To ship a laptop, back it up and wipe it, shut it down completely, wrap it in bubble wrap or foam, and pack it in a sturdy box with 2 to 3 inches of cushioning on every side. Leave the battery installed. A used laptop shipped with USPS must go by USPS Ground Advantage and be marked “Restricted Electronic Device” and “Surface Transportation Only.”
Laptops are the heaviest-battery device most people ship, so the watt-hour rating on the battery matters more here than for a phone or tablet. This guide covers that limit, the packing method, and which USPS or UPS service fits a new, used or international laptop.
How Do You Prepare a Laptop for Shipping?
Preparing a laptop protects your data and keeps the battery compliant with carrier rules. Work through this before you pack:
- Back up your files to the cloud or an external drive. Carriers cover the hardware, not the data on it.
- Wipe it if it’s leaving for good. On a Mac, sign out of your Apple Account and Find My first so Activation Lock is off. On Windows, use Reset this PC with the option to remove everything.
- Remove media and accessories: USB drives, SD cards, discs, stylus and docking dongles.
- Shut it down fully, not sleep or hibernate. USPS requires lithium battery equipment to be protected from accidental activation, and a sleeping laptop can wake in a box and overheat.
- Photograph it from every side, with the screen on, and record the serial number.
What Battery Rules Apply When You Ship a Laptop?
USPS accepts laptops with lithium-ion batteries rated up to 100 Wh, installed in the computer. That ceiling, set in USPS Publication 52, covers almost every laptop: Apple rates the 14-inch MacBook Pro battery at 72.4 Wh and the 16-inch at 100 Wh, with an actual rating of 99.6 Wh. Check the label on the battery or the specs page before you ship a large gaming or workstation laptop, since a battery above 100 Wh falls outside the USPS limits.
For batteries over 2.7 Wh, a USPS package can hold no more than two batteries, and a laptop with one battery installed doesn’t need the lithium battery mark. Keep the battery in the laptop even if it’s removable. A spare battery packed loose alongside the computer requires a lithium battery mark, and it isn’t allowed in international mail at all.
Condition decides the service. USPS treats any laptop that isn’t new in its original packaging, or isn’t manufacturer-certified new or refurbished, as a used electronic device, and used devices are banned from air transportation.
| Laptop | USPS options | Markings |
|---|---|---|
| New in sealed box | Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express | None for one installed battery |
| Manufacturer-certified refurbished | Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express | None for one installed battery |
| Used, repaired or opened | Ground Advantage only | “Restricted Electronic Device” and “Surface Transportation Only” |
| Swollen, damaged or recalled battery | Not mailable without USPS approval | Not applicable |
UPS accepts lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment, like a laptop, as Section II shipments without a dangerous goods agreement. UPS’s own guidance gives a notebook computer with one installed battery as an example of a package that doesn’t need the lithium battery handling label. A damaged, defective or recalled laptop battery can’t fly with UPS.
How Do You Pack a Laptop So It Arrives Undamaged?
The original box, with its molded inserts, is the safest packaging for a laptop. Put that box inside a larger shipping box with padding around it. Without it, follow these steps:
- Protect the screen. Lay a microfiber cloth or a sheet of foam on the keyboard before closing the lid, so keys can’t press marks into the display.
- Wrap the laptop in two layers of bubble wrap or a foam sleeve, and tape it closed.
- Choose a double-wall box about 4 to 6 inches longer and wider than the laptop. Our guide to choosing a laptop shipping box lists common sizes by screen size.
- Cushion every side. Put 2 to 3 inches of foam or crumpled paper on the bottom, center the laptop flat, fill the sides and add a top layer.
- Bag the charger. Coil the power adapter, bag it, and wedge it in a corner where it can’t press on the lid.
- Shake test and seal. Nothing should move. Tape every seam with the H-method and add the two USPS markings if the laptop is used.
Which Carrier Is Best for Shipping a Laptop?
USPS Ground Advantage is the default for most used laptops because USPS requires surface transportation for them, and it includes tracking and up to $100 of coverage. When a used laptop has to arrive in a day or two, UPS air services are the faster legal route, because UPS accepts Section II equipment by air.
| Service | Delivery commitment | Max weight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | 2–5 days | 70 lb | Used laptops, most resales |
| USPS Priority Mail | 2–3 days | 70 lb | New or certified refurbished laptops |
| USPS Priority Mail Express | 1–3 days by 6 PM, money-back guarantee | 70 lb | Urgent new laptops |
| UPS Ground | 1–5 business days | 150 lb | Heavy workstation bundles |
| UPS Next Day Air and 2nd Day Air | Next day or second day | 150 lb | Used laptops on a deadline |
Compare live USPS and UPS prices for your exact box in the ParcelPath rate calculator. ParcelPath costs nothing to use, with no subscription or per-label fees, and discounts labels up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS. You can drop off without a printer using a UPS Mobile Barcode at The UPS Store or a USPS Label Broker code at the Post Office. For more on how carriers compare, see our guide to shipping services and solutions.
Should You Insure a Laptop When Shipping It?
Yes, insure a laptop for its full replacement value, since almost any laptop is worth more than the $100 of coverage USPS and UPS include. USPS offers extra coverage up to $5,000, and with UPS you declare the laptop’s full value on the label.
Insurance doesn’t cover lost data, so the backup is your real protection there. Keep packing photos and the serial number, and add signature confirmation for expensive machines so the box isn’t left unattended.
How Do You Ship a Laptop Internationally?
USPS only accepts new laptops for international mail. Publication 52 prohibits used, damaged or defective lithium batteries abroad under any circumstances, and allows only devices that are new in original packaging or manufacturer-certified refurbished. The battery must be installed, each package is limited to four cells or two batteries, and the box must not carry a lithium battery label.
For a used laptop, use UPS international services, which accept equipment with installed lithium-ion batteries under Section II. On the customs form, describe it as “laptop computer with installed lithium-ion battery,” with the brand, model and real value. Some countries restrict or tax used electronics on import, so check the destination’s rules first.
How Do Businesses Ship Many Laptops at Once?
Businesses shipping a handful of laptops send them as individual parcels, each with its own box and label, so each one stays within the two-battery package limit. For an office move or a full fleet refresh, palletizing the boxes and moving them as freight is often simpler. Our guide to LTL freight and logistics explains how less-than-truckload works, and ParcelPath’s PalletPath handles LTL quotes.
The same packing logic carries over to other screens. Our guides on how to ship an iPad and how to ship a TV cover the devices most often sent alongside a laptop, and the how to ship electronics hub covers the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you ship a laptop through USPS?
Yes, you can ship a laptop through USPS if its lithium-ion battery is installed and rated 100 Wh or less. New or manufacturer-certified refurbished laptops can use any domestic USPS service. A used laptop must go by USPS Ground Advantage, marked “Restricted Electronic Device” and “Surface Transportation Only” on the address side.
Should you remove the battery before shipping a laptop?
No, leave the battery installed when shipping a laptop. USPS treats a battery installed in the equipment it powers as the simplest case, with no lithium battery mark needed for one battery. A loose battery packed next to the laptop needs a lithium battery mark, and USPS doesn’t accept one in international mail.
Is it safe to ship a laptop in its original box?
Yes, the original box is the safest way to ship a laptop, because its molded inserts hold that exact model in place. The retail box isn’t strong enough on its own, though. Put it inside a larger corrugated shipping box with at least 2 inches of padding on every side.
Can you ship a used laptop overnight?
Not with USPS, because USPS bans used devices with lithium batteries from air transportation, which rules out Priority Mail Express. UPS Next Day Air accepts laptops with installed lithium-ion batteries as Section II shipments, as long as the battery isn’t damaged, defective or recalled.
Sources
- USPS Publication 52, 349: Lithium batteries (domestic mail)
- USPS Publication 52, 622: International lithium battery rules
- USPS: Ground Advantage
- USPS: Priority Mail
- USPS: Priority Mail Express
- UPS: How to Ship Batteries
- Apple: MacBook Pro Technical Specifications (battery watt-hour ratings)
Part of our How to Ship Electronics guide. Related: How to Ship a Monitor, How to Ship a Printer, How to Ship Speakers.
