Post and Go NVI Stamps – What are they worth for postage?

One of the most common questions sent to us is from readers trying to confirm the current ‘worth’ or face value of obsolete (or even current) Post and Go ‘Non Value’ or NVI stamps where used for postage. There doesn’t appear to be any official reference for this information but there has been previous confirmation of the principles used by Royal Mail’s revenue protection, which allows us to produce the following, updated and indeed simplified by the tariff change of 1st September 2020.

InlandStatus Current Value for Postage
1st ClassCurrent£0.76
1st Class LargeCurrent£1.15
2nd ClassCurrent£0.65
2nd Class LargeCurrent£0.88
International
Europe up to 20gObsolete£1.45
Euro 20g World 10gCurrent£1.45
Europe up to 60gObsolete£1.70
Europe up to 100gObsolete£1.70
Worldwide up to 10gObsolete£1.45
World 10g Euro 20gObsolete£1.45
Worldwide up to 20gObsolete£1.70
Worldwide up to 40gObsolete£2.55
Worldwide up to 60gObsolete£2.55
Worldwide up to 100gObsolete£2.55
Euro 100g World 20gCurrent£1.70
World 100g Zone 1-3Current£2.50
World 100g Zone 2Current£2.55
Post and Go NVI Stamp Postage Values September 2020

The rule applied is that any NVI stamp that indicates a weight step that no longer exists should be rounded up to the next weight and take on the value of that weight step. Where a zone is not indicated then all zones are covered and the stamp takes the value of the most expensive zone in that weight step.

Where these stamps are being used for pre-payment at a Post Office counter posters should consider that NVIs stamp were originally supplied for use for a particular purpose – e.g. specific inland or international mail letter rates and although techncially they are valid for use for other services, such use is exceptional and may result in refusal or re-direction to direct Royal Mail channels.

Royal Mail Tariff Change 29th March 2016

Royal Mail’s prices change annually – usually on the Monday nearest to the 1st April (The beginning of Royal Mail’s new financial year). This year Easter Monday puts a (chocolate flavoured? ) spanner in the works and so prices change on Tuesday 29th March.

Essentially this tariff has very little in the way of the surprises of recent years – but one that could be missed is the difference – for the first time- for postage purchased online verses the price for good old stamps or postage labels applied at a Post Office. For the first time Royal Mail are disincentivising the use of stamps over postage bought online. Granted there has been a difference in pricing for some years for postage applied via a franking machine, but the prices were not really comparable since the necessary equipment had to be purchased/leased and maintained, so only for high volume users did the savings really make any sense.

Royal Mails prices can be found here: Royal Mail Tariff 2016

In summary: Online postage prices have been frozen and the stamped postage generally increased by a few pence. Many prices have not changed including those for International letters between 20g-100g.

Where does this leave Post and Go collectors? The NVI values to change are that of the ‘1st Class’ (from 63p to 64p) , ‘1st Class Large’ (from 95p to 96p) and ‘World 10g/Euro 20g’ value (from £1 to £1.05), resulting in a 7p increase in the cost of a collectors strip from £7.68 to £7.75.