The awkward moment in a battery return is not at the courier counter; it is when someone seals the box before deciding what is inside. A spare pack, a battery installed in a monitor and a swollen pack sent for investigation can follow very different transport paths. Classify the actual shipment first, then choose packaging, marks, documents and a carrier that will accept it.
Regulations and carrier rules change. The person offering the shipment is responsible for classification and compliance. Use the current rules for every route and involve a trained dangerous-goods professional. Never offer a damaged, defective, or recalled battery as a routine shipment.
Step 1: identify the battery
Record whether the battery is lithium ion/rechargeable or lithium metal/non-rechargeable. Capture the battery model, manufacturer, nominal voltage, capacity, watt-hour rating, lithium content when relevant, and the device it powers. When Wh is not printed and the values are suitable for calculation, Wh = V × Ah.
Do not classify a pack from appearance or a product listing alone. Obtain the current safety and transport documentation from the battery manufacturer or supplier.
Step 2: obtain UN 38.3 evidence
PHMSA states that lithium cells and batteries offered for transport must have passed the applicable UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, subsection 38.3 tests, and that manufacturers and subsequent distributors must make a standardized test summary available. Ask for the test summary for the exact battery design—not a generic cell family with no traceable relationship to the pack.
- Battery manufacturer and contact information
- Battery model/product name
- Test laboratory and report identifiers
- Test date and confirmation of the required test set
- Physical description and mass
- Reference to the applicable UN test criteria
- Signature/name/title of the responsible person as required
Step 3: determine the shipping configuration
The regulatory path differs among batteries shipped by themselves, batteries packed with equipment, and batteries contained in equipment. A spare pack in the same carton as a monitor is not “contained in” the monitor. Document the actual configuration before choosing packaging or paperwork.
| Configuration | Practical meaning | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| Battery alone | No equipment in the package | That small size removes all air restrictions |
| Packed with equipment | Battery and device share a package but battery is not installed | That the device protects the terminals |
| Contained in equipment | Battery is installed in the device | That accidental activation is impossible |
Step 4: inspect condition before packing
Reject routine shipment if the battery is swollen, leaking, cracked, punctured, crushed, wet, overheated, recalled, or implicated in an abnormal event. PHMSA provides separate guidance for damaged, defective, or recalled batteries because their fire risk can require special packaging, approvals, or transport restrictions.
For a used pack, record why it is moving—return, service, recycling, evaluation, or normal reuse. A battery sent for disposal or recycling still requires a hazard assessment and protection against short circuit.
Step 5: protect and package
- Protect every terminal from contact using the approved cap, original inner packaging, or another compliant method.
- Place each battery in suitable inner packaging or separation so packs cannot contact or move into one another.
- Cushion the pack against shifting, crushing, and impact.
- Use a strong outer package suitable for the selected regulatory provision.
- Prevent equipment from accidentally switching on and protect it from damage.
- Apply the current required marks and labels with correct dimensions and durability.
- Prepare documents and shipper declarations when the selected provision requires them.
Air travel is not the same as commercial cargo
Passenger baggage rules do not authorize a commercial parcel. FAA guidance says spare lithium batteries for portable electronic and medical devices must be carried in the cabin rather than checked baggage, with terminals protected; damaged, defective, or recalled batteries are not permitted in passenger baggage. Cargo shipments use different rules and carrier acceptance procedures.
Before tendering the package
- Classification and configuration are documented
- Exact UN 38.3 test summary is on file
- Battery condition passed inspection
- Packaging, marks, labels, quantity, and documents match the current rule
- Origin, destination, mode, and carrier restrictions were checked
- Required trained-person review is complete
- Emergency contact and shipment records are retained
Work the watt-hours before calling the carrier
If the label shows voltage and ampere-hours but not energy, multiply them. A 14.4 V, 3.6 Ah ultrasound pack is 51.84 Wh; a 14.4 V, 5 Ah monitor pack is 72 Wh. If capacity is in milliampere-hours, divide by 1,000 before multiplying: 6,600 mAh is 6.6 Ah.
The calculation answers one field on the shipping worksheet. It does not choose the proper shipping description, prove UN 38.3 compliance or make a small battery exempt from dangerous-goods controls. Keep a photo of the original label and the manufacturer's specification with the calculation so a reviewer can trace the numbers.
Use an intake sheet before a return label is created
| Field | What to capture |
|---|---|
| Identity | Manufacturer, model, chemistry, voltage, Ah/mAh, Wh and part number |
| Configuration | Alone, packed with equipment, or installed in equipment |
| Condition | New/used, intact, damaged, defective, recalled, for recycling or disposal |
| Evidence | Exact UN 38.3 test summary and applicable safety information |
| Route | Origin, destination, road/air/sea legs and carrier/service level |
| Package | Terminal protection, inner separation, cushioning, outer package, quantity |
| Approval | Rule edition, trained reviewer, marks/documents and acceptance confirmation |
This sheet also prevents an easy configuration mistake. A spare battery placed beside a monitor is packed with equipment; it does not become “contained in equipment” because both items share a carton. Photograph the final arrangement before closing the outer package when the organization's procedure calls for shipment evidence.
Why last year's shipping note is not enough
PHMSA updated its shipper guide in October 2024 and publishes current lithium-battery resources as rules and implementation dates change. Carriers may add service restrictions on top of the regulations. Recheck the route and date at the time of shipment, even when an apparently identical package was accepted before.
If a carrier rejects a parcel, do not cover the old label and try another counter. Preserve the rejection reason and return the package to the trained reviewer. The underlying issue may be condition, configuration, documentation, packaging, service level or a carrier-specific prohibition; changing couriers without resolving it does not change the battery.
Questions to settle before booking a shipment
Is a lithium-ion pack under 100 Wh exempt from dangerous-goods rules?
No. Energy thresholds can change which exceptions or quantity provisions are available, but they do not make the battery ordinary cargo. Classification, UN 38.3 evidence, terminal protection, inner and outer packaging, marks, labels, documentation, configuration, condition, route, and carrier acceptance can still apply. Check the current rule for the actual shipment.
Can passenger baggage rules be used for a courier shipment?
No. Rules for a traveler carrying a portable medical device do not authorize a commercial parcel. Airlines, air cargo operators, postal networks, express carriers, road carriers, and destination authorities can apply different acceptance conditions. Give the trained reviewer the origin, destination, mode, number of packs, Wh rating, and whether each pack is installed.
Can a swollen or failed pack be returned to the supplier?
Do not place it in an ordinary return box. Swelling, leakage, crushing, puncture, heat exposure, recall status, or an abnormal event can place the battery in a damaged or defective category with much stricter transport limits. Isolate it under the safety procedure and obtain shipment-specific instructions from a qualified dangerous-goods professional.
Our shipping information explains the store's general route limits. Availability at checkout does not replace shipment-specific dangerous-goods acceptance.
Keep reading
Before buying or returning a pack, use the battery identification checklist. For batteries held as spares, see the charging and storage program guide.
