We asked the people of Liverpool what they think about Royal Mail’s new barcoded stamps

Regular stamps without a barcode are no longer valid for postage. If people send mail with these stamps, it will be treated as if there is insufficient postage. Any item with insufficient postage is subject to a surcharge of £1.10.

There is an exception to this, however, Special Stamps with pictures on them and Christmas Stamps without a barcode will continue to be valid and do not need to be swapped out.

The move is part of Royal Mail’s extensive and ongoing modernisation drive. The company say this will enable the introduction of added security features and pave the way for innovative services for customers.

The stamps that have changed are the stamps that will be very familiar to you. They feature the profile of Her Late Majesty The Queen on a plain coloured background. The barcodes will enable new services by connecting physical stamps to the digital world through the Royal Mail app. The company’s eventually planning to get customers to scan the QR code with the Royal Mail app, allowing them to watch videos and send birthday messages to each other.

If you have not been able to use them up, you can send them into the Royal Mail, and they’ll exchange them for barcoded stamps. You can print out a ‘Swap Out’ form from the Royal Mail website or contact their Customer Experience and who will post a form out to you. You can also pick up the form from your local Post Office along with a free post envelope – but the Post Office won’t be able to actually swap your stamps for barcoded ones.

Watch the full video above to find out what locals think.