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By January 31 2023, ‘1st’ or ‘2nd’ class stamps, or any other priced stamps, with the Queen’s head on them or are Christmas-themed will not be valid for postage. The Royal Mail has said those who try to use the existing stamps after the changeover will have to pay a surcharge if there is insufficient postage on an item of mail.
if there is insufficient postage on an item of mail
The scheme opens on March 31 2022 and will run until March 31 2023, but the website is not live as of writing.
Britons are expected to fill in a ‘Swap Out’ form from its website, or call it, or get one from a local delivery firm, and then post back the stamps for swapping.
However, stamps will not be able to be swapped at post offices.
Royal Mail stated: “The barcode also enables us to innovate and create new features. One of which we have just launched: linking a video.
“Just to put your mind to rest, there will be no personal held data in the barcode.”
Are you affected? Do you think it’s justified? Let us know in the comments section
Twitter user @MikeHolden42 said: “I must say I was surprised when they changed from stamps with amounts on them to ‘1st/2nd’.
“Sticking with the old system if the price of postage went up you could just stick a few extra 1p stamps on.”
Another user @davidiancollins said: “Postage stamps have been the best performing asset class in my portfolio for most of past 2 decades.
“Ideally Royal Mail would buy them back at today’s prices. At minimum they should continue to carry mail.”
It comes after the Royal Mail announced eight new stamps in honour of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The set of eight stamps use photographs of Her Majesty The Queen, marking the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne on February 6 1952.
It marked the first time a Platinum Jubilee has been celebrated in the UK, with the stamps available from February 4.
Simon Thompson, CEO of Royal Mail, said: “These stamps are a celebration of the second Elizabethan Age and a tribute to a remarkable lifetime of duty and public service.
“We are honoured to be releasing them to mark the occasion of the first Platinum Jubilee in the UK’s history, a momentous occasion.”
