Amazon FBA lithium battery requirements come down to three things: complete battery information at listing, a UN 38.3 test summary at ASIN setup, and a battery exemption sheet uploaded to Manage dangerous goods classification. Amazon’s lithium battery help page states all three, and attaches one consequence to the first: “If the battery information that you provide is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise conflicting, your product may be blocked for sale through FBA” (Requirements for lithium batteries and products powered by lithium batteries, checked 2026-10-06). On top of the paperwork sits a size limit: whether a cell or battery is accepted depends on its watt-hours and on the marketplace.
For how classification works in general and what makes an SDS acceptable, see our Amazon hazmat and dangerous goods review guide. This page covers only the battery block, the energy grid, and the test summary.
What Amazon Counts as a Lithium Battery
Products carry no dedicated lithium symbol, Amazon notes; check the battery itself (“The composition is usually printed on the battery”), the manual, or the supplier. It names three types:
- Lithium-ion — rechargeable, lithium compounds as the electrode material; phones, laptops, tablets, cameras.
- Lithium metal — lithium metal anode, “generally not rechargeable”; coin cells in watches, calculators, flashlights.
- Lithium-ion polymer — rechargeable, part of the lithium-ion family.
The distinction that matters for the listing form is cell versus battery, because the energy grid has separate rows for each. In Amazon’s definitions, a cell is “a single encased electrochemical unit (one positive and one negative electrode)”, while a battery is two or more cells “electronically connected together and fitted with devices necessary for use”. Packs, modules and battery assemblies whose main job is powering other equipment count as batteries.
Two classification traps from Amazon’s required-information page: “an internal rechargeable battery is also considered a battery”, and “External battery chargers, such as power banks, are considered batteries” (Dangerous goods (hazmat) required information and documentation, checked 2026-10-06). A power bank is therefore a standalone battery, not an accessory.
The Amazon Lithium Battery Policy Grid, by Marketplace
Amazon publishes an approve/reject table keyed to energy content (watt-hours for lithium-ion, grams of lithium for lithium metal) across 13 marketplaces: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, India, Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Singapore, South Africa, Türkiye and the US. Collapsed to one row per band (source: Requirements for lithium batteries, data checked 2026-10-06):
| Unit | Lithium-ion energy | Lithium metal content | Approved in | Rejected in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cell (incl. single cell battery) | 0 – ≤20 Wh | 0 – ≤1 g | All 13 | None |
| Cell (incl. single cell battery) | >20 – ≤60 Wh | >1 – ≤5 g | Canada, India, Japan, US | The other 9 |
| Cell (incl. single cell battery) | >60 Wh | >5 g | India, Japan | The other 11, including the US |
| Battery | 0 – ≤100 Wh | 0 – ≤2 g | All 13 | None |
| Battery | >100 – ≤300 Wh | >2 – ≤25 g | Canada, India, Japan, US | The other 9 |
| Battery | >300 Wh | >25 g | India, Japan | The other 11, including the US |
Two readings matter. Up to 100 Wh per battery, no marketplace restricts it. And the US and Canada share bands that Europe does not: a 150 Wh battery is approved for the US store and rejected for Europe, so one ASIN can sell in one region and not the other.
The grid does not replace the dangerous goods review, and the same page adds: “Lithium battery products may be subject to requirements beyond those for dangerous goods.”
Watt-Hours and Lithium Content: Getting the Number Right
Watt-hours. Amazon says the rating “is generally printed on the battery itself, on its packaging, or in the manufacturer’s documentation”. If it is not printed, calculate it from voltage and amp-hours, using the nominal voltage, “not to be confused with the input voltage, output voltage, or maximum charging voltage.” For US shipments that printed rating is also a federal rule: 49 CFR 173.185(a)(5) states “Beginning May 10, 2024, each lithium ion battery must be marked with the Watt-hour rating on the outside case” (eCFR, 49 CFR 173.185, checked 2026-10-06).
Lithium content. For lithium metal, the battery weight field carries a note: “Lithium content supplied by the manufacturer must always be used for this entry, if available.” Only when the manufacturer cannot supply it does Amazon accept a value calculated from the amp-hour rating per cell.
Two easy ways to land in the wrong row: copying a figure from the charger label or device spec sheet instead of the battery, and giving the per-cell figure for a multi-cell pack.
Amazon FBA Battery Information: The Fields, One by One
When you create or convert an FBA listing, the battery block opens once you answer Yes under Battery information. The table below lists the fields as named on Amazon’s required information page (checked 2026-10-06), with what each one is asking:
| Field | What Amazon is asking |
|---|---|
| Are batteries required? | Does the item need batteries to work, or is it a battery? |
| Are batteries included? | Batteries inside the product, packed separately in the box, or the product itself is a battery |
| Is battery a button cell/coin battery? | A small single cell whose diameter is greater than its height |
| Has Multiple Battery Powered Components | E.g. a remote-controlled car where both car and remote take a battery |
| Battery cell composition | Chemistry from the dropdown (alkaline, lithium-ion, etc.) |
| Contains Battery or Cell | Cell or battery, per the definitions above |
| Number of Batteries / Battery Type | Total quantity “including spares”, and the type |
| Is Battery Non Spillable; Battery Contains Free Unabsorbed Liquid | Self-certifications against transport criteria |
| Battery Weight / Unit | Net weight of the batteries alone, without packaging or device |
| Lithium battery packaging | Packed with, contained in equipment, or standalone |
| Battery Installation Device Type | Vehicle (e-bike, scooter, wheelchair) or equipment |
| Number of Lithium-ion Cells / Lithium metal cells | Cells not inside an encased battery |
| Lithium Battery Energy Content / Unit | Total energy stored, usually in Wh |
| Has Less than 30 Percent State of Charge | Mandatory self-certification |
| Is OEM Sourced Product; Has Replaceable Battery; Battery IEC Code | Origin, replaceability, IEC size code (e.g. LR44, R2) |
Two fields deserve a closer look:
Lithium battery packaging. “Packed with” means the battery is in the box but not inside the device it powers; “contained in equipment” means pre-installed, Amazon’s example being a Kindle tablet; standalone covers replacement batteries, a spare battery sold with a charger, and power banks. The field applies when the cell composition is lithium-ion, lithium metal, lithium polymer, NiMH or sodium-ion.
State of charge. The lithium battery page puts this in an Important box: you must “provide state of charge information at listing or when updating your products that contain lithium-ion batteries packed with equipment.” The field itself asks whether the product ships at under 30% of rated capacity, and leaving it blank has a stated cost: “If you do not answer this question then your lithium battery powered products will not be eligible for shipment via air methods.”
Empty fields don’t just slow review. Amazon’s wording is: “If the information requested above is missing, a product listing cannot be created or converted to FBA.”
The UN 38.3 Test Summary
On UN 38.3, the help page says: “As of January 1, 2020, UN 38.3 requires lithium battery manufacturers and distributors to provide a document known as a lithium battery test summary upon request.” Amazon then goes further than “upon request”: “To comply with this regulation, Amazon requires all sellers to upload a test summary at ASIN setup.”
Amazon’s page does not list what goes into the summary. The US rule does. Under 49 CFR 173.185(a)(3) (checked 2026-10-06), the manufacturer and each subsequent distributor must make one available, and it must include:
- Manufacturer name and contact details.
- Test laboratory name and contact details.
- A unique test report identification number.
- Date of the test report.
- A description of the cell or battery: lithium-ion or lithium metal, mass, “Watt-hour rating, or lithium content”, physical description, and the cell/battery model number (or the product model number when the summary covers a product).
- “List of tests conducted and results (i.e., pass/fail)”.
- References to assembled battery testing (if applicable) and the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria edition used.
- Name and title of a responsible person.
Item 5 is the one to check against your listing. The Wh rating and model number on the summary should be the same figures you typed into the energy content field, because a mismatch is exactly the “conflicting information” Amazon’s block rule refers to. The same section exempts button cells installed in equipment from the test-summary obligation; Amazon’s page does not repeat that exemption, so plan to have a summary for every lithium ASIN.
SDS vs Exemption Sheet for Battery Products
For most battery products the answer is the exemption sheet. Amazon accepts it for two categories only, and “Battery and battery-powered products” is one of them; our hazmat guide covers the rejection rules for using it outside those two. What is battery-specific:
- It is not optional for lithium. The lithium battery page says: “You must also upload a battery exemption sheet on Manage dangerous goods classification.”
- There is a dedicated template. On Manage dangerous goods classification, choose your language on the right side of the page, then “Exemption sheet for battery and battery-powered products”. Each template has an “Instructions” tab, and it must be uploaded as an Excel file.
- The inputs come from the battery. Amazon tells you to “Check the product packaging, the product manual, or the battery itself to find specific battery information such as watt-hours and voltage.”
An SDS enters the picture when the box holds something chemical beyond the battery. The review process page (checked 2026-10-06) gives the example of a product “sold with other possible hazardous items (such as screen cleaner or aerosol)”, where you obtain an SDS from the manufacturer and upload it. A phone sold with a cleaning spray kit can therefore need both documents.
Why Lithium Battery Listings Get Blocked
Amazon’s review process page lists what sends a product to review. Mapped to batteries, the causes of blocked lithium listings are:
| Trigger | Fix |
|---|---|
| The product needs a battery but detailed battery information was not provided at ASIN creation | Complete the battery block and upload the battery exemption sheet |
| Missing detailed power-source information | Same as above |
| “Batteries are mentioned on the product detail page or in buyer reviews” | Upload a battery exemption sheet, even if you sell without batteries |
| Battery data incomplete, inaccurate or conflicting | Reconcile the listing, exemption sheet and test summary figures |
| Energy content above the marketplace band | No document fixes this; the grid rejects it in that store |
| State of charge question left blank | Answer it; otherwise not eligible for air shipment |
The third row means a product sold without batteries can still be flagged by a single review.
Timing follows the general hazmat rule: complete, correct information is classified “within two business days”, and every rejected or resubmitted document adds another two. You can track status with the Look up an ASIN tool. If you think the classification is wrong, the published route is to “upload a new SDS or exemption sheet that supports your claim or click Dispute classification”.
Once an ASIN clears, FBA prep requirements, label printing and barcode rules still apply.
Pre-Listing Checklist for Lithium Products
- Read the Wh rating (or lithium grams) off the battery, not the charger or spec sheet.
- Decide cell or battery, then find your row in the marketplace grid for every store you plan to sell in.
- Get the UN 38.3 test summary from the supplier; check its Wh rating matches your Wh figure and model number.
- Pick the packaging value: packed with, contained in equipment, or standalone (power banks are standalone).
- Count batteries including spares.
- Answer the state-of-charge question.
- Download the battery exemption sheet in your language, complete it, upload as Excel.
- If anything chemical ships in the box, get its SDS too.
- Search your own detail page and reviews for battery mentions before converting to FBA.
Lithium products also carry liability exposure beyond FBA eligibility; see our Amazon product liability insurance guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Amazon allow lithium batteries over 100 Wh in FBA?
In the US store, yes up to 300 Wh for a battery: Amazon’s grid approves the >100–≤300 Wh band for the US, Canada, India and Japan, and rejects it in the other nine marketplaces (data checked 2026-10-06). Above 300 Wh, only India and Japan approve.
Do I need an SDS for a lithium battery product?
Usually not. Amazon’s lithium page requires a battery exemption sheet. An SDS becomes necessary when the product ships with another possibly hazardous item, such as a cleaner or aerosol.
What is a UN 38.3 test summary, and does Amazon require it?
It is the document a lithium battery manufacturer or distributor must make available to show the cell or battery passed UN 38.3 transport tests. Amazon “requires all sellers to upload a test summary at ASIN setup.”
Why was my product flagged when it ships without batteries?
Amazon reviews products when “Batteries are mentioned on the product detail page or in buyer reviews.” The fix is to upload a battery exemption sheet.
Conclusion
Lithium on FBA comes down to whether your numbers agree. Your Wh figure decides your row in the marketplace grid, it has to match the UN 38.3 test summary, and it has to match the battery exemption sheet. If those agree and every field in the battery block is filled, the review is a two-business-day formality. If they disagree, Amazon’s own wording applies: blocked for sale through FBA.