Related Articles
Royal Mail has warned that letters posted on Monday with an old-style stamp could incur an extra charge if they do not make final collection times.
July 31 is the deadline to use stamps without barcodes. From Tuesday, letters posted without barcodes will be treated as having “insufficient postage”, meaning recipients will be forced to pay £1.10 to collect them.
Customers sending mail with traditional stamps have been urged to post before final box collection times on Monday to ensure they avoid these charges.
Royal Mail said it could not guarantee that letters missing the final collection and picked up on Tuesday would not incur fees.
However, commemorative and non-barcoded Christmas stamps will still remain valid after the deadline.
Stamps with barcodes were introduced by the company in February 2022 to streamline delivery services and improve security.
Use to send birthday messages
The move is part of its extensive modernisation drive and will allow for the introduction of added security features while paving the way for innovative services down the line.
It is hoped that consumers will eventually be able to use the barcodes to watch videos, find out information and send birthday messages to each other.
The new stamps are not dissimilar in appearance from their predecessor. A picture of the monarch, now King Charles, is accompanied by a small barcode on the right-hand side.
From Tuesday, anyone sent mail with old-style stamps posted after the deadline will be given a card telling them they must pay a £1.10 surcharge before the item can be delivered.
Asked if old-style stamps could be posted after on Monday before final collections without charge, a spokesman for Royal Mail said: “We would recommend posting before the final collection times to be sure of not being surcharged.”
Anyone who was unable to use their standard 1st and 2nd-class stamps featuring the profile of the late Queen in time can exchange them for barcoded ones free of charge through the company’s Swap Out scheme.
Royal Mail has encouraged customers to check their purses, wallets and drawers to find any unused non-barcoded stamps.
Matthew Parkes, Royal Mail’s managing director for stamps and collectibles, said: “Customers who cannot use their non-barcoded stamps before July 31 will still be able to swap them for new barcoded stamps through Royal Mail’s simple and free Swap Out scheme. Nobody should be out of pocket as a result of this change.
Stamps capped with inflation
“A leaflet with a form was delivered to every household recently but customers can also print out a form from our website, call our customer experience team to order one or pick one up at a local Royal Mail delivery office or Post Office.”
The company said it aimed to process applications within seven working days.
It was announced in June that the price of a second-class stamp would be capped in line with inflation amid fears that costs are rising more than necessary.
Regulator Ofcom will roll out a ceiling on the price of sending letters by second-class post under new proposals, ensuring the average cost will not rise above inflation each year until at least 2029.
Royal Mail came under fire in April 2023 after introducing inflation-busting price rises of 16 per cent. The cost of a second-class stamp rose to 75p while first class jumped from 95p to £1.10.
Final collections on Monday will be made at 7.30pm in commercial areas, 6.30pm in towns and cities, 4pm in deep rural areas and 5.30pm for the rest of the UK, according to the company’s website.
Source link
