Handling Fees and Other Surcharges
Thinking about adding a handling fee or other surcharge? We'd encourage you to think again.
Why we advise against handling fees (and other winery-imposed surcharges)
Conversion Rates: Our product team’s research into ecommerce checkout flows shows that clear, upfront pricing supports higher conversion rates. We recommend building handling costs into your product prices rather than adding separate fees at checkout.
Regional Laws: Rules around surcharges, including handling fees, vary by jurisdiction and continue to change. While we can’t offer legal advice, these restrictions are another reason we recommend avoiding surcharges.
What to do instead
Audit your website: Look for ways to improve the shopping experience, from updating product photos and descriptions - to creating product collections - to enabling customer reviews and ratings. Additionally, consider implementing the following:
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Personalizations: Create a more relevant shopping experience by tailoring your website’s messaging to different customers. Learn more here.
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Cart Carrots: Encourage customers to add more bottles with timely incentives as they build their cart. Learn more here.
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Automations: Use automated emails to welcome first-time customers, follow up on abandoned carts, celebrate birthdays, and more. Learn more here.
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Reporting: Review your sales and marketing trends regularly to understand what’s working, spot opportunities, and make informed adjustments. Learn more here about reporting options. Plus, discover how Ask Pip makes it easier to stay on top of your business’s performance.
Want to dive in further?
Explore our Academy course, What High-Performing Winery Websites Do Differently, for practical ways to improve your customers’ shopping experience and grow online revenue.
The course includes everything mentioned above plus a lot more!
If you do decide to add a fee, this article walks you through the options.