Newsletters and mailing lists are all the rage right now. Pretty much every single advise on growing your blog or business includes something about starting and maintaining one – and for good reason.
MailChimp is one of the most popular email service providers (ESPs) out there but one concern I see pop up all the time is why are they asking for my address? Truth is, if you have an ESP that doesn’t ask for your address, you need to get a new one ASAP.
Listing Your Address Is A Legal Requirement
I completely understand how being asked for your address and having it show up on your newsletter sends off a huge red flag – after all, who want their address floating around the Internet? However, at least here in the U.S., it is a legal requirement under the CAN-SPAM Act.
The CAN-SPAM Act regulates how businesses (and if you make money from your blog, you’re a business) communicates with its customers (aka, your readers).
Live in another country? Mailchimp has a great resource listing requirements for each country.
The Consequences
So what if you don’t include your address? Consequences are pretty big – they come in the form of fines. Huge fucking fines.
Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $16,000, so non-compliance can be costly.
That’s a direct quote from the FTC. $16,000. For. Each. Separate. Email. Yikes. “[N]on-compliance can be costly”, you don’t say, FTC, you don’t say.
Ok, but I doesn’t have to be my full address, right?
This is something I see a lot of bloggers and creatives do – and even encourage. They’ll list their city and call it a day or list the street name and city. Something along the lines of –
Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL
NOPE. Please try again. Per FTC’s guidelines (see #4), your emails must include a physical mailing address. Basically, if I can’t send you snail mail to the address listed on your newsletter, it doesn’t count. It has to be address where you can receive mail. Period. Or you can say hello to up to $16,000 penalty per email sent (it hurts my soul just thinking about it).
It doesn’t have to be your home address
The good news here is that it doesn’t have to your home address. You can get a PO Box at your local post office or a private mailbox at your UPS store or similar and you’ll be compliant with the CAN-SPAM Act.
This is the option I recommend and use my self (you best believe I wouldn’t be posting a screenshot of my home address on here). For safety reasons it’d be pretty darn silly to list your home address on an email campaign going to hundreds or thousands of people but you also need to avoid ’em hefty fines (unless you have that kind of money just laying around – in which case, still get a PO Box and just send me the money, I can probably put it better use than the FTC).
But in all seriousness, while paying for a PO Box is an added expense, it is much much much cheaper than the FTC fines, so get on it!
Ughhhh, this is definitely very good to know! Maybe I’ll hold off on MailChimp for a bit, I don’t exactly mind sharing my current address, but I guess when we move again it’s something to consider.
Wow this is good to know. I always wondered why addressed were required too. I will be obtaining a PO Box soon.
http://www.randomlyyaya.com
YES! Super important to have on there 🙂
Oh man those are crazy fines! I used to have a fake address til I read something about the seriousness of it and have since put my work address. Been meaning to get a PO box but just haven’t yet. Now I’m thinking I better get on it! Thanks Fran!
Aren’t they?! I was shocked when I saw how high the fines can get!
I had no idea it could get that high! I was wondering why you had to give your address, but now it makes sense. Shared this in a few fb groups so more people can understand why they need to fill in a REAL address. Thank you!
I didn’t know either just how high the fees could get until I looked more into it and I was floored!
Thank you so much for sharing my post, by the way! Means the world to me ❤️
Great post.
Great information! I am new to blogging and was wondering why emails I receive from other bloggers have an address listed. The $16K price tag is scary!
Yes! I used to wonder that too and then opened my Mailchimp account and was really freaked out about them asking my address but after I read all the FTC info it made SOmuch sense!
Thank you for the clarification on this. I just shared your post with others on my Facebook page. I always wondered if it was okay to put a P.O. Box address in for this email marketing requirement.
– Sophie
http://www.clubmoneybin.com/monetize
Does this only apply to MailCHimp – I have SUmo-me for emails from WordPress and they never asked for my address. I also receive a ton from wordpress and they never have their address included
Hi Christine!
No it applies to ALL newsletters that are sent to subscribers within the US – so even if you’re outside the US, but have US readers, this still applies.
As far as the emails WordPress sends out automatically with a new post, I think those are under a slightly different classification since they’re auto RSS feed emails but don’t quote me on that.
Do you know if you’re not making money from your blog and are not in fact a business, if this is still a requirement?
Hi Sarah!
I’m not sure about the distinction in the FTC Rules when it comes to blog that don’t make money. However, regardless of whether you make money or not, you are using it as a promotional tool. The FTC sites actually says “including email that promotes content on commercial websites” – and many times their definition of a commercial website, and ours, can be different. So I’d stay in the safe side and include it a full mailing address.
I REALLY hate the fact that you have to include an address. Everytime I’ve made an email list it has been a pain. I need to make an email list, I’ll have to get a PO box.
Hi Fran
Thank you for clearing that up, I just had a friend ask me to remove their address from their mailing list because they don’t want people to know, I shared your information and now they are MORE wiser and taking further steps to sort something out.
James