Royal Mail has announced that its 'every day’ stamps are changing.

In order to create a more innovative service for customers, Royal Mail is adding unique barcodes to stamps to enhance the postal service security.

Customers can scan the barcodes in the Royal Mail app and will eventually be able to watch videos, information about services, or even birthday messages and other greetings from senders.

The postal service is encouraging customers to use all their non-barcoded stamps before January 31, 2023.

However, if you are unable to use them up then you will be able to swap them completely free of charge.

Oxford Mail: Royal Mail are adding unique barcodes to their stamps (PA)Royal Mail are adding unique barcodes to their stamps (PA) (Image: PA)

The 'Swap Out' scheme will open on March 31, 2022.

To do this, customers will be able to print out a form from the website, call the Customer Experience team to ask for one or pick one up from your local Delivery Office's Customer Service Point.

Royal Mail will issue more information about the ‘Swap Out’ scheme in due course. In the meantime, it has been assured that all existing stamps will remain valid for postage as usual.

Nick Landon, Royal Mail chief commercial officer, said: “Introducing unique barcodes on our postage stamps allows us to connect the physical letter with the digital world and opens up the possibilities for a range of new innovative services in future.”