LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Power the phone down, protect the screen, wrap it so it cannot move inside the box, and pack that box inside a larger box with cushioning on all sides. Phones contain lithium batteries, so most carriers require the battery to stay installed in the device and the parcel to be marked accordingly. A snug single envelope is not enough protection for a phone in transit.
Nearly every modern phone has a lithium battery sealed inside it, and carriers treat that battery as dangerous goods, even though a phone is an everyday item. The good news is that a phone with its battery installed is one of the easier cases: most carriers accept it for ground and air service without special paperwork, as long as the device is switched off, protected against accidental activation, and packed so it cannot short-circuit. What carriers generally refuse is a loose battery on its own, or a phone with a damaged, swollen, or recalled battery. If the battery is swollen or the phone is visibly damaged, do not ship it through a regular parcel service: contact the carrier or the manufacturer for the right route.
| Situation | What carriers usually allow |
|---|---|
| Phone with battery installed, switched off | Accepted as a standard parcel with normal packing |
| Phone with a removable spare battery in the same box | Often restricted; check the carrier's battery rules first |
| Loose battery with no device | Strict rules; often refused for air service |
| Swollen, damaged, or recalled battery | Do not ship by regular parcel; seek carrier guidance |
Box-in-box packing is the standard that survives sorting plants. Start with the phone itself: power it down, put a screen protector or a piece of cardboard over the screen, and wrap the phone in bubble wrap so no hard surface touches it directly. Place it in a snug inner box with padding on all sides, so it cannot shift. Then place that inner box inside a larger outer box, with at least a couple of inches of cushioning, crumpled paper or bubble wrap, on every side. The outer box takes the knocks; the inner box keeps the phone still.
Do not ship a phone in a padded envelope on its own. Envelopes go through rollers and tight chutes, and a phone in an envelope can bend, crack, or get punctured by other parcels. If you must use a mailer, use a rigid one, and only for a phone that is already boxed inside it. Seal every seam with wide packing tape, and do not cover any battery marking the carrier asks you to add.
LetterAgent labels are Canada Post Xpresspost labels for parcels within Canada, up to 5 kg, and a phone fits that size easily. You get a label by asking your AI assistant: you get a per-label quote, approve the exact price, pay once through Stripe, and receive a label PDF. A phone parcel is still subject to the carrier's battery rules, so pack it as described above and keep it within Canada: LetterAgent labels are Canada-only, and a phone bound for another country needs a different service.
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