00:00 Regular stamps without a barcode are no longer valid for postage.
00:06 If people send mail with these stamps it'll be treated as if there's insufficient postage.
00:11 Any item that has insufficient postage is subject to a surcharge of £1.10.
00:17 There's an exception to this though.
00:20 Special stamps with pictures on and christened stamps without a barcode will continue to be valid and do not need to be swapped out.
00:28 The move is part of Royal Mail's extensive and ongoing modernisation drive.
00:33 The company say this will enable the introduction of added security features and pave the way for innovative services for their customers.
00:43 We've been on the streets of Liverpool to see what you make of the move.
00:48 Why are they changing all of that?
00:50 What's the idea of it when something's run so smoothly and they decide to change it?
00:57 Everything's just gone to like the well now.
01:00 We're just all getting turned into robots, all the technology they've got.
01:05 Last Christmas I sent my Christmas cards and only three out of 21 got delivered.
01:13 I want to know where my other ones have gone.
01:17 As I say, every now and then it comes up and you have to send one but it's a long drawn out process.
01:27 Now you've got to go and get the stamps, you've got to write the letter, you've got to send.
01:31 It's much easier with the internet.
01:37 Like I don't use my cell phone, my daughter does so she helps me out with it.
01:43 We sent about 150 Christmas cards so I don't think it'll be that much this year.
01:50 The stamps that have changed are the stamps that will be very familiar to you.
01:54 They feature the profile of Her Late Majesty the Queen on a plain coloured background.
01:59 The barcodes enable new services by connecting physical stamps to the digital world through the Royal Mail app.
02:07 The company is planning to get customers to scan their code with the app allowing them to watch videos and even send birthday messages to each other.
02:17 There was an introduction of a six month grace period from the initial 31st of January deadline.
02:24 So people had a chance to use up their old style stamps.
02:27 With that period now ended you can no longer use these but you can swap them out.
02:34 If you've not been able to use them up you can send them in to the Royal Mail and they'll exchange them for barcoded stamps.
02:42 You can print out a swap out form from the Royal Mail website or contact their customer experience team who will post a form out to you.
02:51 You can also pick up the form from your local post office along with a free post envelope.
02:56 However, the post office won't be able to actually swap your stamps for barcoded ones.
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