Australia Post introduces QR code 'video stamps'

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Australia Post has introduced a "video stamp" which when used with a mobile application lets senders record a 15-second video for a recipient.

The postal service has printed more than 3 million of the stamps for the holiday season, which can be affixed to domestic Express Post or Express Courier International packages.

The QR code stamps cost no more than regular ones but could eventually turn into a revenue source.

"We will wait and see how this trial period goes," a spokeswoman for Australia Post said.

Senders scan the QR code with the "Video Stamp" application for Apple or Android devices and record a video. The recipient can either play it back through Video Stamp or enter an eight-digit code assigned to the QR code to play it on Australia Post's website.

The video stamp is the electronic equivalent of a post card, however: users are advised that anyone who has access to the QR Code can view the message, the spokeswoman said.

Like many postal services around the world, Australia Post has faced financial challenges with falling letter volumes and increased competition from courier services but has looked to reinvent itself in the internet age.

Last year, it launched the Digital Mailbox, a Web-based application for receiving and paying bills and a storage "vault" for important items such as tax documents and passport copies.

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