What to check before shipping perfumes and liquid products

Perfumes, attars, room sprays, hand sanitisers, oils and other liquids are popular products, and they are also some of the trickiest to ship. The first question is not how to pack them. It is whether your courier will carry them at all, and under what conditions.

Ask before you list

Courier companies and services have their own rules about liquids, and these rules can differ from one service to another and change over time. Some products, especially those that are flammable or under pressure, may be restricted. This post does not tell you what is allowed or banned, because that is for your courier to say.

So before you add a liquid product to your store:

• Contact your courier or aggregator and ask in writing whether your product can be shipped, with its details.
• Describe the product exactly. Say what it is, what it is made of, how big the container is and what type of closure it has.
• Ask if there are conditions, such as packaging type, labelling, quantity limits or a different service for such items.
• Ask what happens if a parcel is held or returned, and who pays.
• Keep their answer saved, so you can refer to it later.

If you use Shiprocket, you can raise this with their support team in the same way, and ask them to confirm in writing.

Check your own product details

It helps to have these ready when you ask:

• The product name and what it contains, in plain words.
• The container material, such as glass or plastic, and its size.
• The type of cap or sprayer.
• The packed weight and box size.
• Any safety information from your supplier or manufacturer.

If you do not know some of these, find out. A supplier or manufacturer can usually share product information on request.

Once you have clearance, pack carefully

Written approval to ship does not mean the packing can be casual.

• Seal the closure with tape or a shrink band. For sprayers, add a cap or a lock so the nozzle cannot be pressed.
• Wrap each bottle in bubble wrap, and place it in a sealed bag, with some absorbent paper inside the bag.
• Keep bottles from touching one another, using dividers or sleeves.
• Pack upright in a sturdy corrugated box, with cushioning on all sides and filling in all gaps.
• Mark the box with arrows for the right way up and a fragile label, as a request and not a guarantee.

Do not describe your packing as leakproof or unbreakable, because it cannot be.

Tell the customer what to expect

On the product page, mention that the item is a liquid, how it is packed and whether any delivery limits apply to their pincode, if your courier has told you so. Customers appreciate clear information, and complaints are fewer when you set expectations early.

When your courier says no

If a courier will not carry the product, you have a few options. Try a different service, restrict sales to areas you can reach, offer a different pack, or explore selling this item through local delivery only. Do not hide the product type from the courier, as it can lead to a held parcel or worse.

Related reading

For general fragile packing, see how-to-pack-fragile-items-for-courier. For glass in particular, see packing-glass-jars-and-bottles-for-shipping. And if you are working out shipping charges, shipping-across-india-what-small-brands-should-know is a useful overview.