Royal Mail stamp swap reminder issued to avoid £2.50 charge from April

Anyone with old non-barcoded stamps should use Royal Mail’s free Swap Out scheme to avoid a £2.50 charge per letter

If you’ve got a collection of old stamps, it’s worth taking a second look before using them on letters and cards. If these stamps have been tucked away in a drawer for a whilst, they may no longer be valid and could lead to a Royal Mail surcharge.

The team at MoneySavingExpert, headed by Martin Lewis, has recently highlighted the free ‘Swap Out’ scheme in light of the impending stamp price increase, set to take effect within weeks. From 7 April, Brits will be shelling out more for stamps, with the cheapest option now just shy of £1, reports The Express.

Any mail sent with non-barcoded stamps, since July 2023, is considered insufficiently franked and “subject to a surcharge”. Persisting in using outdated non-barcoded stamps in 2026 will incur penalties of £2.50 for letters/large letters and £3.50 for small parcels.

The national postal service introduced barcodes to all standard stamps in 2022 and gave the public a six-month grace period to use them without issue. However, anyone now using these outdated versions instead of the barcoded alternatives has been slapped with a surcharge, according to the Express.

A spokesperson stated: “The move is part of the [Royal Mail’s] extensive and ongoing modernisation drive and will allow the unique barcodes to facilitate operational efficiencies, enable the introduction of added security features and pave the way for innovative services for customers. We introduced a six-month period of grace from the initial January 31 deadline to give customers even longer to use up their old, non-barcoded stamps.”

Non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for the newer barcoded versions through Royal Mail’s Stamp Swap Out scheme. Here’s how to swap your stamps:

1. Pick up or print out a swap-out form
2. Complete your form and include your stamps
3. Send free of charge to “Freepost SWAP OUT”

‘Swap Out’ forms can be downloaded from the Royal Mail website here. For those unable to print one, Royal Mail Customer Services can arrange for a form to be posted out. Since November 2022, forms have also been available from Post Office branches.

Those exchanging more than £200 worth of stamps need to complete an alternative form, which is also available online here. Individuals should specify this when requesting copies to be sent to them so they have all the necessary paperwork.

There’s currently no deadline for completing exchanges, though we’d recommend acting swiftly in case the programme winds down. Royal Mail has stated it will aim to process your request within 30 days.

Which stamps qualify for exchange?

• NVIs 1st Class, 2nd Class. 1st Class Large Letter; 2nd Class Large Letter
• all make up value stamps (e.g. 1p, 2p, 10p, £1, etc.)
• International Tariff stamps

All standard decimal Machin definitive stamps dating from 1971, including: All Country definitive stamps, encompassing Regional/Country Machins (1971-1999) and the subsequent Country Emblems (1999 onwards). Whilst Royal Mail is incorporating barcodes into Christmas stamps, non-barcoded Christmas stamps will still be accepted for postage, so they shouldn’t be submitted for swap-out.