Stamp shake-up spells end to buying in bulk to beat price rises

It’s all change at Royal Mail next year – and if you are a stamp hoarder the date you need to make a note of is January 31 2023.

Since the cover price was removed from UK stamps in 1989, stamps ceased to have a shelf life and many people buy them in bulk, especially before they are due to go up in price.

Because the stamps are ‘denominated’, you can use them at any time, even if the cost of a first or second class stamp has increased since you bought them.

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But in a year’s time, Royal Mail is shaking up the rules on so-called Definitive stamps – the everyday ones with the Queen’s head on them – by moving to a new barcode system.

You can still use the old stamps after January 31 2023, but you will have to pay a surcharge, which is yet to be announced.

Special commemorative stamps, such as the current Rolling Stones collection, are the only exception, as these are not being phased out and can continue to be used after January 31 2023.

If you have a stash and you’re not going to be able to use them in time, Royal Mail will exchange current stamps for barcoded ones for free under Royal Mail’s new ‘Swap Out’ scheme, which opens on March 31 2022 and will run until March 31 2023.

Moneysavingexpert Martin Lewis has been advising people stock up and bulk buy for years, especially every time stamps go up in price.

As a result, many of his fans have have stockpiled stamps ahead of planned price rises in order to cut costs. Stamp prices typically rise each April with first class stamps currently costing 85p and second class 66p.

In fact, one one follower told www.moneysavingexpert.com that they have thousands of stamps at home after routinely buying them in lots of about £100 to £150, to avoid future price increases. They say they have more than £1,000 worth in total.

They said: “Older people, like my late dad, are used to getting stamps by the booklet and keeping them in drawers, and will just not realise they can’t be used from next January.”

The addition of a barcode will mean that each new stamp will be unique, which Royal Mail says will provide an “additional security feature”, although they will not allow users to track their post.

Non-barcoded stamps have already begun to be phased out. Post offices and shops that sell stamps will receive stocks of barcoded ones over the next few months. Each retailer will continue to sell its existing stamps but when it orders more, it will get barcoded ones.

As well as security, the barcoded stamps will also be entertaining, with recipients being watch an video featuring Shaun the Sheep by scanning the stamps in the Royal Mail App.

The video is the first in a series of planned videos to be released during 2022 that will allow customers sending stamped mail to choose which video the recipient can see when they receive an item of mail.

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