At Foneday, we strive to deliver orders to our customers as quickly as possible. However, there are situations where legal regulations affect how products can be shipped. A good example is the transportation of batteries by air.

In this blog, we explain what the IATA regulations are, why batteries are sometimes shipped separately, and what this means for your order or RMA with Foneday.

Why are there special regulations for batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries are used worldwide in smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices. Under normal conditions, they are safe to use, but additional safety requirements apply during transportation. This is because damaged or improperly packaged batteries can pose potential risks.

To ensure the safety of carriers, warehouse personnel, and aircraft, international regulations have been established for the transportation of batteries.

These regulations are defined under various UN classifications, including:

• UN3480 – Lithium-ion batteries transported separately.
• UN3481 – Lithium-ion batteries transported with equipment or contained within equipment.

Based on these classifications, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has established additional requirements for the air transport of batteries. These requirements are set out in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) and specify how batteries must be packaged, labeled, documented, and transported to ensure safe air shipment.

What does this mean for your orders at Foneday?

At Foneday, you can choose UPS (Saver) Express as your shipping method. Since Express shipments are transported by air, certain batteries cannot be shipped using this method due to IATA regulations.

You can still select UPS (Saver) Express during checkout as usual. If your order contains one or more batteries, it will automatically be split into separate shipments to comply with international safety regulations.

How does this work in practice?

When you place an order, choose UPS (Saver) Express, and your order contains batteries, the following will happen:

• All products that are permitted to be transported by air under the applicable regulations will be shipped via UPS (Saver) Express.
• The batteries will be packaged separately and shipped via UPS Standard. UPS Standard uses ground transportation, allowing batteries to be transported safely and in compliance with the applicable regulations.

As a result, you may receive two separate shipments and therefore two tracking numbers:

• One tracking number for the UPS (Saver) Express shipment.
• One tracking number for the UPS Standard shipment containing the batteries.

This allows you to track both shipments separately and know exactly when each package will be delivered.

What does this mean for RMAs?

The same regulations also apply to RMA shipments involving batteries.

When you submit a battery-related RMA through Foneday's RMA system, you will receive specific shipping instructions. These instructions are designed to comply with international safety regulations for the transportation of batteries. It is therefore important that these instructions are followed carefully. Failure to do so may result in the entire RMA shipment being rejected.

Do you have questions or are you unsure whether you are allowed to ship a battery? Please contact our support team. They will be happy to assist you.

Questions about an order containing batteries?

Have you selected UPS Express and received two tracking numbers? If so, your order likely contains one or more batteries that cannot be transported by air under IATA regulations.

Do you have any questions about a shipment or RMA involving batteries? Please feel free to contact our support team. We will be happy to assist you.

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