Time is running out to use up your old stamps before they expire

People are being warned they only have a few months left to use their old-style stamps before they become invalid. Royal Mail has introduced new-style stamps that feature a barcode alongside The Queen’s image.

The new stamps were revealed earlier this year by Royal Mail. They’re a different colour to the current ones, and the barcodes will allow customers to access new services by connecting them to the Royal Mail app, which can be downloaded to smartphones.

Existing standard stamps without a barcode cannot be used after January 31, 2023. Only the new stamps will be valid and using an old one will result in a surcharge.

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The barcodes will soon become commonplace on all standard and Christmas stamps, with each one having a “digital twin” that contains a unique code alongside it.

If people are not able to use all their old stamps by the end of January, they can be exchanged for the new barcoded version through the ‘Stamp Swap Out’ scheme. They will need to complete a form and send it back to Royal Mail along with the non-barcoded stamps. You cannot take the stamps to the Post Office to be swapped.

Special stamps with pictures on and Christmas stamps without a barcode will continue to be valid and don’t need to be swapped out. Find out more here.

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