Time running out to use Royal Mail stamps with Queen's head

Royal Mail customers have until July 2023 to use old first and second-class stamps before they will no longer be valid for post.
By Helen McGurk
Published 11th May 2023, 10:21 GMT
Royal Mail customers have until July 31, 2023 to use first and second class stamps bearing the Queen's headRoyal Mail customers have until July 31, 2023 to use first and second class stamps bearing the Queen's head
Royal Mail customers have until July 31, 2023 to use first and second class stamps bearing the Queen's head

The traditional stamp, which features Queen Elizabeth II's profile on a coloured background, will expire in on July 31, 2023. The stamps will be replaced by a new barcode system, aimed at "reinventing" the stamp for the next generation.

The new physical stamps will connect to the digital world through the Royal Mail app. However, people are now being advised to use up any old stamps they have before they become invalid.

Which stamps are affected?

The style of stamps, featuring a left-facing profile face of Her Late Majesty The Queen, will not be used after July 31, 2023. After this date, non-barcoded stamps will be treated as insufficient postage.

Only barcoded stamps with the Queen’s image on them, non-barcoded Christmas, or special collection stamps can be used.

Swapping them out

Royal Mail’s Stamp Swap Out scheme is an exchange system for people who don’t think they will be able to use the stamps before the July deadline. You can exchange your non-barcoded stamps for the new barcoded version through this scheme.

To swap out, you need to complete a Stamp Swap Out form and send it back to Royal Mail along with your non-barcoded stamps.

Can I take my stamps to the Post Office to swap them out?

No, you can't swap your non-barcoded stamps out at a Post Office. According to the Royal Mail website, you can only swap them by filling out the 'Swap Out' form and sending the non-barcoded stamps to Royal Mail via free post.

The forms are available on the Royal Mail website and can be either printed or filled out online. Alternatively, you can request the forms to be posted to you via the Royal Mail website (www.royalmail.com) or by calling customer services (0345 774 0740) or picking one up from your local delivery offices.

Royal Mail had previously announced it would scrap so-called 'definitive' stamps – 'everyday' stamps featuring the profile of the Queen against a plain-coloured background – from January 31, 2023.

However, in a U-turn following discontent from customers, it extended the deadline until July 31, 2023 to use these stamps. Royal Mail said it recognised that customers needed more time to use up their remaining non-barcoded stamps.

The image of King Charles III appeared on new stamps from April 4, 2023. The minimalist, unadorned picture, with no crown on the stamp or any other decoration, was approved personally by the King. The design was also intended to provide continuity, influenced by the classic profile of Queen Elizabeth II created by the artist Arnold Machin in 1967.

The new stamp is even more pared back and stark. It does not have any crown or royal symbols - unlike many of the predecessors, where kings' stamps often include an image of a crown and queens are depicted wearing a crown or diadem.

The change in the monarch's portrait came the day after the price of a first class stamp went up by 15p to £1.10 and second class stamps rose by 7p to 75p.