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Original
2026-01-01
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2026-03-10
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<p>A transactional email is a type of automated email that’s triggered by an action, typically a purchase.</p>
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<p>A transactional email is a type of automated email that’s triggered by an action, typically a purchase.</p>
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<p>Transactional emails are sent automatically to one person to confirm a transaction, communicate important information, or deliver a specific notification, like a shipping notice.</p>
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<p>Transactional emails are sent automatically to one person to confirm a transaction, communicate important information, or deliver a specific notification, like a shipping notice.</p>
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<p>In order to fulfil its purpose of enhancing the user experience and building trust with customers, a transactional message should be straightforward and concise, and it should contain essential details.</p>
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<p>In order to fulfil its purpose of enhancing the user experience and building trust with customers, a transactional message should be straightforward and concise, and it should contain essential details.</p>
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<p>Let’s dive in.</p>
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<p>Let’s dive in.</p>
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<h2>Why transactional emails matter</h2>
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<h2>Why transactional emails matter</h2>
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<p>While you need to be careful not to cross into promotion with your transactional emails (unless your customers are in the US-more on that below), they’re still a fundamental part of maintaining a good post-purchase relationship and driving repeat purchases.</p>
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<p>While you need to be careful not to cross into promotion with your transactional emails (unless your customers are in the US-more on that below), they’re still a fundamental part of maintaining a good post-purchase relationship and driving repeat purchases.</p>
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<p>Here are a few reasons you shouldn’t skimp on investments in transactional emails:</p>
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<p>Here are a few reasons you shouldn’t skimp on investments in transactional emails:</p>
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<h3>Transactional emails have higher open rates</h3>
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<h3>Transactional emails have higher open rates</h3>
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<p>The average open rate for a transactional email varies depending on industry, but in general, they are higher than they are for marketing emails.</p>
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<p>The average open rate for a transactional email varies depending on industry, but in general, they are higher than they are for marketing emails.</p>
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<p>According to the latest<a>Klaviyo benchmarks report</a>, average open rates across all<a>post-purchase emails</a>, including transactional emails, exceed 60%.</p>
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<p>According to the latest<a>Klaviyo benchmarks report</a>, average open rates across all<a>post-purchase emails</a>, including transactional emails, exceed 60%.</p>
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<p>That makes sense-the customer receives these emails at a time when they’re most excited about their recent purchase. It’s also why it’s so important to view your transactional emails as an opportunity to strengthen a customer’s ties to your brand.</p>
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<p>That makes sense-the customer receives these emails at a time when they’re most excited about their recent purchase. It’s also why it’s so important to view your transactional emails as an opportunity to strengthen a customer’s ties to your brand.</p>
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<p>So much of marketing in general is catching people at an optimal moment of interest, and this is what transactional emails allow you to do-with tact.</p>
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<p>So much of marketing in general is catching people at an optimal moment of interest, and this is what transactional emails allow you to do-with tact.</p>
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<h3>Transactional emails minimise customer service requests</h3>
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<h3>Transactional emails minimise customer service requests</h3>
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<p>By sharing vital details about purchases, transactional emails give your customers the transparency they need to feel confident they’ll get their order in a timely manner.</p>
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<p>By sharing vital details about purchases, transactional emails give your customers the transparency they need to feel confident they’ll get their order in a timely manner.</p>
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<p>Delivery tracking, especially, helps complete transactions by notifying customers when an item has been delivered-because if the item is nowhere to be found but the customer has received a delivery confirmation, that’s your cue to help figure out what happened.</p>
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<p>Delivery tracking, especially, helps complete transactions by notifying customers when an item has been delivered-because if the item is nowhere to be found but the customer has received a delivery confirmation, that’s your cue to help figure out what happened.</p>
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<p>This is what prevents customers from calling your customer service reps to clarify the details of their order. Where there’s confusion there will always be attempts at clarity, which means you spend more resources on fulfilling customer service demands. Transactional emails help you save money by reducing that confusion.</p>
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<p>This is what prevents customers from calling your customer service reps to clarify the details of their order. Where there’s confusion there will always be attempts at clarity, which means you spend more resources on fulfilling customer service demands. Transactional emails help you save money by reducing that confusion.</p>
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<h3>Transactional emails are the most relevant messages you can send</h3>
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<h3>Transactional emails are the most relevant messages you can send</h3>
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<p>What’s more relevant than a message about a purchase someone just made? Transactional emails are peak relevance for brands, as they’re catching customers at their most excited state.</p>
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<p>What’s more relevant than a message about a purchase someone just made? Transactional emails are peak relevance for brands, as they’re catching customers at their most excited state.</p>
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<p>Can you curate user-generated content (UGC) that shows how other customers use that product? Do you have any instructions or educational information that would help the customer get the most out of their purchase? If someone ordered a cooking utensil, for example, could you include a link to a recipe that employs that tool?</p>
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<p>Can you curate user-generated content (UGC) that shows how other customers use that product? Do you have any instructions or educational information that would help the customer get the most out of their purchase? If someone ordered a cooking utensil, for example, could you include a link to a recipe that employs that tool?</p>
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<p>When you do this minimally and helpfully, these add-ons help build stronger customer relationships by adding context to the purchase they just made.</p>
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<p>When you do this minimally and helpfully, these add-ons help build stronger customer relationships by adding context to the purchase they just made.</p>
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<h2>7 types of transactional emails</h2>
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<h2>7 types of transactional emails</h2>
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<p>Skip to the next section to find out which messages are<em>not</em>transactional.</p>
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<p>Skip to the next section to find out which messages are<em>not</em>transactional.</p>
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<h3>1. Order confirmation</h3>
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<h3>1. Order confirmation</h3>
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<p>An order confirmation email is sent to customers immediately after they make a purchase. It’s important proof of the transaction, and they can refer to it later if they need to.</p>
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<p>An order confirmation email is sent to customers immediately after they make a purchase. It’s important proof of the transaction, and they can refer to it later if they need to.</p>
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<p>This email typically includes:</p>
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<p>This email typically includes:</p>
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<ul><li>An order summary</li>
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<ul><li>An order summary</li>
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<li>Payment information</li>
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<li>Payment information</li>
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<li>Shipping address</li>
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<li>Shipping address</li>
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<li>Estimated delivery date</li>
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<li>Estimated delivery date</li>
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</ul><h3>2. Shipping confirmation</h3>
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</ul><h3>2. Shipping confirmation</h3>
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<p>A shipping confirmation is sent to customers to let them know their order has been processed and shipped. It’s important for setting expectations and giving customers a way to check on the status of their shipment.</p>
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<p>A shipping confirmation is sent to customers to let them know their order has been processed and shipped. It’s important for setting expectations and giving customers a way to check on the status of their shipment.</p>
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<p>This email typically includes:</p>
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<p>This email typically includes:</p>
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<ul><li>A list of the items shipped</li>
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<ul><li>A list of the items shipped</li>
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<li>Tracking information</li>
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<li>Tracking information</li>
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<li>Expected delivery date</li>
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<li>Expected delivery date</li>
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<li>Shipping address</li>
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<li>Shipping address</li>
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</ul><h3>3. Order refund notification</h3>
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</ul><h3>3. Order refund notification</h3>
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<p>An order refund notification is sent to customers to inform them that a refund has been processed for their order. It’s important for transparency, which can encourage future purchases despite the refund.</p>
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<p>An order refund notification is sent to customers to inform them that a refund has been processed for their order. It’s important for transparency, which can encourage future purchases despite the refund.</p>
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<p>This email typically includes:</p>
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<p>This email typically includes:</p>
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<ul><li>The amount refunded</li>
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<ul><li>The amount refunded</li>
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<li>The reason for the refund</li>
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<li>The reason for the refund</li>
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<li>Any relevant transaction details</li>
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<li>Any relevant transaction details</li>
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</ul><h3>4. Subscription confirmation</h3>
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</ul><h3>4. Subscription confirmation</h3>
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<p>A subscription confirmation is sent after someone subscribes to a service or product, verifying that they’ve initiated the subscription process.</p>
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<p>A subscription confirmation is sent after someone subscribes to a service or product, verifying that they’ve initiated the subscription process.</p>
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<p>This email typically includes a link or button for the subscriber to click, confirming their intent to receive further communications.</p>
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<p>This email typically includes a link or button for the subscriber to click, confirming their intent to receive further communications.</p>
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<h3>5. Account alert</h3>
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<h3>5. Account alert</h3>
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<p>Typically for subscription businesses or financial institutions, account alerts are automated emails that inform customers of specific activities or changes in their accounts.</p>
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<p>Typically for subscription businesses or financial institutions, account alerts are automated emails that inform customers of specific activities or changes in their accounts.</p>
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<h3>6. Customer service replies</h3>
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<h3>6. Customer service replies</h3>
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<p>Customer service replies are responses from a company’s support team to inquiries, concerns, or feedback provided by customers. These replies are customised to specific issues raised by the customer.</p>
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<p>Customer service replies are responses from a company’s support team to inquiries, concerns, or feedback provided by customers. These replies are customised to specific issues raised by the customer.</p>
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<p>If they’re simple replies, they may be generated by a chatbot. But more often, they come from a real human on your customer service team.</p>
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<p>If they’re simple replies, they may be generated by a chatbot. But more often, they come from a real human on your customer service team.</p>
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<h3>7. Password resets</h3>
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<h3>7. Password resets</h3>
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<p>Password resets are sent when someone has requested help accessing their account because they forgot their password or there’s been a security issue. This process is crucial for maintaining account security and user access control.</p>
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<p>Password resets are sent when someone has requested help accessing their account because they forgot their password or there’s been a security issue. This process is crucial for maintaining account security and user access control.</p>
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<p>These emails typically include:</p>
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<p>These emails typically include:</p>
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<ul><li>A link or instructions to securely reset the password</li>
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<ul><li>A link or instructions to securely reset the password</li>
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<li>A way to report the message if they didn’t trigger the password reset</li>
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<li>A way to report the message if they didn’t trigger the password reset</li>
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</ul><h2>Transactional emails vs. marketing emails: What’s the difference?</h2>
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</ul><h2>Transactional emails vs. marketing emails: What’s the difference?</h2>
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<p>Transactional emails differ from marketing emails in their purpose and content. Whereas transactional emails are personalised to one person to communicate essential information like order confirmations or password resets, marketing emails are sent to many people to promote products and encourage recipients to take a specific action.</p>
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<p>Transactional emails differ from marketing emails in their purpose and content. Whereas transactional emails are personalised to one person to communicate essential information like order confirmations or password resets, marketing emails are sent to many people to promote products and encourage recipients to take a specific action.</p>
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<p><a>As a rule of thumb</a>, a trigger-based email that communicates essential information to the customer, rather than attempting to generate sales, is a transactional email. Triggered emails that<em>aren’t</em>transactional emails include:</p>
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<p><a>As a rule of thumb</a>, a trigger-based email that communicates essential information to the customer, rather than attempting to generate sales, is a transactional email. Triggered emails that<em>aren’t</em>transactional emails include:</p>
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<ul><li><a>Welcome email series</a></li>
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<ul><li><a>Welcome email series</a></li>
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<li><a>Abandoned cart emails</a></li>
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<li><a>Abandoned cart emails</a></li>
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<li>Product recommendation or cross-sell emails</li>
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<li>Product recommendation or cross-sell emails</li>
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<li>Browse abandonment emails</li>
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<li>Browse abandonment emails</li>
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<li>Surveys or quizzes</li>
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<li>Surveys or quizzes</li>
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<li>Requests for<a>ecommerce reviews</a></li>
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<li>Requests for<a>ecommerce reviews</a></li>
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<li>Replenishment flows or order renewal reminders</li>
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<li>Replenishment flows or order renewal reminders</li>
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<li>Back-in-stock notifications</li>
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<li>Back-in-stock notifications</li>
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<li>Referral requests</li>
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<li>Referral requests</li>
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<li>Birthday or anniversary notifications</li>
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<li>Birthday or anniversary notifications</li>
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</ul><h2>Transactional email consent and compliance</h2>
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</ul><h2>Transactional email consent and compliance</h2>
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<p>Consent is different for transactional vs. marketing messages.</p>
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<p>Consent is different for transactional vs. marketing messages.</p>
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<p>To send<strong>marketing emails,</strong>you need explicit opt-in consent<em>and</em>an easy way for people to unsubscribe via an unsubscribe link.</p>
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<p>To send<strong>marketing emails,</strong>you need explicit opt-in consent<em>and</em>an easy way for people to unsubscribe via an unsubscribe link.</p>
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<p>With<strong>transactional emails,</strong>the transaction itself constitutes consent because these emails are necessary to complete the transaction.</p>
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<p>With<strong>transactional emails,</strong>the transaction itself constitutes consent because these emails are necessary to complete the transaction.</p>
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<p>If you have customers in Europe, your transactional emails need to comply with GDPR-which means they need to remain transactional in nature, without additional marketing messages.</p>
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<p>If you have customers in Europe, your transactional emails need to comply with GDPR-which means they need to remain transactional in nature, without additional marketing messages.</p>
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<p>This is because customers can’t unsubscribe from transactional emails-they’re legitimately necessary-but<a>marketing emails necessitate an easy way to unsubscribe</a>. The same goes for Canada, where you’ll need to comply with<a>CASL legislation</a>.</p>
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<p>This is because customers can’t unsubscribe from transactional emails-they’re legitimately necessary-but<a>marketing emails necessitate an easy way to unsubscribe</a>. The same goes for Canada, where you’ll need to comply with<a>CASL legislation</a>.</p>
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<p>If your customers are in the US, the<a>CAN-SPAM Act</a>offers more leeway for transactional emails. If the “primary purpose” of your email is transactional, then your subject line needs to reflect this-but you have<em>some</em>freedom to promote your brand in other ways.</p>
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<p>If your customers are in the US, the<a>CAN-SPAM Act</a>offers more leeway for transactional emails. If the “primary purpose” of your email is transactional, then your subject line needs to reflect this-but you have<em>some</em>freedom to promote your brand in other ways.</p>
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<p>The CAN-SPAM act allows for<em>light</em>overlap between transactional emails and marketing emails, but it’s important to understand the nuances of this gray area before you start playing with them.</p>
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<p>The CAN-SPAM act allows for<em>light</em>overlap between transactional emails and marketing emails, but it’s important to understand the nuances of this gray area before you start playing with them.</p>
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<p>If the primary purpose of an email is transactional, it’s mostly exempt from CAN-SPAM Act provisions-but the email still can’t contain “<a>false or misleading routing information</a>.” That just means your domain name and email address must accurately identify your business.</p>
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<p>If the primary purpose of an email is transactional, it’s mostly exempt from CAN-SPAM Act provisions-but the email still can’t contain “<a>false or misleading routing information</a>.” That just means your domain name and email address must accurately identify your business.</p>
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<h3>Do transactional emails need an unsubscribe link?</h3>
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<h3>Do transactional emails need an unsubscribe link?</h3>
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<p>No, transactional emails don’t need an unsubscribe link. But it’s crucial that what you’re sending without an unsubscribe link is truly a transactional email and not a promotional email in disguise.</p>
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<p>No, transactional emails don’t need an unsubscribe link. But it’s crucial that what you’re sending without an unsubscribe link is truly a transactional email and not a promotional email in disguise.</p>
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<p>For customers in the US-not Europe, where you can’t include any promotional messaging whatsoever in a transactional email-as long as you’re careful with the transactional-to-promotional ratio in your transactional emails, you can use them to send relevant promotions, discounts, or special offers based on the customer’s recent transaction.</p>
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<p>For customers in the US-not Europe, where you can’t include any promotional messaging whatsoever in a transactional email-as long as you’re careful with the transactional-to-promotional ratio in your transactional emails, you can use them to send relevant promotions, discounts, or special offers based on the customer’s recent transaction.</p>
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<p>If you’re a brand with an international presence, we recommend segmenting your European and Canadian customers from your American ones, so you can remain compliant.</p>
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<p>If you’re a brand with an international presence, we recommend segmenting your European and Canadian customers from your American ones, so you can remain compliant.</p>
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<h2>Transactional emails are crucial. Give them the attention they’re due</h2>
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<h2>Transactional emails are crucial. Give them the attention they’re due</h2>
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<p>Transactional emails are the operational backbone of your business. To ensure your transactional emails land in a location with high visibility-your customer’s primary inbox-you may need to review whether your content is meeting expectations.</p>
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<p>Transactional emails are the operational backbone of your business. To ensure your transactional emails land in a location with high visibility-your customer’s primary inbox-you may need to review whether your content is meeting expectations.</p>
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<p>Minimalist, straightforward, and helpful are can’t-lose tactics for making sure the primary purpose of your transactional emails is truly transactional. Once you have the basics in place, that’s when you can start playing with additional relevant content that’s more helpful than promotional.</p>
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<p>Minimalist, straightforward, and helpful are can’t-lose tactics for making sure the primary purpose of your transactional emails is truly transactional. Once you have the basics in place, that’s when you can start playing with additional relevant content that’s more helpful than promotional.</p>
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