Post Office - Passport renewal - Digital check & send good?

howryoo

Has anyone used this service from the Post Office recently for £16?

When they take your photo, I assume you don't get a copy (digital or hard copy)?

I assume they'll take payment of £16 for their service by cash / card, but what happens to the HMPO fee - is that also collected by PO by card (on behalf of HMPO)?  Or do they just take your card details?  Is the form they complete essentially the same as that as if you completed the online application yourself directly on HMPO?

35har1old

howryoo said:

Has anyone used this service from the Post Office recently for £16?

When they take your photo, I assume you don't get a copy (digital or hard copy)?

I assume they'll take payment of £16 for their service by cash / card, but what happens to the HMPO fee - is that also collected by PO by card (on behalf of HMPO)?  Or do they just take your card details?  Is the form they complete essentially the same as that as if you completed the online application yourself directly on HMPO?

I found going online quite simple and received new passport within a week

eDicky

Applying yourself online is straightforward and the step-by-step process only proceeds when everything is entered correctly, so you may as well save the £16 cost of having the PO check your application, and mail only your expired passport to HMPO.

Abbafan1972

eDicky said:

Applying yourself online is straightforward and the step-by-step process only proceeds when everything is entered correctly, so you may as well save the £16 cost of having the PO check your application, and mail only your expired passport to HMPO.

I have done it online myself before and it’s really straightforward. 

photome

paying the post office for doing next to nothing.

wife used a booth last monday got a digital code, applied online sent passport off,(£2 something for signed for 1st class) passport office received it last tuesday, received new one back yesterday, 7days in total start to finish

billy2shots

Online is simple. 

I just did family of 4 but over the last couple of years have helped another 6/7 through work (care home). 

The only tricky but each time is getting a good enough photo. 
Takes a few goes to get the required picture quality. 

you can pay to get this done but that defeats the object of doing it yourself.

howryoo

Thanks for the replies.

Looks like best to cut out the middleman and data being passed through different hands?

Can you take the picture on your phone, select which one, then upload the image during the online application process, or do you have to take a suitable photo 'live' - during the online application?

eDicky

howryoo said:

Can you take the picture on your phone, select which one, then upload the image during the online application process, or do you have to take a suitable photo 'live' - during the online application?

There's plenty of flexibility. My most recent renewal was done entirely on my phone, but the photos taken with it were subsequently rejected twice, so I had a friend take my photo with his camera, send it to me and I could go back in and submit it, successfully.

DullGreyGuy

howryoo said:

Can you take the picture on your phone, select which one, then upload the image during the online application process, or do you have to take a suitable photo 'live' - during the online application?

You just upload a JPG, its not one where you have to do it in app.

As to the Post Office check & send... in my mind they are no different to all the websites setup to help you get your car taxes or renew your driving license for an unnecessary additional fee. Just because its been done much longer they get called a service whereas the others get called scammers. Cant see the difference personally. 

howryoo

Thanks for further replies.

The passport office says the photo should be within the past month, but what if it's out by a week or two?  Are their systems that clever to tell when it was taken?  Properties in the file uploaded?

Those who've sent back old passports - did you just use a bog standard envelope or did you use cardboard / do not bend or jiffy envelopes?

I assume I could just buy a suitable one over the counter at the Post Office whilst paying for the postage service (is it a label they'll print off which sticks onto the envelope?

You can tell I don't use the PO much!

baser999

I sent mine back in an old Amazon ‘cardboard’ envelope, blocking out their logos.