Terms and conditions for a wine club

A wine club sells alcohol at a distance on a subscription, which combines licensing, age verification, distance selling and renewal rules in one order. The terms have to say that sales are made under a licence with age checked at delivery, run membership and renewals, describe mixed cases accurately, deal with breakages and returns, and cover wine bought now and delivered years later. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Wine clubs, online wine merchants, case subscription businesses and independent wine shops in England and Wales selling to consumers online, delivered by courier, with memberships, mixed cases and, for some, en primeur and stored wine.

What matters in wine club terms

Licensed sale and age verification

Alcohol is sold under a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 and may not be sold to anyone under 18 under section 146, and the terms should say that the sale is made by the licensed business at the licensed premises, which for distance sales section 190 of that Act treats as the place where the order is accepted, that the customer confirms they are of legal age when ordering, that the courier will require proof of age from whoever receives the delivery and may refuse to hand over the case, and that a refused delivery is returned and redelivered or refunded at the customer's cost. A neighbour who cannot show ID is not a safe place.

Membership, renewals and cancellation

The terms should state the membership or subscription interval, the renewal and billing date, the price, the cut-off for changes and the cancellation route, because the Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats an unclear renewal as unfair and further rules for subscription contracts are being introduced under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Membership benefits (discounts, events, priority allocations) should be described as what they are.

Mixed cases, allocations and substitutions

A mixed case is described by its style, number of bottles and price band, and the terms should say that specific wines shown are examples, that vintages may change, that a wine may be substituted with one of similar style and value where stock runs out, and that limited allocations are subject to availability. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the case must match its description, so the description should be of the case.

Delivery, breakages and returns

Goods are at the business's risk until received, and the terms should say that breakages in transit reported promptly with photographs are replaced or refunded, that delivery dates are estimates, and that wine should be stored appropriately on receipt. A consumer may cancel an online order within fourteen days of receipt under regulation 30 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and return unopened bottles, with the terms saying who pays the return carriage; opened bottles cannot be returned unless faulty, and corked or faulty wine is replaced on return of the bottle.

En primeur, stored wine and payment

Wine bought before it is bottled or held in storage for the customer needs its own section: when title passes, that the wine is held in an excise warehouse approved under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 on stated terms, storage charges, insurance, delivery on request with duty and VAT payable at that point, and what happens if the producer's allocation falls short. Prices shown include all mandatory charges, card payments carry no surcharge, and the privacy notice governs member data and marketing consent.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

The courier left the case with a neighbour without checking age. Whose problem is that?

The business's, as the licence holder, which is why the terms and the courier instructions must require age verification at the door and allow refusal. Choose a courier that verifies age and record the instruction.

A customer returned a mixed case because they did not like the selection. Must we refund?

Unopened bottles returned within the cancellation period are refunded, less return carriage if the terms said so. Opened bottles are not returnable unless faulty, and dislike is not a fault.

The producer cut our en primeur allocation. What do customers get?

The terms should say that allocations are subject to the producer's release, that a shortfall is met by a proportionate reduction with a refund of the price paid for the missing bottles, and that no substitute is imposed without agreement.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a craft beer business selling online
• Terms and conditions for a coffee subscription business

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.