Royal Mail introducing bar-coded stamps

[JohnB]

The Royal Mail are introducing stamps with bar-codes, and insisting that all existing stamps are swapped in a narrow 10 month window, and not allowing you swap the stamps or even get the requisite form at a Post Office. They are clearly hoping that many people don't find all their stamps tucked away in drawers, and make a nice little earner.

Stamp barcodes will be unique, so they can be tracked from shop to recipient. Stamps in one booklet can be correlated, and connected personally to you if you paid by card. I'm sure the Police are licking their lips. The change would also allow them to add expiry dates at some future time, of course.

https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

Make sure you hunt down all your caches of stamps. I think I might swap my stamps one at a time..

[pje16]

So gone are the days when you could buy a load marked 2nd and keep them for years
The way that postage has gone up it was a sensible thing to do
No point in buying 1st these days are long gone are the days when the postman called twice a day

[Lootman]

Stamp barcodes will be unique, so they can be tracked from shop to recipient. Stamps in one booklet can be correlated, and connected personally to you if you paid by card. I'm sure the Police are licking their lips. The change would also allow them to add expiry dates at some future time, of course.

The obvious response is to buy stamps with cash then.

The authorities will still know where and when the stamps were bought, to whom the sender sent letters, and possibly which postbox those letters were sent from. But not actually the sender's identity.

[monabri]

They're simply trying to stop unfranked stamps being steamed off and reused.

[richlist]

So gone are the days when you could buy a load marked 2nd and keep them for years
The way that postage has gone up it was a sensible thing to do.

I don't see why not.
Surely once you have bought and paid for your barcoded stamps you can keep them as long as you like before using them.

[Watis]

The Royal Mail are introducing stamps with bar-codes, and insisting that all existing stamps are swapped in a narrow 10 month window, and not allowing you swap the stamps or even get the requisite form at a Post Office. They are clearly hoping that many people don't find all their stamps tucked away in drawers, and make a nice little earner.

Stamp barcodes will be unique, so they can be tracked from shop to recipient. Stamps in one booklet can be correlated, and connected personally to you if you paid by card. I'm sure the Police are licking their lips. The change would also allow them to add expiry dates at some future time, of course.

https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

Make sure you hunt down all your caches of stamps. I think I might swap my stamps one at a time..

You beat me to it, JohnB.

This may be the first time that I'm aware of that an unused stamp can expire. The last time it might have happened was on Decimalisation Day over 50 years ago - does anyone remember?

I note that the linked article says that each stamp will have a digital twin. Does that mean that they will be entangled at the quantum level? So, if I know where it is, I won't be able to determine its value?

Watis

[pje16]

The last time it might have happened was on Decimalisation Day over 50 years ago - does anyone remember?
Watis

15 Feb 1971 Yep
Just had pocket money in those days so it wasn't spent on stamps

[dealtn]

Make sure you hunt down all your caches of stamps.

When I was working, it must be about 10 years ago I reckon, someone I knew bought nearly £100k worth of stamps as a financial investment and inflation hedge. I'm wondering how he is feeling today. Details on the "swap out" scheme are as yet unknown.

[Watis]

Make sure you hunt down all your caches of stamps.

When I was working, it must be about 10 years ago I reckon, someone I knew bought nearly £100k worth of stamps as a financial investment and inflation hedge. I'm wondering how he is feeling today. Details on the "swap out" scheme are as yet unknown.

There was an enormous increase in stamp prices about that time. I recall investing in enough stamps prior to that increase to last a few years - about three orders of magnitude less than your chap though!

I wonder if the Post Office systems can calculate, at least roughly, how many unused stamps are in circulation at any time?

Watis

[dealtn]

Make sure you hunt down all your caches of stamps.

When I was working, it must be about 10 years ago I reckon, someone I knew bought nearly £100k worth of stamps as a financial investment and inflation hedge. I'm wondering how he is feeling today. Details on the "swap out" scheme are as yet unknown.

There was an enormous increase in stamp prices about that time. I recall investing in enough stamps prior to that increase to last a few years - about three orders of magnitude less than your chap though!

Watis

I'm no longer in touch with him, and I know he was always a popular source around Christmas each year, but I imagine he still has many - probably worth more in value than the original investment.

[didds]

They're simply trying to stop unfranked stamps being steamed off and reused.

they could do that by franking them then!

[yorkshirelad1]

The Royal Mail are introducing stamps with bar-codes, and insisting that all existing stamps are swapped in a narrow 10 month window, and not allowing you swap the stamps or even get the requisite form at a Post Office. They are clearly hoping that many people don't find all their stamps tucked away in drawers, and make a nice little earner.

Stamp barcodes will be unique, so they can be tracked from shop to recipient. Stamps in one booklet can be correlated, and connected personally to you if you paid by card. I'm sure the Police are licking their lips. The change would also allow them to add expiry dates at some future time, of course.

https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

Make sure you hunt down all your caches of stamps. I think I might swap my stamps one at a time..

Thanks for the heads-up: my small stash of stamps bought before one of the recent large increases may need swapping out

[Mike4]

They're simply trying to stop unfranked stamps being steamed off and reused.

they could do that by franking them then!

I still get a trickle of hand-addressed mail with real stamps. I don't think I've seen a machine-franked stamp on any of them for about ten years. If the stamps are cancelled at all, it tends to be a hand squiggle in Biro.

[jackdaww]

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looks like a QR code to me ..

[Mike4]

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looks like a QR code to me ..

I agree. One thing it certainly ISN'T, is a bar code.

[swill453]

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looks like a QR code to me ..

I agree. One thing it certainly ISN'T, is a bar code.

It's a 2D barcode. It's not a QR code.

Scott.

[Stompa]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60213179

"From Tuesday people will be able to scan the codes using the Royal Mail app and watch an animation featuring Shaun the Sheep.
Eventually it will be possible to watch videos and even greetings from senders."

The mind boggles that somebody thought this was a good idea!

[CliffEdge]

It's not for the benefit of customers. It'll benefit the Russian and Chinese intelligence services.

[Mike4]

.
looks like a QR code to me ..

I agree. One thing it certainly ISN'T, is a bar code.

It's a 2D barcode. It's not a QR code.

Scott.

It's a code comprising a grid of squares not a line of bars, therefore not a bar code. QED.

[swill453]

It's a code comprising a grid of squares not a line of bars, therefore not a bar code. QED.

It may not have bars, but it's a 2D barcode. Or a matrix code.

Scott.