Selling Alcohol Online? Then Your Checkout Better Be Compliant

With the Advanced Shipment Details feature in ShipperHQ, your fulfillment team can see the required dispatch date for each order alongside the carrier selected and packing breakdown. This means your team knows exactly when an order needs to leave to meet the delivery date the customer saw at checkout.

For alcohol shipments where a missed window can mean a failed adult signature attempt or a re-delivery cost, having that dispatch visibility at the fulfillment stage removes the guesswork.

ShipperHQ can enforce country, state, city, and ZIP-level alcohol shipping restrictions in real time at checkout using Shipping Rules. Orders to prohibited states are blocked before checkout completes, so customers never see invalid shipping options.

You can assign products to groups like Wine, Beer, or Spirits and apply destination state or ZIP-level restrictions to each independently. Rules can hide all shipping methods when a product is not allowed at a destination, including sub-state restrictions like dry counties. Mixed carts are handled correctly: only options valid for all items in the cart are shown.

Rules can be updated quickly in the dashboard with no code required. ShipperHQ controls checkout logic and rate display. Licensing and compliance requirements are managed outside the platform.

ShipperHQ gives you the ability to set up shipping methods that require an adult signature and make those the only options available when alcohol is in the cart.

You can also add the carrier's signature fee directly to the shipping cost so it shows up clearly at checkout. Combined with state and ZIP restrictions, you can build a checkout experience that only offers options your business can actually fulfill legally.

With ShipperHQ, you can set quantity limits by product group and destination so checkout only offers shipping options when the order is within the allowed threshold. You can configure different limits for wine, beer, and spirits, and apply different rules per state. Mixed carts are evaluated per product type so each group follows its own limit.

When a quantity limit is exceeded, you can configure checkout to show no available shipping methods, preventing the order from proceeding. Limits are set in the dashboard with no code required and can be updated quickly as regulations change

With Dimensional Packing, ShipperHQ calculates shipping rates using actual case dimensions, not just weight, so checkout pricing matches carrier dimensional weight charges for wine and spirits.

You define box sizes like single-bottle shippers, 6-bottle cases, and 12-bottle cases, and ShipperHQ selects the correct packaging and sends dimensions to carriers like UPS and FedEx. This prevents underquoting caused by weight-only estimates or one-size-fits-all default package assumptions that compound across hundreds of monthly orders.

Packing rules can enforce standard case configurations or isolate large-format bottles like magnums that must ship in dedicated packaging regardless of other items in the cart. Dimensional Packing is most accurate when your box library is fully defined, but simply enabling the feature will automatically improve rate accuracy based on available packing information such as product dimensions and max weights by carrier.

Yes. ShipperHQ's Enhanced Checkout feature lets customers select a specific delivery date in a calendar at checkout, helping ensure an adult is available to sign for alcohol deliveries.

Dates are calculated using your lead times, cutoff times, carrier transit data, and blackout days so only realistic delivery dates are shown. This reduces failed delivery attempts and re-delivery costs.

Time window selection is supported for delivery or store pickup.

ShipperHQ lets alcohol brands offer tasting room or in-store pickup at checkout, showing locations based on the customer's proximity. This provides a compliant alternative when shipping is restricted by state.

You can configure pickup locations and use rules to show only pickup when alcohol cannot ship to a destination. Distance-based filtering ensures customers only see locations within a serviceable radius. Ship-to-store is also supported, with rates calculated to the store address

Flat-rate or free pickup without time slot selection is also supported.

ShipperHQ handles shipping logic at checkout, while Sovos ShipCompliant manages licensing, tax compliance, and regulatory reporting. The two platforms operate at different layers and can be used simultaneously.

ShipperHQ controls carrier rates, state restrictions, carrier eligibility by product type, adult signature methods, dimensional packing, delivery dates, and store pickup. Sovos manages DTC shipping licenses, excise tax calculation, automated compliance reporting, and regulatory workflows.

ShipperHQ does not integrate directly with Sovos and does not provide legal guidance. Merchants are responsible for maintaining accurate rules as license status and regulations change.