Post by Berry McPaper-cuts on Feb 2, 2022 12:39:42 GMT
Sounds like a way of putting prices up to me. From the DT.
‘ Sending a letter in the post can seem a rather plodding, outdated means of communication these days.
But the humble stamp, as we know it, is to be phased out and replaced with a version designed to bring the process into the digital age.
Barcodes are to be attached to regular first and second class stamps, marking the biggest shake-up to the way post is handled in almost 200 years.
They will allow recipients to watch videos and eventually access messages and even choose their own greetings.
The inaugural “video stamp”, featuring an exclusive Aardman animation of Shaun the Sheep, goes on sale on Tuesday.
It is the first in a series of videos to be released throughout the year, allowing customers to choose which they would like their recipient to see when they receive an item of mail.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said the initiative had allowed them to “connect the physical letter with the digital world”.
Royal Mail said the introduction of barcodes would pave the way for further services and innovations. This could include customers being able to scan a stamp with their smartphone and being redirected to a website with more information about a company.
It will also enable the introduction of added security features.
Each unique barcode will have a “digital twin” and the two will be connected by the Royal Mail app.
It matches the colour of the adjoining stamp, from which it is separated by a simulated perforation line.
Non-barcoded stamps will be phased out but will remain usable until Jan 31, 2023.
The firm is encouraging customers to use up their existing stamps but they will be able to swap any old ones with the new barcoded versions from March 31 via a Freepost address.
The announcement follows a successful national trial last year.
At the time, Mr Landon compared the change to the introduction of the Penny Black stamp in May 1840, noting that the company had a “long and proud history of creating innovative and intuitive postal solutions”.
The initiative was described as part of Royal Mail's modernisation drive to boost convenience and reflected the rise of internet shopping.
But the move might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society wrote on Twitter: “Is it irony that when I write letters I don't really want to be reminded of the digital world?”
Traditionalists can take comfort from the fact that there are "absolutely no plans" to phase out the famed stamp featuring the head of the monarch.
The new stamps will still be available in books and will remain at the same price.
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