Royal Mail's final stamp warning before new fee enforced

If you don't get a chance to use your old stamps by Monday, July 31, you can swamp them out for the new version free of charge.

Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter

We have more newsletters

Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter

We have more newsletters

Letter senders have just hours to use old stamps before they expire at the start of a new month.

After Monday, July 31, only new versions of Royal Mail stamps with barcodes will be considered valid. If you send a letter with a non-barcode stamp, you may be tacked with an extra £1.10 surcharge - or you can exchange them for new ones at no extra cost.

Stamps with Queen Elizabeth's image will still be valid as long as they have the barcode. However, the Royal Mail website states that special issue stamps with one off pictures and Christmas stamps without a barcode will continue to be valid.

The change follows a six month grace period given by the letter carrier to use older stamps by Monday, July 31. According to Royal Mail, the barcodes will "enable exciting new services by connecting physical stamps to the digital world through the Royal Mail app".

As well as improving efficiency and security, Royal Mail intends for barcodes to be scanned by customers with the app to send special messages and videos. Right now, stamp recipients can scan barcodes to access exclusive Shawn the Sheep videos.

Luckily, if you don't have time to use your stamps today, you can exchange them for newer versions through the Royal Mail's swap out scheme. Stamps that have already been used for postage are not eligible for exchange.

Here's how to swap your old stamps.

To swap out your stamps, simply:

Anyone with access to a printer can print out a form from the Royal Mail website. Customers can also request for a form to be sent to them online from Royal Mail by submitting details here.

Forms can also be picked up form the following:

Once you have your form filled out, you simply have to write “Freepost SWAP OUT” on the envelope and stick it in your nearest post box.

If you have £200 or more worth of stamps, then you will have to fill out the Bulk Swap Out form and send it to the following address:

Royal Mail Swap Out, Tallents House

21 South Gyle Crescent, EDINBURGH, EH12 9PB

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter here .