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Changes to stamps marked 1st or 2nd class

(5 Posts)
Pepper59 Sat 02-Apr-22 18:12:50

I had put a thread up about this a while ago. If I am correct I think Royal Mail has a form you can download to cash in any stamps you can't use. Perhaps check their website.

Daisymae Sat 02-Apr-22 16:04:45

Yes, just noticed that on the Martin Lewis article it says '
4 March 2022: Royal Mail has confirmed that you can continue to use Christmas stamps after 31 January 2023 following a U-turn. The postal service had initially announced, as part of a wider shake-up, that Christmas stamps would be replaced by new barcoded versions from 31 January 2023. This would have rendered old festive stamps useless unless swapped. But while new barcoded versions of Christmas stamps will be launched later this year, non-barcoded versions will now remain valid. ' So it seems that the Royal Mail have now made a U turn. Excellent, it is the sensible thing to do. All this was news to me, just browsing ML for something else when it caught my attention.

AreWeThereYet Sat 02-Apr-22 16:00:33

But you can use non bar coded stamps for another year, until about Feb 23, I think. Also you can swap old stamps for the barcoded variety. I expect we'll finish ours up on birthday cards through this year. If not, then at Christmas.

rockgran Sat 02-Apr-22 15:56:31

How annoying!

Daisymae Sat 02-Apr-22 15:51:41

With effect from 31 January 2023 stamps that say 1st or 2nd class will no longer be valid as Royal Mail are changing to barcodes. After that date post will be treated the same as if its unstamped and charged accordingly. It is possible to swap stamps that you already have for the new ones though. Just flagging this up as I assume that no one will want to get stuck with an expensive book of useless stamps. Why they couldn't just accept them until current supplies are exhausted I don't know.
www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/02/anyone-with-stacks-of-stamps-at-home-has-less-than-one-year-to-u/