Welcome to Sovos ShipCompliant!
We are the leader in automated alcohol beverage compliance tools for more than 15 years, offering a suite of cloud-based solutions to beverage alcohol companies to simplify and automate all federal and state regulations for direct-to-consumer and three-tier distribution.
If you're new to ShipCompliant or would like a refresher of the basics, this user guide is for you. Navigate using the table of contents to find the topic, subscription, or feature you want to learn more about.
Implementation and onboarding
Since you have a ShipCompliant account, you've already gone through the Implementation phase. Our implementation team is responsible for creating your account, personalized training, partner integrations, and internal workflows.
Implementation process
Onboarding process
Our partners and integrations
Our expansive network of integrated tech partners, 60+ and growing, allows ShipCompliant customers to enjoy seamless operations via integrations spanning eCommerce, front end and point of sale (POS) systems, to ERPs and fulfillment houses, from carriers to state agencies - all integrated with our robust compliance solutions.
Check out the full list of fulfillment partners here.
Check out the full list of eCommerce partners here.
Check out the full list of carrier partners here.
Learn more about fulfillment with Fulfillment process basics.
Learn more about FedEx with How to integrate with FedEx ShipManager.
Direct-to-Consumer
ShipCompliant Direct makes it easier to navigate constantly evolving direct-to-consumer shipping laws, minimize risks associated with compliance, and build your business through the growing DtC channel.
Leveraging a centralized cloud-based platform integrated with major DtC eCommerce, point-of-sale, and fulfillment systems, ShipCompliant Direct combines accuracy, automation and ease-of-use to the peace of mind that comes with control over compliance, tax collection, and remittance processes.
DtC orders
How to enter direct-to-consumer orders manually
There are multiple ways to add order information into ShipCompliant. Manual order entry works best for single orders, such as a tasting room order.
If, instead, you have multiple orders that need to be entered, read all about importing direct-to-consumer orders.
Includes articles about:
- Exporting orders
- Customer refunds
- Troubleshooting
License management
ShipCompliant License Management helps guide you through the licensing process by consolidating state by state licensing requirements with links to state forms, tracking renewal deadlines, and sending timely reminders of filing renewals.
Getting started with state licenses
Licensing your business to sell alcohol is required in almost all states. You can manage your state and federal licenses in ShipCompliant. The license numbers you provide are used in other ShipCompliant features - for example, on reports, product registrations, and other documents.
You'll access state-specific licenses from the Licenses page and you'll add and edit federal licenses in Account Settings.
All about license relationship types in orders
The license relationship type of an order tells ShipCompliant which type of compliance check ShipCompliant should run. It also routes the order to the correct reports - direct shipping, wholesale, gallonage, or sales tax reports.
ShipCompliant can remind you when your licenses need renewal and give you information to help you through the process. You can track your license renewal process and see a guide to requirements directly from the state Licenses page.
Delivery management
Delivery Experience, ShipCompliant's delivery management software, allows you to effectively manage your customers' shipping experience to achieve delivery success on the first attempt and minimize expensive, frustrating returns.
All about Delivery Experience Tools (DEX)
All about Delivery Experience (DEX) customer scores
Customer scores are designed to reflect the quality of your customer's delivery experience. Scores range from 0-100; the higher the score, the better their delivery experience. The score is calculated by dividing the number of packages delivered to the customer in the last 12 months by the number of packages delivered to the customer on the first attempt.
Market Ready
Market Ready streamlines and automates state product and brand label registrations. Market Ready is integrated with 10+ government systems, provides a centralized project tool to keep track of forms, and allows you to generate registrations for state requirements regardless of submission method: paper, eFile, or Product Registration Online (PRO).
Watch our on-demand webinar (How to Streamline State and Federal Brand Registrations) to learn more.
COLAs/Label registrations
Federal Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) basics covers applying for new COLAs through ShipCompliant and adding an existing COLA to your account.
How to renew a label registration: your first step when renewing is always to submit your renewal application, following the state process, and have it approved.
All about creating label registrations covers registering for DtC, wholesalers, or both; creating a registration packet, and printing and submitting; and reviewing and editing details.
Check out other articles about Registration Basics.
Distributor and brand territories
This 7-minute video will show you how to set up distributor territories, navigate brand registration with territories, assign brands to distributors, and clone brands if distribution is the same across multiple brands.
This 5-minute video explains what brands are, how to set them up, and how to tie brands and Certificate of Label Approvals (COLAs) from the TTB to the brands you set up in ShipCompliant.
LabelVision
When you search for a name or word in LabelVision, it searches through images of TTB-approved product labels using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. OCR makes the text in images machine-readable so that it can be searched for in the database.
With LabelVision, you can:
- Assess the competition's upcoming labels, prior to going to market.
- Research similar labels when creating a new brand or product.
- Monitor newly created labels.
Learn how LabelVision works, how to search for labels, save and manage searches, receive notifications, and update and share a label.
3-Tier reporting
As your business grows into new states, regulations and deadlines increase in number and make compliance incredibly complex. The centralized ShipCompliant platform ensures visibility and accuracy across all aspects of your compliance efforts.
All about importing wholesale orders
There are 2 ways to get your orders into ShipCompliant in bulk: automatically from your fulfillment house via web services, or by manually importing them into ShipCompliant. This article explains how to manually import wholesale orders in bulk.
How to enter wholesale orders into your account
This 5-minute video explains how to import orders using Excel templates, export orders from different systems, and add new distributors when uploading orders.
Orders
If you want to share your orders with a business partner or someone who doesn't have access to your ShipCompliant account, you can export a record of them in different formats.
How to troubleshoot order statuses
Understanding your orders' statuses is important because they affect which orders are pulled onto reports and how orders are sent to fulfillment. When troubleshooting unexpected reporting totals or missing order information, checking order statuses is a great place to start.
How to add tracking numbers to orders
Adding valid tracking numbers to orders updates their shipment status automatically. Shipment statuses, such as shipped and delivered, affect other areas of your ShipCompliant account, such as deliverability dashboard metrics and customer NPS emails.
AutoFile
ShipCompliant AutoFile handles all the necessary paperwork for sales and use tax filings, excise tax filings, gallonage reporting, and shipment reporting.
Wineries shipping direct-to-consumer decrease time spent monitoring deadlines and filling out reports with ShipCompliant Direct with AutoFile.
All types of beverage alcohol producers distributing in the three-tier system benefit from ShipCompliant 3-Tier Reporting with AutoFile to save time and reduce reporting errors.
Watch our on demand webinar to learn more: How to Reduce Time Spent on State Filings - Meet AutoFile.
All about AutoFile covers managing settings, viewing your dashboard, viewing and managing reports, viewing account summary, and filing an amended return.
For further training, watch ShipCompliant University: AutoFile Subscriber Training.
Product Registration Online (PRO)
PRO is a web-based system that automates and streamlines the brand label registration process for wineries, distilleries, breweries, cideries, importers, and distributors. PRO is integrated directly with the TTB and the states to make registering and submitting COLAs easy and fast.
If you're a current user, watch our on-demand webinar to learn more practical applications, including our newest PRO state of Ohio: Become a PRO with Product Registration Online.
Managing your account
Account and user settings
Learn about user role types, including supplier administrator, supplier user, compliance consultant, and more.
How to enable age check verification
Age checks use 5 pieces of customer data to verify age: date of birth, name, street address, email, and phone number. When at least 3 out of 5 fields match, ShipCompliant considers the data representative of a person.
Products
Product information is one of the most important building blocks for your ShipCompliant account. Once you've added products to your account, you can start associating them with labels, registering them with states, and adding them to orders for fulfillment.
For a basic introduction to adding products, read Products 101.
Tax and report settings
This 3-minute video shows you how to generate reports for all types of filing as well as explains report settings and filing frequencies.
Based on what you've told us in your report settings, ShipCompliant creates your report, tells you when they're due, notifies you of missing information, where to go to e-file them, and more.
All about pickup orders on reports
A pickup order happens when a customer visits the supplier's location to take possession of a product that was purchased offsite (online or over the phone, for example).
Check out all other articles on Filing (Reports).
Checklist
Depending on your subscription, you'll have access to the Direct or Wholesale wizards. The wizards are a quick way to set up your account and product information, so we can generate your reports and filings accurately.
Working with the ShipCompliant team
Working with Support
For any questions about data/order information, ShipCompliant settings, or generating reports, please contact the ShipCompliant support team at (978) 527-1228 or shipcompliantsupport@sovos.com.
Best practices for working with our Support team:
- It's always beneficial to include as much information as you have when contacting Support. The more specifics you include, the quicker we can help you. Here are some examples of helpful information:
- The specific state or report you're having issues with
- The type of error or a description of the error - details are great, screenshots are even better
- Any steps you've taken to resolve the issue already
- Your account name
- If applicable, a previous case number for reference
- When reaching out to Support via email, make sure to respond in the same email thread if there is one open. When calling, have your name and account number accessible, and the case number if you're following up on an open case.
Working with AutoFile
For any questions about notices, submitted returns, or state account problems, please contact your AutoFile representative in your monthly email thread.
AutoFile Client Support: SHIPAutoFile@Sovos.com
Help Center
The Help Center within your account is your spot to find all the articles related to your questions. Use the navigation bar to search for a specific subscription or topic.
FAQ
- Who is my Account Executive?
- Email sales-shipcompliant@sovos.com and we will connect you with your account executive.
- What subscriptions do I have?
- Reach out to your Account Executive to discuss your subscriptions, tiers, or additional features you would like to add.
- Where should I go for compliance and regulatory questions?
- We've provided direct-to-consumer shipping and 3-Tier distribution rules on our website under Resources.
- I don't see an answer to my question here. What should I do next?
- Use the search bar in the Help center on the main page to find a related article or video, or reach out directly to your Account Executive.
We're always looking to provide a great experience for our clients. If you didn't find a topic you were looking for or would like further training, please contact helloship@sovos.com so we can direct you to the right contact or resource.