Can I still use old first and second-class stamps? Royal Mail explains what to do

Royal Mail stamps with barcodes were brought into circulation back in 2022.

They were introduced as part of a move to modernise the service and to allow enhanced security features, Royal Mail previously said.

It also said barcodes would “enable exciting new services by connecting physical stamps to the digital world”, such as exclusive videos available by scanning the codes in an app.

Since the launch, customers have been able to scan the barcodes to watch videos, information about services, or even birthday messages and other greetings from senders.

In the past, a video featuring Shaun the Sheep created exclusively for Royal Mail by animation studio Aardman could be viewed.

But can you still use old first and second-class stamps in the UK? Let’s find out.

Do stamps go out of date in the UK?

Since February 2023, non-barcoded stamps have been invalid.

Royal Mail explained: “We’ve added barcodes to all our regular stamps. Regular stamps without a barcode are no longer valid for postage.

“This follows the introduction of a 6 month grace period from the initial 31 January deadline [2023]. Swap them for the new barcoded ones.”

It added: “The stamps that have changed are the stamps that will be very familiar to you. They feature the profile of Her Late Majesty The Queen on a plain coloured background.”

A Brief History of Royal Mail

What can I do with old first and second-class stamps?

If you still have old stamps which don’t have a barcode on them, they can be exchanged for new barcoded versions through the Royal Mail Stamp Swap Out scheme.

To swap out your stamps, you can do one of the following:

• Pick up or print out a swap out form

• Complete your form and include your stamps

• Send free of charge to “Freepost SWAP OUT”

You can find more information on how to swap old non-barcoded stamps with new ones on the Royal Mail website.

Do you still have old Royal Mail stamps at home? This is what you can do with them (Image: Gareth Fuller/PA)

Is Royal Mail stopping second-class Saturday deliveries?

Royal Mail is set to be allowed to ditch Saturday deliveries for second-class letters under plans being put forward by Ofcom that will also see wider postal delivery targets cut.

The regulator said that after a consultation, it had provisionally concluded that reducing the second-class letter service to alternate weekdays, while keeping first-class deliveries six days a week, would continue to meet postal users’ needs.

This would save Royal Mail between £250 million and £425 million a year, according to Ofcom.

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The planned changes to the universal postal service come as Royal Mail was recently sold to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky for £3.6 billion, with the deal being cleared by the Government at the end of last year.

Ofcom said its latest research revealed most people do not need letter delivery six days a week, with the number delivered each year having slumped from 20 billion two decades ago to around 6.6 billion now and set to drop further to 4 billion in the next few years.

The regulator is to consult further on its proposals until April 10, with a final decision to be made in the summer.