Post & Go stamps facts for kids

Post & Go stamps, also called Faststamps, are special postage stamps. You can print them yourself from machines. These machines are like special vending machines. Royal Mail in the United Kingdom uses them. Other postal services also use them. These include Jersey Post, Guernsey Post, the Royal Gibraltar Post Office, and Q-Post in Qatar.

How Post & Go Stamps Started

Royal Mail first tested these machines in 2004. They called the system "Weigh and Vend." It was in three Post Offices. Customers found it a bit slow and tricky.

More trials happened in 2007. Different companies made the machines. In 2008, new machines from Nixdorf were used. About 700 of these machines were put all over the UK.

The very first Nixdorf Post & Go machines appeared in The Galleries, Bristol. That was on October 8, 2008. Soon after, they were also in Sunderland and South Shields post offices.

Different Kinds of Post & Go Stamps

There are two main types of Post & Go stamps you can get.

Stamps for Basic Mail

Some stamps are for common mail. This includes letters and postcards that are not too heavy. They can be sent First Class, Second Class, or Air Mail. These stamps do not show a specific price. Instead, they say what service they are for.

These stamps can look different. Some have the picture of Queen Elizabeth II's head. This is called the Machin head design. Others have a picture, like an animal or flower. They still have a small picture of the Queen's head in the corner.

Stamps for Heavier Mail

Another type of stamp is for heavier letters or small parcels. The price for these stamps depends on how much the item weighs. These stamps show the type of service and the exact price.

Older versions of these stamps had a special security print. They also showed a "post by" date. This meant you should mail them by the next day. They were not meant to be cancelled like regular stamps.

Today, these are called Open value stamps. They only have the Machin head design. They do not show a "post by" date. They are treated just like any other postage stamp.

Designs and Special Issues

Post & Go stamps in the UK have many cool designs. By 2015, they included the Union Flag, different animals and flowers, pictures of sea travel, and even heraldic beasts.

Other countries also issue these stamps. Jersey started in 2014. Guernsey, Gibraltar, and Qatar began in 2015. Jersey has stamps with its flag and protected animals. Guernsey and Gibraltar stamps show their flags. Qatar's stamps show its country's coat of arms.

Sometimes, special Post & Go stamps are made. These can be for stamp collecting events. They can also be for certain groups or places.

How Collectors Use Post & Go Stamps

It can be a fun challenge for stamp collectors. There are so many ways these stamps can be made. They can have different services, designs, and special messages. This means there are many unique stamps to find!

You can even find out where a stamp came from. There is a code on the bottom left corner. The first six numbers in this code tell you which vending machine printed the stamp.