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Prohibited Items: What You Can't Send With UK Couriers

Written by Omair Sao · updated 6 October 2026 · checked against InPost UK: locker sizes and prohibited items and Evri: parcel size and weight guide · how we check

Each UK courier has its own prohibited list and they differ more than most sellers expect: InPost bans anything with a battery, Evri refuses perfume, and Royal Mail accepts small quantities of both with the right packaging. A second difference matters just as much: what each courier will carry but will not pay for if it breaks. This guide compares InPost, Evri and Royal Mail category by category, from the couriers' own pages, so you can match the item to the courier before you pack.

The short answer

InPost is the strictest: no batteries at all (including phones and vapes), no liquids, perfume or aerosols, nothing over 15 kg, and glass, ceramics and collectables travel uncompensated. Evri refuses perfume, aerosols and other flammables, accepts lithium batteries only installed in a device, and covers parcels for only £20 unless you add more. Royal Mail accepts the widest range, including small quantities of perfume, nail varnish and batteries installed in equipment, but only when packed and labelled to its dangerous goods rules, and it excludes vapes. All three prohibit illegal goods, weapons, live animals and undeclared dangerous goods. Yodel's list no longer applies; its network became InPost in July 2026.

Batteries and electronics

InPost refuses batteries 'loose or inside a device', so phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, e-readers, power banks and vapes cannot go through a locker or InPost Shop at all. Evri and Royal Mail both accept consumer electronics with the lithium battery installed, switched off and packed to their rules, but neither takes loose spare lithium batteries or power banks through consumer services. For a phone or laptop the practical choice is Royal Mail Special Delivery (£750 of cover and a signature) or Evri with cover added. Battery-free electronics can go by InPost but are non-compensatory.

Liquids, perfume, nail varnish and aerosols

InPost bans liquids of any kind, naming perfume, aftershave, gels, creams and e-liquid. Evri refuses perfume, aftershave, nail varnish and flammable aerosols as flammable goods. Royal Mail accepts perfumes, aftershaves and nail varnish in small quantities as restricted dangerous goods, with a per-bottle volume limit, a maximum number per parcel and packaging and marking rules set out on its dangerous goods page, and it accepts toiletry and medicinal aerosols in limited quantities packed the same way. Vapes and e-liquid are banned by all three. If you sell fragrance or cosmetics, Royal Mail is the only mainstream route, so say so on your listings.

Alcohol and tobacco

InPost prohibits alcohol (a liquid) and tobacco (age-restricted goods). Evri and Royal Mail accept alcohol only in limited quantities with the packaging their rules require, and Royal Mail caps it at 70% ABV; age-restricted goods need an age-verified delivery service. For anything more than the odd bottle, use a specialist courier licensed for alcohol.

Fragile and collectable: carried, but not covered

All three will carry glass, ceramics and collectables; the difference is what they pay if the item breaks or goes missing. InPost lists glass, ceramics, collectables, trading cards, electronics without batteries, handmade items and documents as non-compensatory: nothing is paid. Evri accepts fragile items at the sender's risk with £20 of standard cover. Royal Mail Tracked includes £75 and Special Delivery £750, which makes it the only sensible courier for a vase or a graded card unless a marketplace's own protection applies. Whichever you use, double-box.

Size and weight

InPost: 15 kg and 41 × 38 × 64 cm (the Large compartment), the same at InPost Shops; InPost Direct shop-to-shop bookings are capped at 10 kg. Evri: 15 kg, 120 cm on the longest side and 245 cm combined at a ParcelShop or for collection; 62 × 57 × 39 cm at an Evri locker. Royal Mail: Medium Parcel 61 × 46 × 46 cm and 20 kg, Small Parcel 45 × 35 × 16 cm and 2 kg, Large Letter 35.3 × 25 × 2.5 cm and 750 g (1 kg on Tracked). Over 20 kg means DHL through eBay Simple Delivery (30 kg) or Parcelforce; Yodel's 30 kg service ended when the brand became InPost.

What all three ban

Illegal goods, weapons and ammunition (real or imitation), explosives and fireworks, corrosive or toxic substances, radioactive material, live animals and human or animal remains, counterfeit goods, cash beyond nominal amounts, and undeclared dangerous goods of any kind. Beyond that common core the lists diverge in the ways set out above, and it is the divergence that catches sellers who assume one courier's rules apply to the next.

Worked example

A seller clears a bathroom cabinet and a drawer of gadgets: three unopened perfumes, a hair-straightener, a smartwatch and a set of six glass tumblers. Perfumes: Royal Mail only, packed and marked to its dangerous goods rules. Hair-straightener (mains-powered, no battery): any courier, non-compensatory with InPost. Smartwatch: Royal Mail Special Delivery or Evri with cover, never InPost. Tumblers: Royal Mail Tracked with double-boxing, because InPost would pay nothing if they broke and Evri only £20.

Matching the item to the courier

1
Check for batteries: InPost refuses anything containing one (phones, laptops, vapes, power banks); Evri and Royal Mail accept batteries installed in a device when packed to their rules
2
Check for liquids and flammables: perfume, aftershave, nail varnish and aerosols are banned by InPost and Evri; Royal Mail allows small quantities as restricted dangerous goods with specific packaging and labelling
3
Check the value: InPost covers second-hand items only up to £50, Evri £20 as standard, Royal Mail Tracked £75; use Special Delivery (£750) for anything valuable
4
Check fragility: InPost and Evri will carry glass and ceramics but InPost pays nothing if they break and Evri's cover is minimal; Royal Mail with double-boxing is the safer route
5
Check size and weight: 15 kg and 41 × 38 × 64 cm at InPost, 15 kg and 120 cm at Evri, 20 kg and 61 × 46 × 46 cm at Royal Mail

The assumptions that get parcels refused

Sending a phone, tablet or laptop through an InPost locker; batteries 'loose or inside a device' are prohibited
Assuming what one courier allows, another does; Royal Mail's dangerous goods rules are far more permissive than InPost's
Posting perfume or nail varnish with InPost or Evri; both classify them as flammable liquids and refuse them
Sending collectables, trading cards or ceramics via InPost and expecting compensation; InPost lists them as non-compensatory
Relying on courier cover for a valuable item instead of marketplace protection or Special Delivery

Questions sellers ask about this

Can I send a mobile phone via InPost, and is it insured?

No on both counts. InPost's prohibited items page rules out batteries 'loose or inside a device', so smartphones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, power banks and vapes cannot go through InPost lockers or shops, and a phone sent regardless would not be compensated. Use Royal Mail Special Delivery, which accepts devices with the battery installed, includes up to £750 of compensation and requires a signature; Evri also accepts installed batteries if you add cover when booking.

Can I send perfume or aftershave via Evri?

No. Evri lists perfume, aftershave and other alcohol-based fragrances as flammable liquids and refuses them, as does InPost. Royal Mail is the mainstream option: it accepts perfumes and aftershaves in small quantities as restricted dangerous goods, provided each bottle is within its volume limit and the parcel is packed and marked as its dangerous goods guidance describes. If you sell fragrance regularly, say 'Royal Mail only' on your listings and price the postage to match.

Which UK courier allows fragile items like ceramics or glassware?

All three will carry them, but only Royal Mail gives you meaningful cover. InPost classes glass, ceramics and collectables as non-compensatory: you can send them, but nothing is paid if they break. Evri accepts fragile items at the sender's risk with £20 of standard cover. Royal Mail Tracked includes £75 and Special Delivery £750. Whichever you use, double-box: the wrapped item in an inner box with padding, inside a larger outer box with more padding.

What is banned by every UK courier?

Illegal goods, weapons and ammunition (real or imitation), explosives and fireworks, corrosive or toxic substances, radioactive material, live animals and human or animal remains, counterfeit goods and undeclared dangerous goods of any kind. Vapes and e-liquid are banned by all three mainstream couriers too. Beyond that core the lists diverge: InPost adds all batteries, all liquids and aerosols; Evri adds perfume and most flammables; Royal Mail permits small quantities of several of these with the correct packaging.

Can I send spare lithium batteries?

Loose lithium batteries and power banks are prohibited by InPost and Evri, and Royal Mail only accepts lithium batteries when they are installed in or packed with the equipment they power, in limited quantities, with the required marking. Standalone spare batteries are effectively unsendable through consumer services; they need a specialist dangerous goods carrier. If you sell electronics, keep the battery in the device, switch it off and use Royal Mail or Evri, not InPost.

What if Evri or InPost rejects my parcel at drop-off?

If an InPost parcel will not fit, tap 'My parcel doesn't fit', take it out and try a larger compartment, another locker or an InPost Shop; nothing is charged. If a ParcelShop refuses an Evri parcel for size or contents, book a courier collection or repack. If a parcel is refused because the item is prohibited, the label cost is normally not refunded (InPost app labels can be cancelled within 30 days if unused). On Vinted or eBay, contact support to have the courier changed rather than sending with your own postage, which would void the order's protection.

Sources checked for this guide

Figures were checked against these official pages on 6 October 2026. If one of them has changed since, please tell us and we will correct the guide.