Royal Mail stamp surcharge warning to anyone sending letters

Anyone sending letters with stamps have been warned that some are now worthless – and could end up costing you money. Now it is August, you can no longer use non-barcoded stamps, and you could face a surcharge if you do so.

This means anyone with a stash of 1st or 2nd class stamps needs to ditch them. If you continue to use old stamps from today, you could face a surcharge in the same way that you would if you sent mail with insufficient postage.

This will have to be paid by the recipient of the post. However, commemorative and non-barcoded Christmas stamps will still be valid, The Sun reports.

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The move will make letter sending more secure, but it doesn’t make post any easier or cheaper for customers to track.

When will non-barcoded stamps expire?

From August 1, 2023, you won’t be able to use the current style of stamps that feature an image of The Queen’s head. Instead, only the new style stamps complete with their new barcodes will be valid, and you’ll face a surcharge trying to use anything otherwise.

They will be replaced by similar stamps with a barcode attached next to them. Royal Mail said that every barcode will be unique and will enable the introduction of added security features – including information about relevant postal services.

How much do stamps cost?

Royal Mail hiked the price of first class stamps by 15p to £1.10 back in April. The price of second class stamps jumped by 7p to 75p. These changes have been subject to careful consideration by Royal Mail in light of the 25 per cent drop in letters being sent since the coronavirus pandemic.

Increasing costs and high inflation rates are also to blame for the price hikes. Royal Mail charges different postage prices depending on the size or weight of the item.

The stamps can be bought individually if you buy them at a Post Office counter. Otherwise, you can typically buy them in books.