24-10-2022

Today begins a 100-day countdown before non-barcoded stamps become invalid. With Christmas fast approaching, now is the perfect time to use up non-barcoded stamps when sending festive greetings to friends and family.

There are some non-barcoded stamps that can be used after the deadline. Customers can continue to use Special Stamps issued on a theme or to commemorate special events and non-barcoded Christmas stamps, as these will continue to be valid for postage. These cannot be swapped for barcoded stamps.

If customers cannot use up their non-barcoded Definitive ‘everyday’ stamps before the deadline, they can swap them for equivalent in barcoded stamps. The Swap Out scheme opened on 31 March 2022 and there is currently no end date as to when customers should swap their non-barcoded stamps by - so they will still be able to access the swap out option after 31 January 2023.

Royal Mail is keen to ensure that no customers are left out of pocket following the transition. People who cannot use their stamps before 31 Jan 2023 can swap their non-barcoded stamps for barcoded equivalents – free of charge.

Source: Royal Mail