
Eligible stamps are the regular 1st and 2nd Class ‘everyday’ stamps, and all other values, featuring the profile of Her Late Queen Elizabeth.

Non-barcoded Christmas and other special stamps with pictures on continue to be valid for postage and should not be submitted for swap out. Customers only need to swap out the ‘everyday’ stamps featuring the profile of The Queen.

Stamps that have already been used for postage will not be accepted on the Swap Out scheme.