Barcode pilot
Royal Mail is adding unique barcodes to a limited number of Second Class stamps as part of a pilot that could pave the way for innovative customer services and benefits in future.
The unique barcodes – the first in the UK - will mean that each stamp can be uniquely identified.
The barcodes will appear on around 20 million Second Class UK stamps sold to business customers on sheets via office supply and stationery specialist Viking Direct and the Royal Mail online shop.
The barcodes will sit alongside the main body of the stamp, separated by a simulated perforation line. The barcode will be colour matched with the stamp.
Royal Mail has used barcode technology printed directly on to envelopes and labels for some time.
For many years, business customers have used franking machines to print a pre-paid franking mark onto an envelope or a label for parcels, as well as printing a Mailmark barcode onto letters.
The barcoded stamps come as part of Royal Mail’s ongoing modernisation drive, which includes drone deliveries, the launch of Parcel Collect, and additional inflight delivery options to offer greater convenience and flexibility.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer, said: ‘This initiative will see Royal Mail become one of the first postal authorities in the world to add unique barcodes to stamps.
‘By doing this, we are looking to transform the humble stamp so that we can offer our customers even more convenient, new services in the future.
‘Royal Mail has a long and proud history for creating innovative and intuitive postal solutions. This goes all the way back to the Penny Black, which established the principle of the one-price-goes-anywhere universal service - to the recent launch of Parcel Collect – where we pick up our customers’ parcels from the doorstep.
‘The pilot of barcoded stamps reflects our commitment to constantly evolve our products and services in line with the ever-changing needs of our customers.’
The first barcoded stamps will be sold online to businesses from the 23 March, via Viking Direct and the Royal Mail shop https://shop.royalmail.com/
