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Commercial vs Transactional | What's the difference? [1]

May 26, 2024 by Melanie Jones [2]

Commercial vs Transactional
[3]

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Commercial vs Transactional
[4]

Download PDF [4]

Commercial & Transactional Emails In One

Sometimes, communications have content that is both transactional and commercial creating a gray space. But the truth is it's still black and white.

Transactional Messages

  • For a message to be considered transactional, the required content must be reflected in the subject line and be the first, primary content of the email body.
  • In other words, a message should not be sent transactionally if:
    • a tidbit of required information is buried in the email OR
    • the subject line promotes a product or service (commercial).
  • A common example includes newsletters, which rarely contain critical information. 'Important' information is not the same as 'required' information.

Learn more about complying with the CAN SPAM Act [5], directly from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

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Complying with the CAN SPAM Act, FTC
[5]

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  • What is CAN-SPAM? [6]
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Source URL:https://www.cu.edu/blog/ecomm-wiki/commercial-vs-transactional-whats-difference

Links
[1] https://www.cu.edu/blog/ecomm-wiki/commercial-vs-transactional-whats-difference [2] https://www.cu.edu/blog/ecomm-wiki/author/39 [3] https://www.cu.edu/doc/commercial-vs-transactionalpdf [4] https://www.cu.edu/doc/event-emailcomparisoncomm-tranmark-cvent171101pdf [5] https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/audio-video/video/complying-can-spam-act [6] https://www.cu.edu/blog/ecomm-wiki/new-user-training-intro