New: WineDirect & Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

If you are a Google Analytics user, you may have observed that Google Analytics 4 will replace Universal Analytics. As of July 1, 2023, Universal Analytics properties will no longer handle data. However, you can still access your Universal Analytics reports for a limited time after July 1, 2023. Note that incoming data will only be directed to Google Analytics 4 properties.

New Google Analytics 4 Integration

We are excited to introduce the new WineDirect integration for Google Analytics 4 (GA4). WineDirect integration for GA4 is now live and enabled by default for all wineries. With this integration, you can seamlessly connect your WineDirect account with GA4, allowing you to track and analyze key metrics related to your winery. By leveraging the power of GA4, you will gain deeper insights into customer behavior, marketing effectiveness, and overall performance.

 

Setup

We have prepared a comprehensive step-by-step guide to get started with the WineDirect integration. You can find this guide on the WineDirect documentation site, which provides detailed instructions on how to set up and configure the integration to ensure smooth data flow between WineDirect and GA4.

ADDITIONAL CONTEXT

Check out this blog from our friends at WineGlass Marketing about updating your Google Analytics.

Support

We value your feedback and are committed to continuously improving our services. If you have any questions, suggestions, or issues during the integration process, please don't hesitate to contact our dedicated support team at support@winedirect.com. We are here to assist you every step of the way.

New: Zeamster Payment Gateway Enhancements

Update 5/9/2023: We ran into issues deploying Zeamster Enhancements and have rolled back the changes. We are reviewing it and will let clients know before we rerelease it. Our apologies for the inconvenience.

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As part of our commitment to continually improving the winery experience, we are excited to announce enhancements to the Zeamster (Fortis) payment gateway. We have reprogrammed the entire payments integration to improve transaction reliability for WineDirect clients. This massive overhaul will bring new behavior, such as Zeamster credential validation, multi-merchant functionality, and added account sections (location/product transaction) on POS. We've made several improvements and fixes to the payment processing system.

Here are the key benefits:

• Orders are now easier to manage in SiteAdmin
• The EMV and VivoPay terminals now process payments more efficiently, which means faster transactions and less data sent
• We've added new features to prevent duplicate orders and to keep track of transactions more accurately
• The overall Javascript logic has been improved

And here are the bugs we've fixed:

• Duplicate and missing orders have been eliminated
• We can now retrieve the proper Location ID
• Camera capture for purchases now works correctly
• EMV terminal timeout messaging fixed

We plan to deploy Zeamster refactoring ____ and it will be automatically enabled. There may be some manual configuration for some wineries. There will be instructions in the application.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Use Zeamster (Fortis) as your default gateway

Not yet using Zeamster/WineDirect Payments? Sign up here.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at support@winedirect.com.

Update: Temecula Valley Wine & Agricultural Heritage District Tax

On April 1, 2021, a hybrid tax was implemented for all wineries within the Temecula Valley Wine & Agricultural Heritage District (TVWAHD). This five-year term stipulates that 1% of all gross sales be funneled into advertising for the valley.

If your winery is based in the Temecula region, you must collect the TVWAHD tax. We have recently enhanced our application to allow the collection of this tax. This tax will be applied on top of other applicable taxes. In addition, the TVWAHD itself is subject to sale tax. Please see the instructions below on how to enable it.

How to Enable TVWAHD Tax:

• Start by logging into the admin panel and clicking on Settings > Website Settings. Click on the Store tab and expand the “State Profile” section to access the following screen:

• Add “TVWAHD” and select the “Is TVWAHD?” checkbox 
• Then, navigate to Store > State Profile and select California. Click Edit in the Wines section and set the tax rate for the TVWAHD 

• Customers will now see this tax applied when they checkout their order 

If you have any questions, please get in touch with support@winedirect.com.

Fix: Multiple Refunds with Zeamster

If you use Zeamster as your default payment gateway, you may have noticed that our system and the gateway allowed you to attempt subsequent refunds on an order if it was already refunded.

We have implemented a fix for this issue, and no action is required on your end.

We appreciate your patience as our team worked diligently for a swift solution. WineDirect is committed to providing a seamless buying experience for you and your customers.

Update: New iPad iOS Update (16.2, 16.3 & 16.4)

If you currently use the WineDirect POS app, you may have recently noticed new iPad updates being released. We successfully ran a complete WineDirect POS app test cycle with the new iPad iOS updates (16.2, 16.3 & 16.4). We recommend upgrading your iPad device(s) at your convenience. 

You can update your iPad device(s) manually by: Going to Settings > General > Software Update.

For more information about the iPad iOS updates, please check out the documentation here. Thank you for your patience and your continued support!

Fix: Temporarily Disable Blog Comments

If you currently have blog comments enabled on your website, you may have noticed an increase in spam comments. You may have also seen issues with email deliverability specifically related to notification emails.

Spam is one of the leading factors which can negatively affect our reputation with Google, thus hurting email deliverability. We will temporarily disable blog comments while we work toward a fix. This fix will help provide more reliable email deliverability rates, block incoming spam, and allow us to continue to offer a best-in-class experience.

We appreciate your patience. If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this email or directly at edwin.lo@winedirect.com.

Update: GetOrderDetail method has been enhanced

If you currently use our WebServices 3.0, you may be using the 'GetOrderDetail()' function to get order information. We have recently enhanced the function to also return the 'Sent to Fulfillment date.' This enhancement helps wineries have greater visibility into fulfillment/shipping key dates.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with support@winedirect.com.

Fix: Rate Limiting Update February 2023

If you have previously tried to return a large data set via our webservices, you may have noticed an error with the request. This was caused by our infrastructure being overwhelmed by repeated requests and our rate limits not functioning correctly. After successfully testing the update in our staging environment, we will re-implemented our rate limits to help prevent these errors and improve overall platform performance. These rate limits are:

• Number of maximum concurrent requests per username per second: 6 requests

• Number of maximum requests per username at the last minute: 300 requests

We are giving advanced notice today since these rate limit changes may affect some wineries. We intend to implement this change on March 1st at around 5:00 a.m. PST.

For more information about rate limits, check out the documentation.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact support@winedirect.com, and we will be happy to assist.

We're Upgrading Your Support Experience

We are excited to announce enhancements to your support experience at WineDirect! With the new support tools, you can expect a seamless and fast support experience. Your inquiries will be routed directly to the best person available to assist, providing you with quick and accurate solutions.

Key Benefits:

• Streamlined user experience 
• Centralized hub for all support interactions
• Faster resolution time since our team can collaborate seamlessly

The new support tools bring you the convenience of getting help right where you need it - directly within the WineDirect platform. To get started now, simply click on the pink chat bubble in the bottom-right corner of this page. Keep your eyes peeled on the WineDirect Administration Panel, as well, as we will be rolling this feature out to wineries in the coming days.

As part of this upgrade, access to the legacy ticketing system will be discontinued. Archived tickets will remain accessible to clients through March 1st, 2023. Should you wish to back up the details of any support tickets, simply access the legacy support portal from the WineDirect Administration Panel: Click Support>View All Cases>Click on any case 'Detail' button and screenshot the relevant information.

We are confident that this upgrade will bring you a more efficient and satisfying support experience, and we can't wait for you to try it out. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at support@winedirect.com.

New Feature: Stronger Password Policy for Winery Customers

Online security continues to be a top concern for wineries. WineDirect is always looking at the latest security trends to keep wineries and their customers safe.

We are excited to announce our new, more secure password policy for your winery customers. Having a strong and unique password can drastically help protect them against malicious attempts. New passwords must:

• Be at least 12 characters long.
• Contain letters, numbers and special characters (~!@#$%^&*_-+=`|\(){}[]:;"'<>,.?/)

This update will only affect new passwords created for new users or users who change their password or edit their profile; current passwords will not be affected.

Here is where the new password policy is live and where it is planned to be implemented next.

Phase One (currently live):

• Front-end websites
• Forgot password
• Edit profile

Phase Two (ETA: Q1 2023):

• Point-of-Sale (POS)

Please check our security documentation for more information about WineDirect's security measures.