Update 01/04/2022
Swapping them out, site now live here
Our non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for the new barcoded version through the Stamp Swap Out scheme. The Scheme opened on 31 March 2022. To swap out your stamps, simply complete one of our Stamp Swap Out forms and send it back to us along with your non-barcoded stamps. The step by step process for doing this is explained below.
How to get a ‘Stamp Swap Out’ form
Just a heads up in to Royal Mail having a 'shake up' in regards to how stamps are used and bascially after January 31 next year, stamps with the Queen's head and '1st' or '2nd' class written on them will no longer be usable and to redeem them, you will have to pay a surcharge.
There are some exclusions though, so read belowand how you'll be able to 'swap' stamps from March this year.
''Households have until January 31 to use up any existing Royal Mail stamps - including seasonal ones such as Christmas stamps, under a major shake up to boost security.
After January 31 next year, stamps with the Queen's head and '1st' or '2nd' class written on them will no longer be usable and to redeem them, you will have to pay a surcharge.
The only exception is ‘special' commemorative stamps, such as the Doctor Who collection, as these will continue to work until after January 31, 2023.
Royal Mail will let you ‘swap out’ these stamps for free.
You will be able to exchange current stamps for barcoded ones for free under Royal Mail's new 'Swap Out' scheme, which opens on March 31, 2022 and will run until March 31, 2023.
This will be via a 'Swap Out' form on the Royal Mail website. You’ll then have to post the no longer valid stamps back.''
They're being phased out for barcode type stamps
''The rule change is because Royal Mail is moving to a more secure barcode system, which those stamps don't have on them.
Royal Mail says the barcode on the new stamps will provide “additional security features” that will support its efforts to improve the safety of the post it handles.
Each barcode will have a "digital twin" that can be connected using the Royal Mail app, although the barcodes will not allow users to track their post.
Non-barcoded stamps have already begun to be phased out. Post Offices and shops that sell stamps will receive stocks of barcoded ones over the next few months.
Each retailer will continue to sell their existing stamps until their last remaining batch runs out.
Forms will be available via a variety of channels, including local Customer Service Points; the Royal Mail website and via our Customer Experience team. Customers will be able to use a Freepost address. Further details will be announced shortly.''
Source
Swapping them out, site now live here
Our non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for the new barcoded version through the Stamp Swap Out scheme. The Scheme opened on 31 March 2022. To swap out your stamps, simply complete one of our Stamp Swap Out forms and send it back to us along with your non-barcoded stamps. The step by step process for doing this is explained below.
How to get a ‘Stamp Swap Out’ form
- If you have a printer, you can swap out up to £200 worth of non-barcoded stamps by printing out and completing this Stamp Swap Out PDFOpens in a new windowpdf, 2.07 MB. You can send this back to us free of charge, along with your stamps, by writing on the envelope Freepost SWAP OUT. No other address details or postcode are needed.
- If you have a printer, and more than £200 worth of stamps to swap out then use the Bulk Stamp Swap Out formOpens in a new windowpdf, 148.66 KB. We recommend sending this and your non-barcoded stamps back to us via a secure service with suitable cover. The address to send to is:
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 Stamp Swap Out form to be posted to you by completing this form online. The instructions for sending back to us will depend on the form you request.
'Stamp Swap Out' forms are also available from the Customer Service Point at your local Delivery Offices (but please note they will only have the forms for the up to £200 option). Or you can call our Customer Experience Team on 03457 740740.
Just a heads up in to Royal Mail having a 'shake up' in regards to how stamps are used and bascially after January 31 next year, stamps with the Queen's head and '1st' or '2nd' class written on them will no longer be usable and to redeem them, you will have to pay a surcharge.
There are some exclusions though, so read belowand how you'll be able to 'swap' stamps from March this year.
''Households have until January 31 to use up any existing Royal Mail stamps - including seasonal ones such as Christmas stamps, under a major shake up to boost security.
After January 31 next year, stamps with the Queen's head and '1st' or '2nd' class written on them will no longer be usable and to redeem them, you will have to pay a surcharge.
The only exception is ‘special' commemorative stamps, such as the Doctor Who collection, as these will continue to work until after January 31, 2023.
Royal Mail will let you ‘swap out’ these stamps for free.
You will be able to exchange current stamps for barcoded ones for free under Royal Mail's new 'Swap Out' scheme, which opens on March 31, 2022 and will run until March 31, 2023.
This will be via a 'Swap Out' form on the Royal Mail website. You’ll then have to post the no longer valid stamps back.''
They're being phased out for barcode type stamps
''The rule change is because Royal Mail is moving to a more secure barcode system, which those stamps don't have on them.
Royal Mail says the barcode on the new stamps will provide “additional security features” that will support its efforts to improve the safety of the post it handles.
Each barcode will have a "digital twin" that can be connected using the Royal Mail app, although the barcodes will not allow users to track their post.
Non-barcoded stamps have already begun to be phased out. Post Offices and shops that sell stamps will receive stocks of barcoded ones over the next few months.
Each retailer will continue to sell their existing stamps until their last remaining batch runs out.
Forms will be available via a variety of channels, including local Customer Service Points; the Royal Mail website and via our Customer Experience team. Customers will be able to use a Freepost address. Further details will be announced shortly.''
Source
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295 Comments
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dxx09/02/2022 10:14
One year is too short a time for phasing out. Why they can’t just leave t …One year is too short a time for phasing out. Why they can’t just leave the old stamps to run out is beyond me. It’s not like they don’t have a system to accommodate this. Also, why do we have to mail old stamps to Royal Mail for replacements? Surely it would be simple to exchange them over the counter. They are making it difficult for a reason - profit. So remember you can’t use stamps that have the Queen’s and 1st written on them, you must have the new ones with the Queen’s head and 1st written on them. Makes perfect sense.
To help you understand,
- They can't leave existing stamps to run out because fakes of existing stamps are being produced and sold by the million. They needed to invalidate old stamps because modern fake stamps need to be manually found and extracted, whereas fakes of these new stamps will be mechanically found and extracted, massively decreasing the amount of stamp fraud.
- Which counters do you mean? RM isn't really equipped to staff delivery office counters with extra staff to handle this, and those offices tend not to be particularly easy to get to anyway. If you're thinking Post Office counters, you may be surprised to learn that RM separated from that company somewhere around a decade ago, so they're no longer bound to work together.
- How do you think mailing stamps to RM makes it difficult? All you'll need to do is fill in a form, and send it and your stamps off to a freepost address via your local letterbox. Basically, the same as sending any other piece of mail...
- ...yes, it does make perfect sense. Special issue stamps = ok, standard stamps with barcode = ok, everything else = need replaced.JonnySAll shops that sell stamps, not just Post Offices, ought to exchange them. After all, they are currently selling something that will soon become unfit for purpose, and should be obliged by law to replace them with usable stamps. However, it will be difficult to prove which shop you bought any particular stamp from, so there needs to a scheme under which any shop that sells stamps will exchange any stamp, regardless of where it was bought.
gt94sss2According to dailymail.co.uk/new…tml the deadline for using old stamps has been extended to the end of July 23.
ansonuk1I read that article too - has the extended date been officially confirmed by Royal Mail anywhere?
Steve_UKI haven't seen a mention of the issue that the new barcoded stamps have an expiry date and will only be valid for a limited time (1 year? 2 years?). This, I must point out, was in a report I read a couple of weeks ago and I have not seen anything "official" put out by Royal Mail to confirm or deny.
nightswimmerCurrent Working Links (Aug 2022)
General Info:
royalmail.com/sen…mps
Terms & Conditions:
royalmail.com/sit…pdf
Swap Out Form For Under £200 Worth Of Stamps:
royalmail.com/sit…pdf
Swap Out Form For Over £200 Worth Of Stamps:
royalmail.com/sit…pdf
ImmoralisteDisgusting, isn't it. They know on the money value stamps that they always have inflation working on their side to progressively degrade the value / their liability to zero.
But the 1st and 2nd class stamps were inflation linked, and the piles of them in households up and down the country continue to be a significant ongoing liability for RM, so what better way of wiping that out than to make all existing 1st/2nd stamps invalid, with a short, poorly advertised trade-in window as a token gesture to give cover to what they're doing.
Just had a look at their accounts. They recognised £218m in stamps sold to the general public, but not used by the balance sheet date (March '21). I wonder how many tens of millions in deferred revenue liability will drop off their balance sheet next year.
There should be at least a 3 year window for using / exchanging 'old' stamps, with the requirement of a large national advertising campaign.
RocknroiiaWhos suffering? You can swap them for free?- stearnHow many people have such a stockpile of unused stamps that this will be a serious financial loss? I have a couple in my wallet and I'll use those well before the time comes to need to swap them out.
I'm sure this is more to reduce the impact of counterfeiting or those bulk buying really old stamps to reduce their postage costs on ebay. It's about 50/50 when I buy via ebay whether I get a printed sticker or stamps older than I am each with a value of less than 5p plastered across the package. I've always been surprised that many old unused stamps exist. 
Ukguy101These big corporations Royal Mail,Shell,BP etc don't give a monkeys about the customers, making billions of profit while the average person suffers!
PikachuI sent out my stamps (over £200) on 6th April and received them today so a 2 weeks turnaround at the moment.
I got all my stamps as expected however they didn’t send the stamps for the postage cost of £6.85 so messaged customer services.
DJDoolsDid they ever get back to you?- nightswimmer
02/04/2022 12:06
So either send by letter with no insurance which is free of charge,or …So either send by letter with no insurance which is free of charge,or swapping with insurance by purchasing my own delivery which is an extra cost forced by Royal Mail.I think Royal Mail should provide insurance as the swapping is for the benefit of Royal Mail and they forced on us.
Trying to prevent stamp fraud, doesn't just help the Royal Mail. Who do you think is paying to cover the costs of that fraud?
Also, it looks like they will possibly compensate if any of the Freepost packages are lost too, so long as you have proof of postage and a copy of your form. From the terms and conditions:
"5.5. If your swap out form and/or non-barcoded stamps are lost in transit to us, we will not consider any claim for loss unless you provide proof of posting and a copy of the original swap out form. We therefore recommend that you keep the necessary records. " - Qwan
02/04/2022 13:37
The reason I'm moaning is I spent a fortune buying several books of …The reason I'm moaning is I spent a fortune buying several books of these![Image] Every book has four ordinary in the middle and picture ones at the side. Every book is going to need carefully cutting in two places so I can keep the picture stamps I bought them for! Bad enough they skimp by only adding two picture ones per book, but then they discontinue half the book.
Seriously question, but why bother?
If you bought these books for the artwork and for the content then keep them as it is to remember. Taking the stamps out would ruin the book. Also, if you bought to sell in the future, then it would also be worth more in its "original" state.
Keep them as they are, remember them as they are without destroying or defacing them.
Because, like you I have some, but I never plan on using the stamps in the middle (edited) 
QesharakOne year is too short a time for phasing out. Why they can’t just leave the old stamps to run out is beyond me. It’s not like they don’t have a system to accommodate this. Also, why do we have to mail old stamps to Royal Mail for replacements? Surely it would be simple to exchange them over the counter. They are making it difficult for a reason - profit.
So remember you can’t use stamps that have the Queen’s and 1st written on them, you must have the new ones with the Queen’s head and 1st written on them. Makes perfect sense.- this1isfineAre they counting on many of the old stamps being returned to be swapped going missing in the post?
It makes more sense to be able to also swap old stamps for new barcoded ones at Post Offices & Sorting Offices. Easier for many and likely to reduce the enviromental impact of two way items in the post for the swap.
h0m3brew3rThe intention is to make it harder to exchange so you just bin your left over stamps 
Rich_AspleyPeople here really struggling with the fact that a service is changing but they can exchange their old stamps (very easily) for the new ones. Jeez people, get a life...
flexIt would be a heck of a lot easier if you could simply go to the local Post Office and change them. I don’t trust Royal Mail to deliver them in either direction. They are very good at losing things these days.- loofer
09/02/2022 10:14
One year is too short a time for phasing out. Why they can’t just leave t …One year is too short a time for phasing out. Why they can’t just leave the old stamps to run out is beyond me. It’s not like they don’t have a system to accommodate this. Also, why do we have to mail old stamps to Royal Mail for replacements? Surely it would be simple to exchange them over the counter. They are making it difficult for a reason - profit. So remember you can’t use stamps that have the Queen’s and 1st written on them, you must have the new ones with the Queen’s head and 1st written on them. Makes perfect sense.
How do you leave old stamps to run out? There’s no expiry or use by date.
One year might not seem like a lot but remember you’re not being asked to “use them or lose them” next January.
They’re giving us a year to be able to exchange them. Best part of 300 days to send them in.
As for Post Offices, no longer part of RMG not even considered a sister company. It’s commercial relationship just like they may have with anywhere else.
Sorting Offices could be a possibility but does every sorting office have the means to securely store hundreds (thousands?) of pounds worth of stamps?
If they did surely they would be selling them there too in the first place.
We’re just so used to Royal Mint phasing out coins/notes and being given extra time to exchange them.
This was just announced last week with a national advertising campaign and I’m sure there will be more over next 11 months 
sp3ctreI just bought a book of stamps today… 2nd class, just says 2nd on them. So they are announcing they won’t be valid after a year but are not actually selling the new ones yet??- Anonymous UserI have 120 first class stamps and I am supposed to put them in an envelope marked just "Freepost Swap Out" and expect them to get to their destination. How many people are going to see their stamps go missing, stolen etc and then have to ring customer support to be given the run around unti. they say bad luck, we're not liable. Bye.
- ashyt16turboA lot of whining about nothing here.
People complain about the service Royal mail provide, lost/delayed letters, parcels, damages etc.
Yet when Royal mail try to do something that will improve the system everybody starts moaning about it?
If you had a company that was losing millions because of counterfeiting then you'd also do something about it.
This system is a benefit to everyone.
Firstly Royal mail themselves.
If it helps recoup millions in lost revenue then that can only be a benefit if that revenue is then used to improve the service.
Further the extra security this will provide, as now Royal mail themselves can track every single letter/parcel. Not only will this hopefully prevent any dodgy postie's from 'accidently' losing letters, but it will make every single letter unique and accounted for.
It will also help prevent lining the fraudsters pockets.
This system is a benefit and a win all round. It will improve service for both Royal mail and it's customers.
Why it's such a hardship to mail a few stamps in is beyond me? If you use stamps that often anyway how is mailing a few stamps in for a swap a big deal?
Rather no, the ones complaining are likely the ones who have a reason to, namely those upset at already knowingly being in possession of said counterfeit stamps and now realise may now end up out of pocket.
Well tough, don't commit fraud.
The process is simple, get your old stamps and post them. Royal mail will do the rest. (edited) 
Precious32111/02/2022 20:15
For crying out loud, CHILL.People just don't like when things change me …For crying out loud, CHILL.People just don't like when things change me thinks.Natural selection.
Agreed, there is clearly a case for natural selection here as you seem unable to grasp the real concerns raised by others. Chill if you have nothing useful or helpful to add instead of trying to belittle others- pinkmonkeyFrom their website...
Note: Special Stamps with pictures on and Christmas Stamps without a barcode will continue to be valid and don't need to be swapped out.
Following our announcement on 1 Feb 2022, and subsequent discussions with key stakeholders, including feedback from our customers, we have removed Christmas stamps from our Swap Out scheme. These stamps are mostly kept by customers to send their Christmas cards and we anticipate that the vast majority will have been used by the end of this year. We are still adding a barcode to Christmas stamps, but non-barcoded Christmas stamps will remain valid so can continue to be used after 31 January 2023 and therefore there is no requirement to swap them out. (edited) - nightswimmer
02/04/2022 11:19
I hope you find a book of stamps at the bottom of your drawer the day …I hope you find a book of stamps at the bottom of your drawer the day after the deadline, like many thousands of people will :o)
That goes both ways.
I hope you get a fraudulent stamp on a letter and have to pay for it.
I hope the stamps you buy cost more because you aren't prepared to help end stamp fraud.
Etc. .
A change has to come at some point, and the Royal Mail have given a years worth of notice about it for people to find out and use their stamps. And everyone will likely have more than a year to swap them should they want to. The FAQ on the page states:
"You can swap out your stamps any time from 31 March 2022 onwards — there is currently no end date as to when you need to swap out your non-barcoded stamps by."02/04/2022 11:36
does anyone know what to put on the form for value of stamps when you are …does anyone know what to put on the form for value of stamps when you are redeeming old 1st class stamps? Current 1st Class value?
If they are just marked "1st" then yes, the current value. (edited) - nightswimmer
02/04/2022 18:45
Will a close up video of the envelope being posted do?
Nope "proof of postage" can either be obtained at a Post Office, or I believe if you use the Click & Collect Collection service, the e-mail that confirms collection also counts as proof. 
alexjameshaines02/04/2022 12:33
I think the window to return them is too small, I can't really see a …I think the window to return them is too small, I can't really see a reason why there is a time limit on this?
The return window is indefinate! I have said this at least three times in this thread now. As per the FAQ at the bottom of the page, you are able to return stamps to be re-issued any time from now. They have no intention of ever not allowing this. The only time limit is on the use of non-barcoded stamps for postage will be void next year. It really isn't difficult. You coudl even find 20 in down the back of the cupboard in five years and then swap them in with no issue. (edited)
kid992Just been down to send my stamps to the swap out scheme at Chickerell Post Office in Dorset. Guess what the first assistant said they could not provide a proof of postage because there was no postcode. This is categorically untrue. When I said to the assistant and the manager that it said on the Royal Mail site that you should ask for a proof of postage both of them said they knew nothing about the scheme or how to provide a proof of postage for a Freepost. That's the problem with Royal Mail and the Post Office their staff are either badly trained or badly informed or both judging by the number of times I have had to tell them what services they offer and the prices they should be charging..
BTW called Royal Mail to let them know that staff aren't aware current wait time 30 minutes.. (edited)
Dan_82 AuthorYou have 6 months left to swap
firebird8886 months to use, but the swap deadline hasn’t been set so can still swap on
TopTrumpSomeone may have asked or answered this (but I haven't spotted it).
If you were to mail in your stamps, and they are of the type with the pre-applied dehydrated glue that's activated by dabbing with a wet sponge or your tongue, are you supposed to staple them to the form or stick them on as if you were sending in a really big letter?
Might be a simple question, but I don't fancy licking the back of 100 stamps.nightswimmerOn the form it states: "Use the box below to stick any stamps that are not self-adhesive".
Could you use a damp sponge?
Rick_BuckIn this day and age of global warming, and recycling as much as possible, why not just let the stamps run out and bring in the new ones as and when people buy them , how many older people will not know about this until it is to late , will lose there postage money Just let them run out it makes sense all around except for profit ☹️gt94sss2How long would you expect Royal Mail to wait for stamps to run out?
There are loads of old unused stamps out there - any stamp sold since 1971 are currently valid.
The other reason why Royal Mail don't want to wait is that they want to prevent the counterfeiting/reusing of stamps that currently occurs and I imagine it costs them a lot of lost revenue..
dickie_engineRoyal Mail have added barcodes to all regular stamps. Regular stamps without a barcode* will no longer be valid after 31 July 2023.
If you have some old ones that you're not going to use by then, you can swap them out free of charge.
Ive just done it and got new ones back in about a week.
MrCharlieSome tips:
1. Make a copy of the form you send in.
2. Get a certificate of posting from the post office.
You will need both if you need to make a claim if lost.- Ukguy101This is scandalous they have already been paid for, Royal Mail should honour their side of things by delivering the items! What a bad company they have become in recent years!
Joshua_DoadesPrivatisation innit 
bozo00709/02/2022 14:00
This sounds like a new way to generate money with the surcharge. Did stock …This sounds like a new way to generate money with the surcharge. Did stock up on stamps after the big price hike and try and exchange now. Not sure how adding a barcode to a stamp will increase security. It won't stop items being delivered to the wrong address. Can't see this is a brilliant idea at the moment just a money-making scheme.
You should read up on these security features then rather than assuming they won't work just because you don't know how they work.UsuallyAdoSurely you realise that the security of stamps is not the responsibility of the purchaser and that conditions imposed post sale are a unilateral variation of the contract. Why are you siding with authoritarians? Be on the side of ordinary humans just trying to live their lives fairly and not having to make up for other's shortcomings.
dipsylalapo09/02/2022 10:14
One year is too short a time for phasing out.
I may be missing something here but how is an entire year too short a time to exchange stamps for the majority of the population?
Are there some mad logistics involved that those that this will really affect can't make a single trip to swap them out?
Pe_te09/02/2022 10:14
Why they can’t just leave the old stamps to run out is beyond me. It’s not …Why they can’t just leave the old stamps to run out is beyond me. It’s not like they don’t have a system to accommodate this.
Stamps don't expire, they'd have to run two systems or processes for longer to save the tiny hassle of a small fraction of people who keep more than a year's worth of stamps.
09/02/2022 10:14
Also, why do we have to mail old stamps to Royal Mail for replacements? …Also, why do we have to mail old stamps to Royal Mail for replacements? Surely it would be simple to exchange them over the counter. They are making it difficult for a reason - profit.
Exchanging over the counter would introduce more potential for fraud in the process.
09/02/2022 10:14
So remember you can’t use stamps that have the Queen’s and 1st written on t …So remember you can’t use stamps that have the Queen’s and 1st written on them, you must have the new ones with the Queen’s head and 1st written on them. Makes perfect sense.
The colour has changed and the new one has a barcode - makes perfect sense.
I don't understand why people are upset by this, it's a good thing.UsuallyAdoYou are missing the point. If you spend money in good faith to buy a stamp which comes with an expectation of service, then those stamps should valid for a reasonable period of time. Have stamps ever had an expiry date on them? Do the ones I bought a few weeks back have an expiry date ... no they blooming don't. Why didn't they first start with having expiry dates on stamps? This is a symptom of the way ordinary people are increasingly being treated as irrelevant and we should ALL push back against it.- Anonymous User
09/02/2022 10:08
This is scandalous they have already been paid for, Royal Mail should …This is scandalous they have already been paid for, Royal Mail should honour their side of things by delivering the items! What a bad company they have become in recent years!
Shouldn't have been sold off, they've been going downhill ever since - this1isfineIt make more sense for the barcodes to allow for items sent to be tracked by customers. Royal Mail don't want to do this because tracked is an additional service. Even though streamlining the available services would save business costs.
- bozo007
09/02/2022 10:55
Whos suffering? You can swap them for free?
Given delivery issues, I won't be surprised if Royal Mail says they never received the old stamps I send them.09/02/2022 10:34
These big corporations Royal Mail,Shell,BP etc don't give a monkeys about …These big corporations Royal Mail,Shell,BP etc don't give a monkeys about the customers, making billions of profit while the average person suffers!
Will you also share their losses, if you want a share in their profits? (edited) 
gggerry09/02/2022 10:08
This is scandalous they have already been paid for, Royal Mail should …This is scandalous they have already been paid for, Royal Mail should honour their side of things by delivering the items! What a bad company they have become in recent years!
get a grip and read it you can simply swap the stamps its not rocket science ? dont be so melodramatic !!! it will ultimately make your mail a lot safer and stop all the fake stamps being sold win win look at the positives for goodness sake
Pingu31I also used to do the RM post survey and have 35 books of stamps still left. My Mum bought loads of 2nd class books and they are somewhere around the house, she passed in 1998. If these new ones have a short valid date what is the use in exchanging them, I only use a few per year so it would be a waste of time. Plus what is to stop the RM from saying our stamps are fakes and keeping the profit for themselves. How honest will they be and their staff. Just like things disappear from Hermes when they have been booked into the depot but never booked out. It is amazing how much goes missing.
Debf1This sounds like a new way to generate money with the surcharge. Did stock up on stamps after the big price hike and try and exchange now. Not sure how adding a barcode to a stamp will increase security. It won't stop items being delivered to the wrong address. Can't see this is a brilliant idea at the moment just a money-making scheme.
jmgonzI can see the arguments at tills now when a shop tries to offload old stock stamps and savvy customers only want the new stock. Shops should be sending their old stock to RM to be replaced not passing them on to us so that we have to replace them.
