I find the matrix stamp a bit ugly. Fortunately, we have separate matrix stamps in Finland, so you can choose if you want to track your letters/cards or not. A matrix stamp costs 1,50 € and in addition a normal stamp (1,85 €) is required. They also promise a quicker two-day delivery with a matrix stamp, but in my experience a two-day delivery can happen without a matrix stamp. 
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Ugly - Ugly - Ugly!!!
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The latest Royal Mail Christmas Stamps feature the QR Barcodes, I don’t like them, but they look better in the flesh.
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I can’t believe they’ve put these unsightly barcodes on the corresponding postcards as well! 
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Oh! Don’t get me started on the PHQ cards! It is the least they could have done, was to just leave us with the stamp image!
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Really? They’re on the postcards as well? But what’s the goal of them there? 
Or did I misunderstand?
Mmm… I see. This is unexpected, and I don’t quite get the reason for it. Maybe the PHQ cards have to be an exact replica of the stamp?
Aesthetically I don’t like it, but sometimes it’s quite handy. What really bothers me is their size though. They are a lot larger which is fine when one only uses 1 stamp on a card. But it’s harder to mix multiple stamps.
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British First Class and Second Class with the head of the Queen (without a code) will no longer be valid from next year…
I think they look horrific and hope that Canada stays far away from them. Besides the way they look, I’m guessing this means that you no longer get postmarks on your mail? I think it’s a step toward getting rid of stamps altogether and just slapping on barcodes.
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We still receive postmarks, the introduction of matrix code stamps was the reason why Germany switched the colour of their cancellations from black to blue. The codes would not have been readable with the black ink. But well, technically they aren’t needed at all for the new stamps. But our old ones still remain valid.
On larger letter the code is often not scanned at all… another reason why we still need postmarks.
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Won’t the code take away the need for the postmark? Why have both?
Because, as I said, our old stamps are still valid (unlimited). We even had new releases without the code. And (but I’ve only edited it) it’s not working 100% all the time. Larger letters often don’t get scanned at all and even with cards and standard letters it still needs improvement. On the long term they might vanish though. (Did you know you can scan the code and see when it was processed in which sorting facility? Only within Germany though. And you get additional information about the stamp. I really like the last point).
Well, maybe it’s ugly but some of us (like polish postcrossers it’s cheaper) its good option for some people. You can print, glue and send to postoffice box, not to waste time to waiting. Behind this qr code stamp i put another traditional stamp with region theme, and nobody tell its not good. And this qr code stamp has less space than traditional and we can write more with put this qr stamp. Life is changing and this option for me its good alternative.
Yes. I understand why they need the postmarks for now. I was meaning in the future. They seem superfluous.
I think they’re ugly sincerely, and I worry about how my info would be used without my knowledge. I don’t find them safe in this sense. I hope they never implement this here.
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I don´t like, doesn´t look good in postcards, maybe good in letters if you don´t collect stamps?
I hate them… so ugly. And sadly we’re moving to them in the UK for definitive and Christmas stamp issues. The old style queen heads will stop being valid in 2023. Thankfully, older commemoratives will remain valid for postage and new commemoratives are still issued without bar code for now.
Postmarking is already very hit or miss in the UK, so I think it will disappear completely in the future. I can see that they might do something digital for the bar codes and then do manual pen cancellation (i.e. scribbles) for anything else.
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