Germany 2021 unique QR digital codes on stamps so BLUE ink cancels now used!

[ligneN]

This is the one I sent locally to myself:

This shows the handstamp colour for the counter service much darker than the BZ machine marking.
Same as with my local p.o.

[Philexx]

Thanks ligneN, glad someone knows what's happening

[Clapas]

Hello George,

The cover arrived here today thank you very much

It has two clean cancellations: in black and in blue

did you receive my cover?

Thanks very much

[Global Administrator]

.
If the stamps do not need cancels why bring into Blue ink for cancels - so it does not mess up the QR code?

German stamps will soon be kitted out with individual matrix codes to help stop letters getting lost in the mail, national postal company Deutsche Post said Tuesday.

Customers will be able to use the codes to track when a letter has arrived in the local processing centre and when it has reached its destination region, Deutsche Post said.

The codes, which are similar to QR codes, will sit alongside the traditional images in what will be "a new generation of stamps", according to the company.

"Stamps with matrix codes make our service even more reliable -- and the stamps more interesting," said Tobias Meyer, head of the company's German post and parcel division.

The first stamps featuring the codes will be rolled out from Thursday, with more to follow later in the year.

By 2022, they will be featured on all German stamps.

However, the codes do not allow for full parcel-style tracking and they will not tell customers whether a letter has actually been delivered.

DHL owner Deutsche Post reported record results in January as the pandemic fuels a package boom spurred by online shopping.

Revenues climbed five percent year-on-year to €66.8, buoyed by strong performances from the parcels and express units.

[Philexx]

Hello George,

The cover arrived here today thank you very much

It has two clean cancellations: in black and in blue

did you receive my cover?

Glad it arrived Thierry. Yes I received your lovely cover, thanks. It's on the latest page of the Show what you received for "Free" from other Stampboarders thread.

[norvic]

A reader has sent me an example of this Covid slogan now in blue (I had previously seen one in black).

German Coronavirus postmark in blue ink.

German Gemeinsam Gegen Corona sich selbst und andere schutzen
in English; Together against Corona protect yourself and others

[ligneN]

.
If the stamps do not need cancels why bring into Blue ink for cancels so it does not mess up the QR code?

You are the first one who asked this...

Because the postal customer still would like to see a printed dated postmark to get direct info
- when posted
- from which place
- at a glance.

Without beeing forced to fiddle around with scanning datamatrix of any cover from the glorious net using that digital bar.
Getting the app, with red-hot ears scanning the mysterious datamatrix, reading the amazing "entered the letter center on abc, arrived at other letter center on xyz". Then saving or printing out to attach to the cover when You need to file it (or just filing a scan)...

No.

Also up to now there is only just -1- matrix stamp. All the 100s of millions of extant postage do not have one.

Postmark colour must fit both kinds.

Officials stated that changing the definitive issues to matrix will be completed only by 2022.

[ligneN]

Thanks ligneN, glad someone knows what's happening

Other philatelists reported their p.o. using the lighter blue colour for their handstamps too.
It depends.

[guilloutran]

I think it's depend.
We've matrix stamps as well and it's often get cancel like normal one!

[RevRed+]

Thanks George! The cover has arrived safely.

Cover with German Matrix Stamp & 30c Flower Definitive.

Blue Cancellation.

[Global Administrator]

.
Nice cover - can you email me ASAP direct with a high rez scan of that stamp closeup and blue cancel please?

Thanks!

Glen

[Global Administrator]

.
Thanks for scan!

Can a German speaker please translate all the wording on it - google gives me a mess!

Is this close enough?

80c

Digital change

Germany

Our stamps are going digital

[Global Administrator]

.

Out of interest how can anyone tell (from the blue cancel) where this was posted?

All I see is BRIEFZENTRUM 32 but not the town name -- maybe George can advise?!

How does anyone except a PO staffer, know what posting office that is?

.
If the stamps do not need cancels why bring into Blue ink for cancels - so it does not mess up the QR code?

You are the first one who asked this...

Because the postal customer still would like to see a printed dated postmark to get direct info

- when posted
- from which place
- at a glance.

[dancux]

.

Out of interest how can anyone tell (from the blue cancel) where this was posted?

All I see is BRIEF ZENTRUM 32 but not the town name -- maybe George can advise?! How does anyone except a PO staffer know what posting office that is?

.
If the stamps do not need cancels why bring into Blue ink for cancels - so it does not mess up the QR code?

You are the first one who asked this...

Because the postal customer still would like to see a printed dated postmark to get direct info

- when posted
- from which place
- at a glance.

Briefzentrum 32 is the central processing unit located in Herford and processes mail from the regions 32 and 33.

The exact location where a letter was mailed is not documented.

A full list of German processing centres and the regions they are covering can be found here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briefzentrum_(Deutsche_Post)

[Global Administrator]

.

Do members feel ebay will accept these coded stamps as "proof of posting"?

Seems like one cannot track them when they ARRIVE?

Can George see that data on the ones he mailed overseas out of interest?

[Philexx]

I only recorded the one for RevRed+ in my Deutsche Post / DHL App. All it told me is when it was scanned at the Deutsche Post Logistics Centre in Frankfurt Airport. It didn't tell me it had been delivered or even arrived in Ireland. So yes, very basic information.

From the App:

Die Briefsendung "A401000065000D4CA10A" befindet sich derzeit im Status "Ihre Sendung wurde am 10.02.2021 in unserem Logistikzentrum Frankfurt Flughafen bearbeitet."

Translation: the letter "A401000065000D4CA10A" presently has the the Status "Your letter was processed on 10.02.21 at the Frankfurt Airport Logistics Centre"

EDIT: I will put two covers in the post to you Glen, as an experiment with both recorded in the App. And so you have hopefully a nice example with a good postmark.

[Philexx]

Is this close enough?

80c

Digital change

Germany

Our stamps are going digital

Hi Glen, literally its "The stamp is going digital", but yours is just fine too.

[ligneN]

BZ (Briefzentrum) postmarks are on all mails cleared from postal pillars plus those from agencies in shops, bakeries ec. Those agencies use their handstamp only for counter sevices like registered mails - or when friendly asked for by a philatelist.

(1) The datamatrix tracking system works only on Germany domestic mails. Simply as the datamatrix app is intended for inland tracking only.

(2) DP expressively stated, that this simplified tracking offers no liability whatsoever.
It only states arrival in dispatching BZ and in delivery BZ. So when postmarked and when sorted on arrival.

Not a tracking system like that for registered mail or parcels:
simply as there there is no actual acceptance and no actual delivery status.
Both are done by hand at the counter resp. by the delivery messenger.
This is not what is happening with the datamatrix stamp(s).

And as stated, its main purpose is to make an end to millions of forgeries from a certain red dictatorship giant blackmailing country in the Far East.

The datamatrix "tracking" thing is more a sort of PR for all those cellphone/app/thingy/sumthin 24h-a-day fiddlerz IMHO.

[Global Administrator]

.

Are these gummed or peel and stick - or can you buy either?

Glen

[ligneN]

.

Are these gummed or peel and stick - or can you buy either?

Glen

Gummed, self adhesive (two printings, Berlin state printers and Enschede co., different perforations) and even a stationery envelope, blanc with the stamp imprinted.

[Global Administrator]

.
Thank you!

Glen

[ligneN]

.
Thank you!

Glen

Mixed info:

The datamatrix tracking is called "reduced tracking without delivery proof"

It has been reported that a batch of gummed sheets (mini-sheets of 10 only) without the datamatrix imprint was detected at p.o. counters, several already sold. Posts started a recall action and also asked customers to return the "faulty" stamps.
- Up to now no pix of those faulties have been published.

Mail size: the "datamatrix reduced tracking" works flawless with standard size mails which are postmarked/scanned by machines during postmarking/sorting processing.
Over standard size mails have to be scanned by hand. Testmails of over standard size envelopes showed that only about 50% of them are trackable.

Some BZ higher echelons admitted that handstamp devices and old style machines, also after Feb. 4, are only step by step changed to black colour... no matter what the campaign of "complete change mandatory by Feb. 4" stated.

***

Appendix: there is still some black postmark colour resistance!
See below a black handstamp of Feb. 9 which got an additional blue BZ spraying mark.

[Rockyman44]

Here’s a handy map of German Briefzentren for reference:

Germany Briefzentren

[FresnoEd]

Is it too late to request a Matrix stamp cover?

Let me know if you need any US stamps for your collection.

[AMark]

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[Belti]

Is Germany the first country that will be issuing this type of stamps ?

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/german-stamps-to-get-qr-style-tracking-codes.849032

German stamps to get QR-style tracking codes

By 2022, all stamps in Germany will be able to electronically tracked

German stamps will soon be kitted out with individual matrix codes to help stop letters getting lost in the mail, national postal company Deutsche Post said Tuesday.

Customers will be able to use the codes to track when a letter has arrived in the local processing centre and when it has reached its destination region, Deutsche Post said.

The codes, which are similar to QR codes, will sit alongside the traditional images in what will be "a new generation of stamps", according to the company.

"Stamps with matrix codes make our service even more reliable -- and the stamps more interesting," said Tobias Meyer, head of the company's German post and parcel division.

The first stamps featuring the codes will be rolled out from Thursday, with more to follow later in the year.

By 2022, they will be featured on all German stamps.

However, the codes do not allow for full parcel-style tracking and they will not tell customers whether a letter has actually been delivered.

DHL owner Deutsche Post reported record results in January as the pandemic fuels a package boom spurred by online shopping.

Revenues climbed five per cent year-on-year to 66.8 billion euros ($80.4 billion), buoyed by strong performances from the parcels and express units.

[AMark]

Merged two similar topics.

[DarrenK]

Thank you very much George.

Letter arrived safely and in good condition today.

[Philexx]

Thanks Darren, you have the "old" black cancel and the new blue one. Nice representation of the transition

[sovanksahu]

Fascinating thread.

So, if they still use postmarks and cancel the stamps... what cost savings were they planning with the barcode?
Or was it to get more insights - how many produced, how many actually go through the postal system and how many end up "mint" in collector books

[Stamp collector]

what cost savings were they planning with the barcode

From my understanding, the matrix stamps were issued to prevent the use of forgeries since each stamp has a unique code.

[Kennethsequeira]

Thanks George, for this cover

[ligneN]

DP published a pic showing probable future german postage stamp sizes, SPWZ = special stamps (commemoratives, semipostals), Dauerserie = definitives.
All will be blown up in size to house the matrix code.

Current designs at right, future sizes at left.

The typically small size definitive will be a thing of the past.
Also notes that a currency logo for (€) will be included.
Current flower definitives just show a eurocent amount, but have no curency symbols.

***

Otherwise we still note black colour used, particular with hand-roller devices (dater+waves) for non-standard mail items of a bulky and uneven structure.
They have their own colour unit integrated into the device. Not easy to exchange that unit.
So will probably only switched to blue once the current unit is exhausted.

[Philexx]

Glen, sent two to you on cover, just in case you wanted one for an article. If not throw them into a Mid-week bundle sale.

[Ubobo.R.O.]

Covers ready for Maggie, Red and an extra to Waffle.

Miss Maggie Mailbox is please to announce the safe arrival of this lovely cover from Philexx. Thankyou Mister George.

A close up of the blue postmark.

[Philexx]

Nice postmark! Glad it arrived safely

[Global Administrator]

Glen, sent two to you on cover, just in case you wanted one for an article.

Ha!

Many thanks George - I had already used this interesting news in my next article written 2 weeks back - with a link back to this interesting thread.

Used images of your generous covers to others - many thanks - take a look -

https://www.glenstephens.com/snmarch21.html

Glen

[Rigs]

Glen, sent two to you on cover, just in case you wanted one for an article.

Ha!

Many thanks George - I had already used this interesting news in my next article written 2 weeks back - with a link back to this interesting thread.

Used images of your generous covers to others - many thanks - take a look -

https://www.glenstephens.com/snmarch21.html

Glen

Glen - I am happy to buy the spare you now have if it is for sale?

[GB 789]

Here is an example of the Blue cancel, alongside the black cancel, on a cover I received today in the UK from member ‘Stamps1804’ for an item purchased from them.

It only took two days to arrive from Germany so hopefully is a sign postal services are getting back to some sort of normality now.

[Kennethsequeira]

Apparently La Poste of France already launched a similar thing last year

https://www.linns.com/news/world-stamps-postal-history/franc ... ne-oct.-19

New French stamps will help postal customers keep track of mail they have sent.

France’s La Poste will issue these stamps Oct. 19 in a booklet of nine called “Mon carnet de timbres Suivi,” which means my booklet of stamps for tracking.

The four steps to using the stamps to track your mail are explained on the booklet’s back cover: Stick the stamp on your letter; mail the letter; keep your booklet that includes the tracking numbers; look up the numbers on the La Poste website or mobile app.

This tracking service only is available in France, according to La Poste.

The front cover includes the aforementioned name of the booklet and the sentence “Je sais quand mon courrier est arrive,” which translates to “I know when my mail has arrived.”

The cover also depicts an illustration of a brightly colored cartoonlike owl. Other owls in an array of colors are shown on the nine stamps in the booklet; each design is different, depicting one owl.

La Poste’s mock-up illustration of three of the stamps is shown nearby. In this illustration, each stamp includes the same tracking number, but in reality each stamp will have a different number.

The stamps are nondenominated, paying the green-letter (second-class) rate, currently €0.97. The green domestic rate travels only by ground transportation.

The booklet sells for €12.78, which includes a cost of €0.45 per stamp for tracking. La Poste also sells separate tracking labels, or stickers, for €0.45 each. These stickers are offered individually, in booklets of 12 and in packets of 120.