Do commercial emails in the USA and Canada require a physical address?
Summary
What email marketers say8Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that to comply with CAN-SPAM, all commercial emails must include your organization’s postal address. This requirement helps ensure transparency and gives recipients the ability to contact you by mail if they wish.
Email marketer from Reddit user states that the CAN-SPAM act necessitates a real, valid physical address in all commercial emails sent to US residents. This is to provide transparency and accountability to the email sender.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that including a physical mailing address in your commercial emails is not just a best practice, it's often legally required. Many countries, including the United States (CAN-SPAM Act), have laws mandating that marketing emails contain a valid physical address.
Email marketer from Webmaster Forum responds that including a physical address in commercial emails is a must-do for compliance with CAN-SPAM in the US and similar regulations elsewhere. It helps legitimize your emails.
Email marketer from Email Provider notes that including a physical address in your commercial emails builds trust and ensures compliance with anti-spam laws in both the US (CAN-SPAM) and Canada (CASL).
Email marketer from Shopify explains that including a physical mailing address in your emails is a CAN-SPAM requirement in the United States for promotional emails.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign says that CAN-SPAM (US) and CASL (Canada) requires a physical mailing address in every commercial email. Most email marketing platforms will automatically add this information to the footer of your emails.
Email marketer from Constant Contact responds that both the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act and Canada's CASL require a valid physical mailing address in marketing emails. This helps recipients identify the sender and provides a means of contact outside of email.
What the experts say6Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks quotes CAN-SPAM, emphasizing the need to tell recipients your location with a valid physical postal address. He clarifies his understanding that the 'Otherwise exempt' part refers to consent/unsub, not the physical postal address requirement.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the CAN-SPAM act requires a valid postal address be included in the email. They mention a PO Box or a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) are valid, as long as they are registered with the USPS.
Expert from Email Geeks adds that in Canada, an unsubscribe option is also required in both transactional and commercial emails.
Expert from Email Geeks states that both USA and Canada require a valid postal address in commercial emails.
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that the unsubscribe requirement applies if the recipient is in Canada.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that the CAN-SPAM Act mandates that all commercial emails include a valid physical postal address of the sender. This is to ensure transparency and accountability.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada provides that under CASL, organizations must provide their mailing address, as well as either an unsubscribe mechanism or an electronic address, like an email or a website link, where recipients can unsubscribe.
Documentation from Federal Trade Commission explains that the CAN-SPAM Act requires commercial emails to include the sender's valid physical postal address. This can be a current street address, a post office box registered with the U.S. Postal Service, or a private mailbox registered with a commercial mail receiving agency.
Documentation from the Canadian Government provides that under CASL, commercial electronic messages (CEMs) must include the sender's contact information, including a physical mailing address and either an unsubscribe mechanism or readily accessible electronic address.
Documentation from Government of Canada shares that Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) requires commercial electronic messages (CEMs) to include a physical mailing address, along with an unsubscribe mechanism.
Documentation from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) explains that a commercial electronic message (CEM) must contain the sender's mailing address and either an unsubscribe mechanism or a readily accessible electronic address, or URL, to which the recipient can send an unsubscribe request.