What You Can't Ship with USPS and FedEx
What you can't ship comes down to what the item is and whether the box flies or rides on a truck. Alcohol, loose lithium batteries and vapes are the ones people get stopped on most. Perfume, nail polish and aerosol cans can usually go, but only by ground inside the US. If you're not sure about something, ask us before you pack it and we'll check the carrier rule for you.
Quick answers
- Alcohol: USPS won't take it. FedEx only takes it from licensed businesses.
- Phones, laptops, tablets: Yes, with the battery installed in the device.
- Loose lithium batteries and power banks: We don't accept them at the counter.
- Perfume and nail polish: Yes, by ground within the US. Not by air, not overseas.
- Aerosol cans: Yes, by ground within the US. Not overseas.
- Vapes and cigarettes: No.
- Not sure? Call 732-730-5230 or bring it in before you seal the box.
What items can't you ship at all?
Ammunition, explosives and fireworks, gasoline, marijuana, air bags and liquid mercury can't go through USPS under any service. Alcohol and tobacco are off the table for regular customers at both USPS and FedEx.
Those are the hard no's. Nobody at any counter can get them through for you, and nobody should try.
| Item | USPS | FedEx (at our counter) |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol (beer, wine, liquor) | No | No (licensed businesses only) |
| Vapes, e-cigarettes, cigarettes, cigars | No | No |
| Marijuana, including medical | No | No |
| Ammunition, fireworks, explosives | No | No |
| Gasoline, lighter fluid, propane tanks | No | No |
| Phones and laptops with the battery inside | Yes | Yes |
| Loose lithium batteries, power banks | We don't accept them | We don't accept them |
| Perfume, cologne, nail polish | Ground only, US only | Ground only, US only |
| Aerosol cans | Ground only, US only | Ground only, US only |
Carrier rules change. If what you're sending is on the edge, ask us and we'll look up the current rule before you pay for anything.
Can you ship lithium batteries?
Yes, when the battery is inside the device. A phone, laptop, tablet, camera or smartwatch with its battery installed can ship within the US. Loose batteries and power banks are a different story, and we don't accept those at the counter.
This is the question we get the most, usually from someone selling an old phone or sending a laptop back for repair.
Here's what to do before you bring it in:
- Turn it all the way off. Not sleep mode. Off.
- Leave the battery in. A device with its battery installed is treated very differently from a battery on its own.
- Tell us if it's used. USPS requires pre-owned devices with lithium batteries to go by ground, not air, and the box has to be marked for it. We'll pick a ground service and mark it.
- Tell us if it's damaged. A swollen, cracked or recalled battery can't ship with any carrier, even inside the device. If your phone is puffing up or the case is separating, don't ship it. Take it to a recycler.
Spare batteries, drone batteries, e-bike batteries and power banks count as loose batteries. They need special packaging, labels and paperwork, and we don't take them. The same goes for anything going overseas with a battery in it. Ask us first and we'll tell you what your options are.
Can you ship perfume?
Yes, inside the US, by ground only. Most perfume and cologne contains alcohol, which makes it flammable, so it can't go on a plane and can't be mailed to another country.
That's why the fast services are out. Overnight and air shipping put the box on a plane, and perfume can't ride there. It goes by ground, which is slower, so plan ahead if it's a gift. Any delivery date we give you is an estimate from the carrier, not a guarantee.
Nail polish follows the same rule. So do most nail polish removers, hand sanitizers and hair products with alcohol in them.
How to get it ready:
- Keep the cap on tight and, if you can, tape it down.
- Leave it in its original box if you still have it.
- Don't wrap it yourself and seal the box. Bring it in open. We'll bag the bottle, cushion it so it can't break, and mark the box the way the carrier requires. Packing is something we do every day.
The biggest mistake here is people packing perfume at home, taping the box shut and not mentioning it. If a flammable item goes out on an air service without being declared, the box can get pulled, sent back or delayed for weeks. Tell us what's inside and we'll send it the right way the first time.
Can you ship aerosol cans?
Yes, within the US, by ground only. Hairspray, spray deodorant, shaving cream, dry shampoo and spray paint all count as aerosols.
Aerosols are pressurized, and that pressure is the problem on a plane. On a truck they're fine. So the same rule as perfume: ground service, US addresses only.
Keep the cap on so the nozzle can't get pressed in transit. If the can has lost its cap, tape over the nozzle.
Propane and butane tanks, fire extinguishers and camping fuel aren't regular aerosols. Those we don't take.
Can you ship alcohol?
No. USPS doesn't allow beer, wine or liquor in the mail, and FedEx only ships alcohol for licensed businesses.
This comes up a lot around the holidays. Someone wants to send a bottle of wine to a relative, and the answer is still no.
What works instead: order it from a winery or liquor store that ships. They have the license, and the bottle goes straight from them.
One more thing people don't expect. Don't reuse a wine or liquor box for something else. A box with alcohol branding on it can get held even if there's no alcohol inside. Bring your item in and we'll put it in a plain box made for shipping.
Can you ship vapes or cigarettes?
No. USPS doesn't mail vapes or e-cigarettes to regular customers, and FedEx doesn't ship any tobacco or vape products.
That includes the devices, the cartridges, the liquid and the pods, empty or full.
What can't you ship internationally?
Almost everything on the ground-only list. Perfume, nail polish, aerosols and loose batteries can't go overseas, and each country adds its own list on top of that.
A box going to Mexico, Guatemala or anywhere else has to follow our carriers' rules and the destination country's customs rules. Some countries block items that are fine to mail in the US, like certain foods, medicines or used clothing.
Check the country rules page before you pack, or bring the box in open and we'll go through it with you.
Why should I tell you what's in the box?
Because we pick the carrier and service based on what's inside. Pick the wrong one and the box can get sent back.
At the counter we'll ask if there's anything liquid, flammable, pressurized or with a battery. That's not us being nosy. A lot of what people ship is fine by ground and not fine by air, and the only way to choose right is to know.
When you bring it to us:
- We check the current USPS and FedEx rule for your item.
- We choose a service that's allowed to carry it.
- We pack it so it arrives in one piece, and mark the box if the carrier requires it.
- If it can't go, we tell you before you pay anything.
Not sure about something? Call us at 732-730-5230 or just bring it in. It takes a minute to check, and it's a lot faster than getting a box back two weeks later. For tips on getting the box size right, see how we cut your box down to save on shipping.
No appointment. Bring it in open and we'll take it from there.
Tell us what you need and we'll sort it out
Call 732-730-5230 or walk in during store hours. If it's something we don't do, we'll point you to who does.