Comments on: What is Transactional and What is Marketing?

By: Neil Capel

Neil Capel — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:56:08 +0000

We use the term transactional to mean an automated email that is one to one, eg Reset password, welcome, purchase receipt.

And we believe that EVERY email that is automated should have an unsubscribe and a manage notifications link AND both of which should not require the user to log in.

Technorati should know better.

By: Steve Hamilton

Steve Hamilton — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:27:33 +0000

The Technorati email seems blatantly marketing oriented… So blatantly, in fact, that it appears that somebody simply neglected to append the footer or use the correct template, rather than something more sinister. If it IS deliberately dastardly, it’s a rather ham-fisted attempt at being sneaky.

@John Caldwell I don’t suppose you have the wording of that clause handy?

By: John Caldwell

John Caldwell — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:33:20 +0000

The Primary Purpose clause of the CAN-SPAM Act defines the amount of space that can be used for promotional purposes and remain classified as a transactional message.

If for some strange reason an organization offers the ability to opt-out of transactional messages, it might be a Best Practice for them to compare those opting-out, along with spam complaints, to those individuals seeking a charge back to a purchase.

It would be wise to also keep in mind that if someone is paying for an alert and you let them opt-out of that messaging separate from cancellation of the alert service, you are not providing the service that they are paying for and setting yourself up for charge-backs.

By: John Caldwell

John Caldwell — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:23:31 +0000

You can’t allow people to opt-out of transactional messages without facing other business repercussions.

In it’s simplest form a transactional message is a receipt. Without a good-faith effort to supply a purchaser with a receipt it can be quite easy for the buyer to charge back any fees incurred on their credit card.

With a charge-back not only does the business lose the revenue from the sale, they also pay additional fees and may even end up paying a higher card processing fee.

The amount of marketing than can go into a transactional message isn’t a Best Practice, it’s the law based on the Primary Purpose clause of the CAN-SPAM Act for those doing business in the US.

IMO if one can’t tell if a message is Transactional or Promotional then it’s not following the Primary Purpose guidelines of the CAN-SPAM Act and may be in violation.

If for some strange reason an organization allows people to opt-out of transactional messages, it would seem prudent business and a Best Practice for them to closely monitor opt-outs and spam complaints and compare those unsubscribing and complaining to those seeking to charge back purchases….

By: Jake Holman

Jake Holman — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:41:01 +0000

I think transactional is just 1. Confirms an order – you’ve made a purchase, you need a receipt/confirmation for said purchase, this a transactional email has been sent to you.

You shouldn’t be able to opt out of transactional emails, because they’re required and should be unobtrusive (like those apple emails).

Points 2-3 are actually just alerts more than anything transactional. I believe most say you should be able to opt-out of receiving these, since it’s not important to all but just warn people they won’t get alerted about important stuff to do with their account.

Anything else is Marketing, as far as I’m concerned. Soon as you start talking about something you’re trying to sell to me (an upgrade, new features, etc) is Marketing. Let me opt out.

Yep, Technorati didn’t approach this brilliantly. They must have been thinking “plain text isn’t email marketing, so it’s OK!”.

Just my 2 pence.