If you’re planning to ship dangerous goods with CouriersPlease through ReadyToShip, it’s important to understand what is and isn’t allowed, and how this affects your labels.
Dangerous goods shipments are tightly regulated. If you get it wrong, your freight can be rejected, returned, delayed, or worse. So let’s break this down clearly.
Approval Is Required Before Creating Labels
CouriersPlease does not allow customers to self-declare dangerous goods without prior approval.
Before creating labels for any shipment that may be classified as dangerous goods, you must confirm:
Whether your product qualifies as dangerous goods
Whether it is permitted by CouriersPlease
Whether you are approved to ship under the DG1 rate card
Whether the shipment must travel by road instead of air
Any packaging or documentation requirements
Speak directly with your CouriersPlease rep to confirm what you can and cannot ship.
If you skip this step, your shipment may be rejected, returned, or incur additional charges.
Dangerous goods compliance is not something to guess; always confirm first.
What CouriersPlease Will Not Ship
CouriersPlease cannot ship goods containing Lithium Batteries of any description via air anywhere within Australia.
This includes (but is not limited to):
Laptops
Mobile phones
Power tools
Toys
Cameras
Watches
If your product contains a lithium battery, even if installed inside the item, it cannot travel via air with CouriersPlease.
Before proceeding, review the official CouriersPlease Dangerous Goods information here: www.couriersplease.com.au/dangerous-goods
You should also review their official guide for pre-approved customers: www.couriersplease.com.au/media/Dangerous_Goods_Guide_for_Pre_approved_Customers_228932499a.pdf
What Dangerous Goods Are Allowed?
CouriersPlease only permits limited categories of dangerous goods, and typically only for pre-approved customers.
They do have one Dangerous Goods rate card:
DG1 (Dangerous Goods rate card)
This is available but not widely used and generally requires prior approval.
If you are NOT specifically approved to send dangerous goods under DG1, you should assume your shipment will not be accepted.
Contact your CouriersPlease rep to add DG1 as a service to your contract.
How Dangerous Goods Affect Labels in ReadyToShip
ReadyToShip is currently working to introduce this Dangerous Goods flag into the platform. Until this is live, you should not attempt to manually alter labels or bypass standard declarations.
When enabled:
The Airfreight declaration is removed from the label
The shipment is treated as a dangerous goods consignment (where approved)
Until this feature is live, manually create your labels for Dangerous Goods directly in the CouriersPlease portal.