You will have noticed the new barcodes on all Royal Mail regular stamps. This means that regular stamps without a barcode will no longer be valid after July 31, 2023, and follows the 6-month grace period from the initial 31 January deadline.

You can either use up your non-barcoded stamps before this new deadline or swap them for the new barcoded ones to ensure you don't lose out.

The stamps that have changed feature the profile of Her Late Majesty The Queen on a plain coloured background. The barcodes will enable exciting new Royal Mail services by connecting physical stamps to the digital world through their Royal Mail app which you can download.

Any special stamps with pictures and Christmas stamps without a barcode will continue to be valid and don't need to be swapped out.

Your non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for new barcoded versions through the Stamp Swap Out scheme. To swap out your stamps, pick up or print out a swap out form, complete your form and include your stamps and send free of charge to "Freepost SWAP OUT".