Shipping Perfume With The USPS

While you may be able to sell perfume online easily, shipping it to its destination through the U.S. Postal Service may turn out to be a tricky proposition. Perfumes, colognes and fragrances are typically manufactured by combining aromatic oils with alcohol. When exposed to changes in temperature or atmospheric pressure, the alcoholic components can become unstable and therefore, hazardous while being shipped via air. Read on to learn more about shipping perfumes, colognes and fragrances, all seemingly innocuous merchandise.

Packaging Your Fragrances Properly

When shipping perfume bottles with the USPS, you need to take the time and care to prepare your shipments correctly to ensure they arrive in the hands of your customers in one piece. Perfume bottles are fragile and can be shattered in transit, if not packed carefully.

• Wrap the bottle in several layers of bubble wrap and tape it around the bottle to create a cushion.
• Place the wrapped bottle inside a sturdy, small box with at least 4 inches of space all around the bottle.
• If packing more than 1 bottle in the same box, make sure there is plenty of space in between the bottles and that they don’t touch each other.
• Fill any extra space with packing peanuts, shredded newspaper or air filled shipping pillows. Tape the box shut.
• Once taped shut, shake the box lightly. You should not hear anything moving around inside the box.
• For best results, put the recipient’s name and address inside the box as well. 

What USPS Mail Class Should I Use To Ship Perfume?

The USPS allows perfume to be shipped within the United States via ground transportation only. Parcel Select is the most common method to ship perfume, since other mail classes such as Priority Mail and Express Mail involve transportation of packages by air. This also means that perfumes, colognes and fragrances cannot be shipped to Canada, Hawaii or internationally, due to lack of ground transportation to these destinations.

Important Note! Remember to print ‘ORM-D Parcel Select’ and ‘Surface Only’ on the outside of your package, so the USPS employees know that you’re shipping perfume.  

What Happens If I Accidentally Ship Perfume To An Overseas Destination?

If you accidentally end up shipping perfume that doesn’t comply with the USPS rules, one possibility is that your package could be destroyed by the destination country’s custom authorities or that it may arrive empty at its destination. In many cases, your package could arrive in good condition but it is best to follow the USPS guidelines to be on the safe side.

Shipping perfume is allowed, but e-Commerce sellers should be careful when shipping it to their customers. The USPS regulations are in place for a reason, so take the time to familiarize yourself with them.