USPS HazMat Label Customizations

Edited

OVERVIEW

Loop has made a hazardous materials (HazMat) field for United States Postal Service (USPS) label customizations in Loop admin. The field includes many HazMat product options and customizations, allowing merchants to identify their HazMat products clearly on USPS shipping labels.

You can review more details in EasyPost's USPS Guide.


How it works

Merchants must choose which label customization option applies to their products best. The chosen customization will apply to all of that merchant's products. Once the choice is saved, EasyPost will print all the merchant's shipping labels with the customizations, shipping all items as HazMat products.

Important: The default value of the dropdown field is blank and must be changed by the merchant to start using this label customization.

Shipping labels for HazMat packages will have added content such as (see example image below):

  • a service indicator "H" for identification.

  • the words "HAZMAT - Surface Transportation Only" below the return address for surface-only packages.

  • the word "HAZMAT" after "USPS TRACKING #" above the tracking barcode.

HazMat classes

Please review the chart below to choose the best HazMat label customization for your store.

Value


Description

Air eligible ethanol


Air eligible ethanol package

Class 1


Toy propellant/safety fuse package

Class 3


Package

Class 7


Radioactive materials package

Class 8

Corrosive

Corrosive materials package


Wet battery

Nonspillable wet battery package

Class 9

New lithium individual

Lithium battery marked – ground only package


Used lithium

Lithium battery – returns package


New lithium device

Lithium batteries, marked package


Dry ice

Dry ice package


Unmarked lithium

Lithium batteries, unmarked package


Magnetized materials package

Magnetized materials package

Division 4.1


Mailable flammable solids and safety matches package

Division 5.1


Oxidizers package

Division 5.2


Peroxides package

Division 6.1


Toxic materials package (with an LD50 of 50 mg/kg or less)

Division 6.2


Infectious materials package

Excepted quantity provision


Excepted quantity provision package

Ground only


Ground only

ID8000


ID8000 consumer commodity package

Lighters


Lighters package

Limited quantity


Limited quantity ground package

Small quantity provision


Small quantity provision package

Tip: Most of the HazMat examples Loop has seen include lithium batteries, explosives, flammable liquids, flammable solids, compressed gases, and other similar products. If you're unsure whether your product contains HazMat, please review USPS's hazardous materials table. If you don't feel your HazMat products are represented, please reach out to support@loopreturns.com.

Setup

To select your HazMat label customization, play the video below or review the written instructions beneath it.

  1. In your Loop admin, navigate to Settings > Shipping.

  2. Under "Shipping Services," click Manage Integration next to EasyPost.

  3. Under "Available Carriers", find USPS and click Edit carrier.

  4. Find the HazMat field at the bottom of the "Customize Fields" section.

  5. To expand the label customization options, click on the "Blank" value box.

  6. Click the customization option that fits your products best.

    All possible values for HazMat dropdown field, including Custom Text.

  7. At the top of the page, click Save.

FAQ

What if I don't see my store's products on the class table above? You can also check your products against USPS's hazardous materials table for a more extensive list.

How can I find the USPS mailing standards for HazMat? Please visit USPS's page for Publication 52 mailing standards.

Why doesn't this article list other carriers' HazMat classes, regulations, and mailing standards? This customization is not a requirement of other carriers at this time.

How can I make other customizations for shipping labels? Please see our Shipping Label Customizations article!


Please reach out to support@loopreturns.com with any additional questions.