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What's the Deal with Lithium Batteries?

Updated: Mar 4


Lithium batteries: two words that immediately and consistently conjure up frustration among owners and operators of retail shipping businesses.


We’ve been in this state of up-in-the-air over lithium batteries for years. The rules around them seem to never be consistent, changing more often than we can attempt to understand. The carriers all handle lithium batteries differently. Some can go air, some can go ground, some can only go when installed in a device, some have watt hour (Wh) and cell limits, some require a special label, some you have to look up the UN code for said special label, and some just make you want to go back to the stone age before batteries were even invented.


At AYM High Consultants, we’ve felt this pain ourselves in the businesses we operate and lithium batteries are a topic we constantly are discussing with our clients (AYM High Soarers) and our contemporaries. If only there were a single set of rules, or a clearly-made chart that could help store operators make the best decisions when presented with batteries to ship. Alas, no such resources seem to exist, aside from the very helpful International Air Transport Association (IATA) Battery Guidance Document (https://www.iata.org/contentassets/05e6d8742b0047259bf3a700bc9d42b9/lithium-battery-guidance-document.pdf).


Taking that into consideration, we’ve had many conversations and hopefully can now offer better guidance on some of the best practices we’ve seen from those we trust and who seem to be handling the situation to the best of their abilities.


We love to see stores treat lithium batteries the same as they would any other controlled or touchy material (paint, firearms, cremains, etc.) in that they simply say, “If it requires a special label or could in any way be considered hazmat, we don’t ship it.” This is the safest approach, protecting both you and your business from any hazards, from any errors that could create a dangerous situation in the shipping cycle, and from any repercussions or fines associated with shipping something you’re not supposed to. Yes, you may miss out on some business by choosing to say no when it comes to some lithium batteries, but the risks associated with not doing things properly are too high for most small businesses.


We spoke with one store owner who has really done her research on lithium batteries and she’s decided that at her business, when lithium batteries are shipped through her accounts, that they only go FedEx--either FedEx Ground or FedEx Express, following the same guidelines. Prepaid packages with lithium batteries will be conditionally accepted for either FedEx or UPS, however the USPS classifies all lithium batteries as hazardous and so she doesn’t take anything for USPS. To simplify things, she’s learned the FedEx standards and will default to them any time someone needs to ship a lithium battery. As such, the following rules are what she advises:

  • Lithium batteries need to be less than 100Wh each

  • Lithium batteries must be installed in their respective devices; they cannot be shipped loose and unconnected

  • There is a two-device limit per shipment, so that means only two cell phones, two laptops, or one cell phone and one laptop per shipment, for example

  • Any battery safely installed and shipped can be no larger than a four-cell battery

  • No spare batteries can be shipped, as spare batteries are not safely installed in devices


AYM High Consultants has created a handy infographic with these guidelines that is free to download at https://tinyurl.com/AYMHighLithium.



If a guest has a problem with these guidelines that we advise, then our advice is that you kindly tell them that they’re welcome to go elsewhere. Our goal is to protect you and your business. The Post Office will take some batteries with special labeling and conditions, as will a FedEx counter, UPS counter, or other alternatives.


With the “if it needs a special label, we don’t do it” rule, that also means that drop-offs with prepaid shipping labels follow suit. If a drop-off comes in with a lithium battery label, it gets refused.


There’s also a difference between lithium metal and lithium ion batteries, and lithium ion batteries are what these guidelines are based upon. Also of note, some laptop batteries, especially high-powered gaming laptops, can be more than four cells and therefore prohibited.


Battery banks are another issue. Are they considered batteries themselves, or are they devices with a battery safely installed? It’s unclear, though the IATA considers them batteries. So, AYM High Consultants advises that battery banks and charging stations (like for ear buds and whatnot), be considered batteries, not devices with batteries, and therefore they shouldn’t be shipped…just to be safe.


It’s always best to err on the side of safety and caution, rather than taking a risk that’s not clearly defined by carrier guidelines and potentially putting your business, your team, and anyone handling the package through the shipping cycle at risk. If you knowingly or unknowingly ship anything hazmat that you’re not supposed to, you could easily get shut down. It’s very serious stuff!


Some great resources were shared in MBC Today Volume 26 Issue 6 (November/December 2024) in the Industry News section, a portion of which is shared here with permission:

              


Lithium Batteries and FASCsFASCs (FedEx Authorized ShipCenters®) have once again been granted permission to ship some lithium batteries in limited quantities that are safely installed in devices. FedEx has shared the following documents with AMBC Members as guides:


FedEx Dangerous Goods Poster for FASCs: https://tinyurl.com/ybaje7jy



FedEx Lithium Battery Job Aid (how to calculate watt hours): https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/services/LithiumBattery_JobAid.pdf



Please note that FASCs may ship any batteries that fit into section II of the last document shared above, but not batteries that fit into sections I, IA, or IB.


We know that lithium battery shipping is frustrating, confusing, and convoluted, and the AMBC team is working diligently to try to continue to make sense of it for our members and to get some more clear answers from all carriers to make our members' jobs as front-line discerners of what is safe and what is not safe to ship easier. Thank you for your patience.


Please note that information shared is current as of publication date of this edition of MBC Today, but as we all know rules with lithium batteries change often. Always check directly with your carrier of choice for most current information. Current FedEx Dangerous Goods resources are always available at https://www.fedex.com/en-us/service-guide/dangerous-goods/resources.html


We also encourage everyone to re-watch a recent AMBC town hall meeting with FedEx representatives in which lithium battery shipping was discussed. You can view that in the members only section of ambc4me.org.


One of our AYM High Soarers also gave us permission to share portions of the FedEx Lithium Battery Overview (https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/services/LithiumBattery_Overview.pdf) that she marked up for her own store’s use. She noted that the highlighted sections that are not crossed out are the only parts she uses and the only batteries she will ship:





In conclusion, things simply aren’t clear. Carriers each have different rules, those rules change often, and it’s an ongoing task to try to keep up. We love the cautionary approach of “if it requires a special label, we don’t do it” and advise that to our clients—our AYM High Soarers. Your path forward is up to you, but the risks of shipping something you shouldn’t far outweigh any possible benefit that that shipment might bring you.


Ship wisely. Ship safely. And ship successfully!

 
 
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