What Small Businesses Need to Know About New Barcode Stamps

As you may already know, Royal Mail have issued new barcode stamps that will replace those already in circulation.

Old stamps were due to expire on 31st January, however a grace period of 6 months has been introduced, giving people more time to prepare for the upcoming changes.

Small businesses that use the postal service must use their old stamps by 31st July 2023.

Alternatively, old stamps can be swapped out for new; there is currently no deadline in place for swapping stamps.

Non-barcoded Christmas stamps and Special stamps, such as those with images used to commemorate anniversaries and significant events, will be exempt from the deadline and will remain valid for use.

Swapping Old Stamps for New Stamps

Non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for new barcoded versions through the Royal Mail’s Stamp Swap Out Scheme. 

People are advised to follow these steps:

1. Pick up or print out a swap out form 
2. Complete the form and include all stamps
3. Send this back to Royal Mail, free of charge to ‘Freepost SWAP OUT’

Royal Mail ‘Stamp Swap Out’ Forms

If you have a printer and up to £200 worth of non-barcoded stamps, print out and complete this Stamp Swap Out PDF.

If you have a printer and more than £200 worth of stamps to swap, use the Bulk Stamp Swap Out Form.

You can send the document back to Royal Mail free of charge, along with your stamps. On the envelope, write Freepost SWAP OUT (no other address details or postcode are needed).

Stamp Swap Out forms should then be sent to:

Royal Mail
Swap Out
Tallents House
21 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9PB

If you don’t have access to a printer, you can request a postal Stamp Swap Out form by completing this online form. 

You can also pick up a ‘Swap Out’ form from a local Post Office along with a free post envelope – but please note that the Post Office won’t be able to actually swap stamps for barcoded ones.

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