Royal Mail reminder over old stamps which become worthless on August 1

Anyone still with an old-style stamp has only until tomorrow to use it, says Royal Mail.

The traditional stamps will no longer be accepted after July 31 as the postal service completes the transition to the larger barcoded stamps which have been in circulation some time.

But those who find they still have unused – and now worthless – stamps, featuring just Queen Elizabeth II’s profile, on August 1 also have a chance to swap them over to ensure they do not lose money. After the Royal Mail first introduced the new barcoded stamps, as part of a modernisation drive aimed at improving security and efficiency, there was initially a deadline of January 31 to use them up but this was extended with a six-month ‘grace period’ to allow extra time for customers to adjust.

However, it is feared some still will be caught out so the so-called ‘swap out’ scheme will save waste. The replacement barcoded stamps will also enable ‘exciting’ new features, such as allowing customers to access videos through the Royal Mail app, reports The Express.

Read more: 21 money changes being made before end of the year – from DWP benefits to energy bills

Below is its guide to the swap out scheme. An exception to the rule, however, will be stamps with pictures where the rules will not apply. A statement from Royal Mail said: “Special Stamps with pictures on and Christmas Stamps without a barcode will continue to be valid and don’t need to be swapped out.”

Royal Mail Stamp Swap-Out Scheme

Dan Whittaker, a personal finance expert from financial solutions firm CashLady.com, said: “To avoid losing the value of the stamps, the first option is to use the non-barcoded stamps ahead of the deadline,” reports The Express. He added: “This is likely a slightly simpler solution, however, with the deadline looming, you may not have the use for them in the next week.”

So, people can swap their non-barcoded stamps for the new, barcoded versions using Royal Mail’s Stamp Swap Out scheme. Dan said: “To do this, you must first obtain a Stamp Swap Out form.

“You can print this form out at home, request that one is sent to you, or pick one up in person. If you have a printer, you can print the form out at home. There are two forms available – one for if you need to swap up to £200 of stamps, and one for if you need to swap more than £200 worth of stamps.”

Those with less than £200 worth of stamps need to select the form entitled ‘Stamp Swap Out’ from the Royal Mail website and fill out the form. People can then send it back for free by writing ‘Freepost SWAP OUT’ on their envelope. Dan added: “Ensure that the stamps you would like to swap are also included in the envelope.”

Those who have more than £200 worth of stamps need to select the ‘Bulk Stamp Swap Out ‘ form on the Royal Mail website. Due to the higher value of the stamps enclosed with the form, Royal Mail advises sending them both using a secure service with suitable cover to this address: Royal Mail, Swap Out, Tallents House, 21 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9PB.

Finally, those who don’t have a printer can request that the form is posted to them via the Royal Mail website. The ‘Stamp Swap Out’ form (for up to £200 worth) is also available to pick up from the Customer Service Point at local delivery offices. Alternatively, people can call the Royal Mail’s Customer Experience Team on 03457 740 740.

People also have the option to pick up a Swap Out form from their local Post Office along with a free envelope, but the Post Office won’t be able to actually swap the stamps to barcoded ones there and then – they’ll still need to be sent off.