Royal Mail are reinventing stamps for the future! (Barcoded Stamps)

Royal Mail are reinventing stamps for the future!
(Barcoded Stamps)

After more than 180 years since the invention of the postage stamp, they are now being brought into the digital age, with barcodes being added to everyday Royal Mail stamps.

Royal Mail have announced that from today, anyone with access to the Royal Mail app can scan the stamps which will redirect them to videos, greetings from senders. Each barcode stamp will have a digital twin and the two will be connected through the app.

Definitive stamps are the stamps that will be very familiar to most people; They feature the profile of HM The Queen. The barcodes match the stamp colour and sit alongside the main body of the stamp, separated by a simulated perforation line. The new barcode is an integral part of the stamp and must remain intact for the stamp to be valid.

This is a really exciting time as it allows for a new way of sending messages, greetings and news.

Nick Landon, Royal Mail Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Introducing unique barcodes on our postage stamps allows us to connect the physical letter with the digital world and opens up the possibilities for a range of new innovative services in the future”.

According to analysts said people had been using QR codes extensively during the pandemic – notably with the NHS Track and Trace app – while the number of over-65s with smart phones was rising quickly. Analysts suggest that this has come at a really good time to make the move to a digital stamp.

Please be mindful that the change does mean that non-barcoded stamps will be phased out but will remain usable until 31st January 2023. Customers are encouraged to use their non-barcoded stamps before this date. Alternatively, non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for the new barcoded version through Royal Mail’s ‘Swap Out’ scheme.

The ‘Swap Out’ scheme will be open on 31st March 2022. Forms will be available via a variety of channels, including local Customer Service Points; the Royal Mail website and via their Customer Experience team. Customers will be able to use a Freepost address. Further details will be announced via the Royal Mail website shortly.

For more information, please visit the royal mail website