Update: WineDirect Platform Stability - December 2022

The 2022 Holidays were busy for wineries. WineDirect is delighted to report almost zero downtime across all our applications! Our commitment to platform stability has never been stronger as we understand how crucial continuous uptime is for your winery. From your website to point of sale, having reliable connectivity is critical for the day-to-day activities you rely on to sell DTC.

We are pleased to provide the following summary report on application uptime for December 2022:

“For wineries, the holiday season is the most critical time of year. Our engineering team and automated systems enabled our clients to get through this busy season without downtime, even during peak hours. We remain dedicated to constructing a strong and dependable platform for all wineries.” 

- Edwin Lo, WineDirect Product Owner

Thank you for trusting us with your DTC operations. Check out the WineDirect Status page for the latest up-to-date system status.

New: Strong Cyber Weekend Results for 2022

The post-Thanksgiving weekend is such a key time for wineries, with everyone pulling together to reach their sales goals while providing a great experience for consumers. Despite challenging market conditions, your hard work paid off. While sales declined compared to last years' post pandemic spending sprees, same-store sales across all DTC channels increased +6% compared to 2020 and a strong +20% compared to pre-pandemic 2019. 

 

WineDirect Platform Stability: Black Friday Through Cyber Monday

Our Classic platform performance also continued to be a standout - our continuing commitment to enhancing our architecture has resulted in lightning-fast transaction speed and stability, even in the face of extremely high demand.

These enhancements are just the beginning of what's in store as we count down the days until All-New WineDirect is available for all wineries in early 2023. We are incredibly grateful to have you join us for this next step forward. 🥂 

You're Protected - OpenSSL Security Vulnerability

Here at WineDirect, providing a secure platform for wineries and their clients is a top priority. We have recently become aware of possible vulnerability issues with OpenSSL. OpenSSL is one of the most widely used technologies that allows information technology systems to communicate securely.

There is no risk for WineDirect clients. In less than 24 hours, we have finished reviewing all services and can confirm we are 100% in the clear. This includes all platforms such as fulfillment, ecommerce, etc.

We will continue to monitor the situation and share updates promptly. We appreciate your support in achieving our shared objective of top-notch performance across our whole platform. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to hello@winedirect.com.

 

Thank you, Kalani Keala Chief Information & Security Officer, CISO Kalani.Keala@winedirect.com

WineDirect Point-of-Sale App Now Compatible With iOS 16 and iPadOS 16

After extensive testing, we're delighted to announce that WineDirect's Point-of-Sale App is fully compatible with iOS 16 and iPad OS 16. Once you've reviewed the following requirements, feel free to update your tasting room devices.

Please double-check your specific device's compatibility by reviewing Apple's compatibility pages to guarantee a smooth transfer. Before installing, ensure your device(s) are compatible with iOS 16. The latest OS may not work with some older machines. Here is the current list of compatible devices.

iOS 16 compatible devices:

iPhone 14	iPhone 12 Pro Max	iPhone 8
iPhone 14 Plus	iPhone 1	iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro	iPhone 11 Pro	iPhone SE (3rd generation)
iPhone 13	iPhone 11 Pro Max	iPhone SE (2nd generation)
iPhone 13 mini	iPhone XS
iPhone 13 Pro	iPhone XS Max
iPhone 13 Pro Max	iPhone XR
iPhone 12	iPhone X

 

iPadOS 16 compatible devices:

iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation)	iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation)	iPad (6th generation)
iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation)	iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation)	iPad (5th generation)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)	iPad Pro 10.5-inch	iPad mini (6th generation)
iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation)	iPad Pro 9.7-inch	iPad mini (5th generation)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)	iPad (10th generation)	iPad Air (5th generation)
iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)	iPad (9th generation)	iPad Air (4th generation)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)	iPad (8th generation)	iPad Air (3rd generation)
iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)	iPad (7th generation)

New: Additional Security Features

Online security is a top concern for wineries. WineDirect is leading the charge for having one of the industry's most secure ecommerce solutions and is continuously looking to improve the platform experience for wineries and customers.

We are happy to announce two new additional security features to help your wineries against malicious attacks when it comes to the backend (Auth0) of your store:

• Brute-force Protection – Helps safeguard against a single IP address attacking a single user account. When the same IP address tries and fails multiple times (for example, 10 times) to log in as the same user, brute-force protection: sends an email to the winery and blocks the suspicious IP from logging in as that user
• Breached Password Detection – It helps detect if a specific user's credentials were included in a major public security breach and will notify the winery and block that user from signing in

These features are already automatically enabled for all WineDirect stores. You will be notified by email if there are any malicious attacks with someone trying to log into your store.

As The Winery's Champion, it's crucial that we do everything possible to provide a seamless and safe checkout experience for wineries. We will continuously review and frequently evolve security policies, practices, and infrastructure. Thank you for your ongoing support!

New: Higher Protection Against Online Fraud with 3D Secure 2.0

WineDirect employs various security tools and protocols to help keep you and your customer's data safe. 3D Secure (3DS) is one of the security protocols we use specifically designed to protect wineries from online payment fraud by stopping suspicious transactions.

We are happy to announce we have updated 3DS to version 2.0. This updated version will help to:

• Make payment processing even faster
• Minimize payment disruptions
• Bring additional smart fraud detection (to reduce card fraud)
• Expand authentication to American Express and Discovery cards

3DS 2.0 is now automatically enabled at the payment processor level. No action is needed if you are eligible.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Using WineDirect Payments
• Using V2 Checkout Tools

Not yet using WineDirect Payments? Sign up here.

For more information on 3DS, check out our documentation site here.

Update: WineDirect Platform Stability - First Half of 2022

Here at WineDirect, we are committed to platform stability because we understand how crucial continuous uptime is for your winery. From your website to point of sale, having reliable connectivity is critical for the day-to-day activities you rely on to sell DTC.

We are happy to share the summary report on uptime from our main four applications for the first half of 2022 (January - June):

“With the help of some key partners, we can bring 24/7 coverage to the WineDirect platform. We have spent the time to build automated alerting/reporting infrastructure to help us detect and respond fast. Enabling wineries to run their day-to-day activities knowing they can count on us to be one of the most stable platforms in the industry is really something we take seriously.” 

- Edwin Lo, WineDirect Product Owner

Thank you for trusting us with your critical operations. For the most up-to-date system status, check out the WineDirect Status page.

New Update: Credit Card Updater

We are thrilled to announce some significant updates for Credit Card Updater for Canadian and US wineries. 

For Canadian Wineries:

Credit Card Updater is now available for all Canadian Wineries. WineDirect's Credit Card Updater tool automatically updates your wine club members' expired, lost, or stolen credit cards. You can significantly improve your team's efficiency and make time for more valuable customer service activities by eliminating the hassle of multiple phone calls and emails.

For US Wineries:

Along with already working with Visa, Mastercard, and Discovery cards, we are excited to announce American Express (Amex) credit cards now work with Credit Card Updater. Enjoy smooth updates for all major credit cards without contacting the customer directly.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Available to all Canadian & US Wineries using WineDirect Payments

Not yet using WineDirect Payments? Sign up here.

For more information on Credit Card Updater, check out our documentation site here.

New: Colorado Retail Delivery Fee

Recently, the Colorado Department of Revenue introduced a Retail Delivery Fee - which took effect on July 1, 2022. Retailers, including wineries with a physical location in Colorado, or an out-of-state winery that holds a sales or use tax permit (required if your retail sales into Colorado are more than $100k in a calendar year) are required to remit the retail delivery fee. Deliveries include when any taxable goods are mailed, shipped, or otherwise delivered by motor vehicle to a purchaser in Colorado. The retail delivery fee is due at the same time as your sales tax return.  

Below are answers to frequently asked questions: 

1. Does my business need to collect and remit the retail delivery fee? 

If your winery is located in Colorado, or you are an out-of-state winery with a sales or use tax permit in Colorado, then you will need to remit the retail delivery fee. 

To determine if you are above the $100,000 per year threshold, you can: 

• Navigate to Reports 
• Click on Sales Summary by State 
• Set your date range in the top left. We recommend checking calendar year 2021 and then year-to-date for 2022 to see if you are above the threshold 
• Click Manage Filters and set the ship state to Colorado 
• View or export the report 

 

2. How do I find out how many "deliveries" I have made into Colorado for reporting and payment purposes?

If the retail delivery fee applies to your business, you need to remit $0.27 per order shipped.  Based on FAQ no. 15 on the Colorado Department of Revenue Taxation Department website.  

"The retail delivery fee is based on each sale to the customer. If a customer orders a number of items in a “cart”, and purchases all of the items at the same time, only one retail delivery fee is due regardless of how many deliveries are actually needed to complete the sale. Alternatively, if a customer orders a number of items and completes the purchase of each item at different times, the retail delivery fee is due on each sale, even if only one delivery is needed to complete the sale." 

WineDirect supports these reporting requirements - follow these steps for the best way to get the information you need to report and pay (when applicable): 

• Navigate to Reports>Sales>Orders by Ship/Pickup Date 
• Select the appropriate date range for the reporting period you will be paying taxes in 
• Click "Manage Filters" and use the following filters 
• Under "Date Type" select "Submitted Date" 
• Under "Ship States," click "Deselect All" then find and select only "Colorado" (Note that you will need to select "Add Filter" and check the box next to "Ship States" in order to see this filter) 
• Click View and take note of the item count listed at the bottom: ie: "Showing 1 - 50 of 292" would indicate that you have 292 shipping orders destined for Colorado in the given reporting period 
• Multiplying the quantity of orders noted in Step 4 by $0.27 each to determine your tax liability 

3. Do I need to present the Retail Delivery Fee on the invoice? 

The answer is: “not yet.”  CO DOR has stated the following regarding the requirement to present the retail delivery fee on invoices or receipts, based on FAQ no. 6: 

“...the Department currently has no plans to prioritize enforcement of this provision as long as retailers are paying the full amount of the fees due in accordance with their liability under section 43-4-605(6)(c), C.R.S.  Retailers who are temporarily paying the fees are advised to avoid statements indicating that the retail delivery fee will be assumed or absorbed or that it will not be added to sale as prohibited by section 39-26-108, C.R.S.” 

We will keep you posted on these developments as they evolve.  

For further information, check out this great up-to-date resource in the FAQs at the bottom of the Colorado Department of Revenue website. It states important details on who is impacted by this change, when the change is in effect, and when the department will begin to enforce the requirement to present the fee on the consumers invoice or receipt (they are delaying enforcement for now). Thank you.

New: WineDirect x Klaviyo Integration

While the current WineDirect platform offers email marketing, some wineries have asked for more advanced automation and segmentation abilities. We are happy to announce that Klaviyo – the leading email automation platform – is now available to be integrated with WineDirect stores. Leverage Klaviyo’s advanced email and SMS marketing automation and best-in-class segmentation tools to generate more sales on auto-pilot.

WineDirects mission as "The Winery's Champion" focuses on offering the best in class tools to wineries of all sizes. This includes looking outside WineDirect and ensuring our wineries have the ability to use the tools they need and reach their goals. We are excited to partner with our friends at Best Worlds – a Certified Klaviyo Systems Integrator and Master Partner – for them to build out this additional hosted service to support WineDirect customers. This integration is a paid feature created and hosted by BestWorlds, including the $250 cost to have Kalviyo and the included set-up fee.

Learn more about the WineDirect x Klaviyo integration here!