Royal Mail extends deadline to use up stamps without barcodes

Royal Mail has extended the deadline to use up old stamps, following complaints from customers.

You now have until July 31 next year to use any non-barcoded everyday stamps – those with the Queen’s profile on – before they become worthless, an extension of six months from the original January 31 deadline. Royal Mail has said it acknowledged that customers needed more time to use up their non-barcoded stamps.

In February this year, Royal Mail announced it would scrap so-called ‘definitive’ stamps and you would only be able to use barcoded stamps with the Queen’s profile on, or non-barcoded Christmas or ‘special collection’ stamps. After the new date on July 31 next year, you can only use barcoded stamps and Royal Mail will treat any post sent with non-barcoded stamps on as having insufficient postage, so you may incur a surcharge.

The current charge, according to the Royal Mail website, for sending a letter or large letter without a stamp is £2, although the surcharge has not been confirmed yet.

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The barcoded stamps are on sale now, but Royal Mail is urging people to check they haven’t got any old stamps lying about that will need to be used. If you don’t think you will use your stamps in time, Royal Mail is operating a ‘Swap Out’ scheme to let you exchange these stamps for free.

You cannot take the stamps to the Post Office to be swapped, but you can to complete a standard ‘Swap Out’ form for stamps worth up to £200, or a Bulk Stamp ‘Swap Out’ form for stamps worth more than £200. Both forms are available on the Royal Mail website where they can be printed and filled out. If you don’t have a printer, you can fill in this form here or call customer services on 03457 740740.

If you have collected the form or had it sent to you, it will come with a freepost envelope for you to send the form off with the stamps for free, and for those who have printed the form themselves, you’ll need to send the envelope to “Freepost Swap Out” – no other address details are needed.

Royal Mail is advising those sending bulk forms to send via special delivery and the additional cost of doing this will be refunded by Royal Mail in the form of barcoded stamps worth the same amount.

You should get your new stamps within seven working days.

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