A transactional email is an automated, one-to-one email sent in response to a specific action or event — a purchase, an account sign-up, a password reset request — that gives the recipient information they need about that transaction or their account. Unlike a newsletter, a transactional email is not promotional: it confirms, informs or notifies.
Examples of transactional emails
- Order confirmations, receipts and invoices
- Shipping and delivery notifications with tracking details
- Password resets, one-time codes and two-factor authentication emails
- Account creation and email address confirmation (including double opt-in confirmation links)
- Security and account alerts: new login, changed password, payment failure
- Booking and appointment confirmations or reminders
- Subscription renewals, refunds and plan changes
Transactional emails are a type of triggered email: a system event sends them automatically, usually within seconds.
Transactional vs marketing emails
| Transactional email | Marketing email | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Confirm or inform about a transaction or account | Promote products, content or offers |
| Trigger | A user action or system event | A campaign scheduled by the sender |
| Recipients | One person, personal data | A list or segment, same content |
| Consent | No marketing opt-in needed | Marketing consent / opt-out rules apply |
| Expected timing | Immediately | Whenever the campaign is planned |
| Typical sending | SMTP relay or email API from your app | Email marketing platform |
Transactional emails and the law
Under the US CAN-SPAM Act, a message whose primary purpose is transactional or relationship content is largely exempt from the commercial email rules (such as the unsubscribe requirement), though it must not contain false or misleading routing information. In the EU, the GDPR and ePrivacy rules generally allow you to send emails needed to perform a contract or service without marketing consent. In both cases, the exemption stops when promotional content becomes the main purpose of the email: keep any marketing light, and send real promotions only to opted-in contacts. This is general information, not legal advice.
Deliverability and sending transactional email
Because customers wait for them, transactional emails must arrive fast and land in the inbox. Good practice: authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, keep transactional traffic separate from bulk campaigns where possible, use a clear sender name and a recognizable subject line, and monitor bounces and delivery logs. Applications send transactional email either through an SMTP relay (a settings change in most CMS, CRM and e-commerce tools) or through an email API for developers.
Mailpro sends transactional email through its SMTP server and API, hosted in Switzerland. To go further, read our transactional email guide or see Mailpro's transactional emails page. Need designs for order and shipping messages? Browse our free ecommerce email templates. Deciding between a raw email API and a managed platform? See our guide to the best Amazon SES alternatives.
Mailpro and transactional email
Send your transactional emails from Switzerland
Connect your website or application to Mailpro's SMTP server or API for receipts, confirmations and notifications, priced by emails sent, not by contacts.