LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Home > Guides > Shipping a device with battery installed
Yes, for most consumer devices. A battery installed in the device it powers is the category carriers are most comfortable with, as long as the device is switched off, packed to stop accidental switch-on, and within the carrier's size and watt-hour limits. Phones, tablets, laptops, and cameras routinely ship this way.
The reason is protection. Inside the device, the battery's terminals are covered, the cell is braced against impact, and nothing metal in the box can touch it. Carriers would rather see that than a loose cell in a bag, which is why the installed category gets the lightest rules. That logic holds only while the device is intact: a cracked phone with a punctured battery is a different shipment entirely, and it should not travel.
Installed means the battery sits in its normal position in the device, as the manufacturer intended. A phone with its battery in place counts, even if the battery is removable. A laptop with its battery screwed in counts. A battery taped to the outside of a device does not count, and neither does a battery rattling loose in the same box: those are separate categories with their own rules.
One grey area is a device shipped with a spare battery in the same box. Some carriers accept that as a combined shipment, others treat the spare as a loose battery and apply the stricter rules to it. If you are sending a spare as well as the device, declare both at the counter and let staff sort the categories, rather than assuming the installed rules cover the whole box.
Yes, fully off, not asleep. A sleeping laptop can wake on movement, spin up its drive, and heat up inside a sealed box. A phone on standby can receive calls and light up its screen. Power the device down, and pack it so buttons cannot be pressed by shifting contents: a snug case, a wrap that holds the sides, or padding that presses evenly rather than on one button.
Charge level matters too, though the advice is often misunderstood. A battery shipped at a moderate charge is safer than one shipped fully charged or fully flat, because a full battery stores more energy and a flat one can be harder to recover. You do not need to hit an exact percentage: just avoid sending a device at full charge after a night on the charger, and avoid sending one that died weeks ago and has sat flat since.
| Device type | Installed battery shipping | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Phone, tablet, camera | Generally accepted, ground and air | Switch off, protect the screen |
| Laptop | Generally accepted, ground and air | Switch off fully, not sleep mode |
| Power tool with battery attached | Usually ground only | Larger cells often exceed air limits |
| E-bike or scooter with battery | Often refused or freight only | Large watt-hour rating, special handling |
| Damaged or recalled device | Refused by most carriers | Do not ship; contact the maker |
Carriers cap the size of lithium battery that can travel by air, and the cap is measured in watt-hours, printed on the battery or in the device manual. Small consumer cells sit well under the cap, which is why phones and laptops ship without fuss. Larger packs, such as tool batteries and e-bike batteries, can exceed it, and those shipments move by ground or not at all.
If you cannot find the watt-hour rating, check the maker's spec page for the model before you ship. Guessing is a poor plan: an over-limit battery refused at the counter costs you a wasted trip, and one that slips through undeclared creates a safety problem for everyone handling the parcel. When the rating is unknown and the device is large, ask the carrier first.
Yes. Ground rules are more forgiving, and many devices that cannot fly can still travel by truck. The catch is that you may not control the routing: a parcel sent on a ground service usually stays on the ground, but a parcel that crosses water or a remote region may fly for part of the trip. If any leg is by air, the air rules govern the whole shipment. Declare the battery and let the carrier route it, rather than picking a service and hoping the routing cooperates.
LetterAgent provides Canada Post Xpresspost labels in Canada, for parcels up to 5 kg, quoted up front and paid once through Stripe. A phone, tablet, or laptop with its battery installed fits that shape well, as long as the parcel stays within the weight and size limits. A large tool or e-bike battery will usually exceed those limits or the carrier's battery rules, so check both before buying a label.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com