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How to register ESIM products with UL WERCSmart

Complete registration for batteries, liquids and gels before you list on Target+.

Some products — items with lithium batteries, liquids, or gels, generally called Environmentally Sensitive Items (ESIM) — need to be registered with UL WERCSmart before Target will approve them for listing on Target+. This guide walks through registering your items and completing the related fields in Acenda.

Who does what: Registration itself happens outside Acenda, in UL's WERCSmart system and (for some steps) Target's own tools. Each step is labeled UL-side or Target-side below. Where Acenda describes how Target's system behaves, that's per Target's guidance — Target can change this without telling Acenda, so treat the specifics as a starting point, not a guarantee.

Step 1: Identify which products need registration

Check your catalog for any items that contain, or are packaged with:

  • Lithium batteries

  • Liquids

  • Gels

This isn't a complete list — UL WERCSmart's own item-type list (UL-side) covers the full scope of what counts as Environmentally Sensitive. If a product has multiple color or size variants, each variant has its own UPC and needs its own registration.

Step 2: Check whether your items are already registered

UL-side. Before doing anything else, check your UL WERCSmart dashboard for each item's UPC:

  • Already registered: go ahead and list the item on Target+ — see Step 4 below.

  • Not registered: contact UL WERCSmart to start registration for each unregistered UPC.

  • Not sure: Target's guidance is to send your SKU list to your Target category manager. If you don't have a direct contact there, contact Acenda Support and Acenda support will help you figure out the right path.

Step 3: Register your products with UL WERCSmart

UL-side. A few things to keep in mind while registering:

  • Register at the UPC level: every color and size variant needs its own UPC-level registration — not only the parent product.

  • No need to send proof to Target: per Target's guidance, Target checks your WERCSmart registration automatically against the item's UPC — you don't need to email or upload anything to Target separately.

  • Give it time: per Target's guidance, it can take a few business days (up to three) for a completed registration to reach Target's compliance system. If your item is still showing a registration error, wait at least 48 hours after completing registration before troubleshooting further (see the Troubleshooting section below) — checking too soon is the most common false alarm.

Step 4: Complete battery and hazmat fields in Acenda

Acenda-side. WERCSmart registration covers the compliance check, but Target also requires battery and hazmat attribution on the item itself before it will accept the listing. Fill these in before you submit:

  1. One item at a time: go to CATALOG > Items, open the item (the eye icon), and go to its Channel Status tab, Target+ sub-tab.

  2. Across your whole catalog: open your Target+ posting template under CHANNELS > Integrations > Target+ > Edit > Posting Templates, and map your battery/hazmat source fields there. See How to build a posting template for how mapping works.

  3. For bulk updates across many SKUs at once, use DATA TRANSFERS > Imports > New Import (.xlsx or UTF-8 .csv only). See How to import product data into Acenda.

Tip: The exact field names Target's category requires can vary. If you're not sure which fields in your posting template map to battery/hazmat data, contact Acenda Support and Acenda support can point you to the right ones for your category.

Step 5: List your ESIM items on Target+

Once registration is confirmed and your battery/hazmat fields are filled in, submit the item for listing as you normally would.

  • Match found: Target's system finds your WERCSmart registration and the item continues through its normal validation steps.

  • No match found: Target rejects the item in data validation. You'll see this in Acenda under CHANNELS > Item Issues and on the item's Channel Status tab, with the error text UPC Not in WERCs — Supplier action needed.

This error means Target hasn't matched a WERCSmart registration to that UPC yet, so re-sending from Acenda won't fix it until the registration is in place. Once the UPC shows as approved in WERCSmart and tagged for Target, wait at least 48 hours, then resubmit the item. To resubmit, make a real update to the item in Acenda so it's sent to Target again, or contact Acenda Support if you're not sure how. If Target's message says it's waiting for data from WERCSmart, you can resubmit right away. If it says WERCSmart's own review is pending, no action is needed and the error should clear within about three business days.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

  • Why is my item still rejected even though I registered it? Double-check in your UL WERCSmart dashboard that the registration shows an approved state and is tagged for Target's use — a pending or untagged registration won't be picked up. Also confirm it's been at least 48 hours since you completed the registration.

  • What if battery or hazmat fields are missing? See Step 4 above — these are separate from WERCSmart registration and must be filled in on the item or its posting template.

  • What if there's a UPC mismatch? The UPC on the item in Acenda must exactly match the UPC you registered in WERCSmart, including for each individual variant.

  • What if Target says the item can't be listed due to hazmat regulations? Target Plus doesn't accept flammable items or items regulated as hazardous materials for shipping. Don't resubmit the item. Set its Target+ Listing Action to UNLIST.

For other listing errors, see How to fix marketplace listing errors.

Related articles

Still stuck? Contact Acenda Support and include the SKU and UPC involved.

Information current as of Oct 21, 2026. We do our best to keep this accurate, but mistakes can happen. Target Plus's official guidance always takes precedence.

Related: Target Plus requirements and content standards

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