Have you ever walked into a room that smelled like heaven completely blissfully? if so, then chances are someone has put out some essential oils to set the mood and make people feel at home. Essential oils are hugely popular with American consumers every day, and sales of these products have skyrocketed as online sellers have jumped on the trend in recent years. however, shipping them isn’t as easy as one might think… but that’s where shipping school comes in. This guide is about how to ship essential oils at the cheapest prices and what kind of restrictions you might face when shipping them. them outside. Let’s open the lid and sniff, okay?
which carrier to use to get the cheapest prices
First things first: Before you do anything, you need to decide which carrier to choose to ship your oils. We’ll make it easy for you. usps will always be the cheapest carrier to ship essential oils. Shipments containing oils like these tend to be smaller and lighter, which is exactly what USPS specializes in…and as a result, you’ll get much better rates with USPS than any other carrier.
For context, UPS offers the best rates for heavier and oversized shipments, as well as for emergency deliveries. fedex bread and butter are business deliveries and specialized shipments, such as frozen foods and other perishable items that require special packaging.
essential oils contain hazardous materials, so you can only use ground services
Here’s the thing about essential oils: You need to know what’s in them before you start buying tons of shipping labels. Most bottled essential oils are diluted in solvents like pure ethanol and polyethylene glycol. These particular solvents are highly flammable when you expose them to a certain temperature. As a result, the USPS classifies essential oils as a type of hazardous material and restricts these shipments to ground transportation services only.
since this is the case, you can only use the parcel select ground class of mail (or retail ground, depending on if you’re purchasing postage at the post office) to ship your oils . when using terrestrial services, you must follow these instructions:
- stick a limited quantity label to the outside of your package
- clearly mark the outside of the package with the phrase “ground shipping only”
pro tip: Since essential oils are a hazardous material, USPS prohibits international shipping. we know, we know… we’re bummed out too.
the exception for shipping with usps air based services
As with all rules, there is usually an exception! In some cases, you may be eligible to ship your oils via USPS Domestic Air Services, such as First Class Parcels or Priority Mail. however, to do so, you must comply with the following provisions:
- meet all criteria for mailing under the excepted quantity provision (see publication 52, 337 and packing instruction 10b on the usps website)
- get a written authorization to mail under an eligible airfare. ethanol clearance (see publication 52, 343.27 and 3d packing instruction)
how to obtain written authorization
To ship a package First Class, Priority Mail, or Expedited Express Mail, you will need to obtain written authorization from USPS. These are the steps you must follow to receive that authorization:
- Send a letter of request to the USPS Product Classification Manager. your request must include a list of each specific product to be mailed under the authorization, an msds for each product, the shipping office, and an expected statement of how often you will ship the items as well as how many items you will ship
- the address of your letter to:
- manager, product classification, usa. uu. postal service
- 475 l’enfant plaza sw rm 4446
- washington dc 20260-5015
If USPS approves your shipment via air freight services, they will present you with specific instructions on how to label your package and will tell you what decals or markings you will need to add to any shipment.
save the most money on essential oil shipments with usps online shipping software
Whether you ship by ground or air, it’s critical to save the most money on your shipping labels. Simply put, the only way to do this is to use shipping software to buy discount postage online.
Shipping software companies allow you to access the highest level of USPS discounts available, known as commercial pricing. USPS generally only extends these discounts to large companies that ship more than 50,000 packages per year. however, when you use shipping software, you can get these same discounts no matter how many packages you ship.
The best thing about using shipping software is how convenient it is. As long as you have a printer and internet access, you can buy and print postage from the comfort of your home. You can also schedule free pickups that your local mail carrier does for you when they normally deliver your mail. That means you never have to go to the post office (or put on pants) when running your business! oh, and also… the best shipping software companies out there are totally free.
pro tip: There are a ton of different shipping software options online. if you want to find the best one, we suggest you do some research to see which option is right for you. a good place to start is to check out our reviews page.
Looking for the right shipping software for you?
To get the biggest discounts on all USPS services, check out our guide:
choosing the best shipping software