Acceptable Use Policy
Disclaimer: This document should be reviewed by qualified legal counsel before publication. It is drafted based on regulatory research and industry best practices but does not constitute legal advice.
1. Purpose
This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") defines the rules for using the RelayPost email delivery platform. It exists to:
- Protect shared sending reputation — RelayPost's IP addresses are shared among customers. One sender's abuse degrades deliverability for everyone.
- Comply with email regulations — CAN-SPAM (US), CASL (Canada), GDPR (EU)
- Prevent harm — Protect recipients from spam, phishing, and malicious content
- Maintain service quality — Ensure reliable delivery for all customers
This AUP is incorporated into the Terms of Service.
Our philosophy: We want you to succeed at email. These rules aren't arbitrary restrictions — they're the practices that lead to high deliverability and happy recipients. Following them benefits you as much as it benefits us.
2. Consent Requirements
2.1 The Golden Rule
Every recipient must have given consent to receive your emails. This is both a legal requirement and the foundation of good deliverability.
2.2 Types of Acceptable Consent
| Consent Type | Description | Acceptable For |
|---|---|---|
| Transactional relationship | Recipient has an existing business relationship with you | Transactional emails (receipts, password resets) |
| Explicit opt-in | Recipient actively signed up to receive your emails | Marketing and promotional emails |
| Double opt-in (recommended) | Recipient confirmed via a confirmation email | Marketing emails — best practice |
2.3 What Is NOT Valid Consent
- Pre-checked opt-in boxes
- Consent buried in terms of service
- Purchasing or renting email lists
- Scraping email addresses from websites or social media
- Harvesting addresses from public records or WHOIS data
- Adding people because they gave you a business card
3. Prohibited Content
You may not use RelayPost to send:
- Phishing — emails designed to trick recipients into revealing credentials or personal data
- Malware — emails containing or linking to viruses, trojans, or ransomware
- Spoofing — emails that misrepresent the sender's identity or forge headers
- Spam — unsolicited bulk or commercial email sent without consent
- Harmful content — content promoting violence, hatred, or exploitation of minors
- Illegal content — content that violates applicable law
3.1 Restricted Content (Prior Approval Required)
The following require prior written approval from RelayPost (contact [email protected]):
- Pharmaceutical or health-related promotions
- Financial services or investment offers
- Gambling or lottery promotions
- Cannabis or CBD products
- Cryptocurrency or NFT promotions
- Adult content
4. Sending Practices
4.1 Domain Verification (Required)
You must verify ownership of every domain you use by configuring DKIM and SPF DNS records. We strongly recommend DMARC. Emails from unverified domains will be rejected.
4.2 Sender Identification
Every email must use a valid, verified sender address, include accurate header information, clearly identify you as the sender, and include a valid physical mailing address (CAN-SPAM).
4.3 Unsubscribe Mechanism
For marketing emails, you must include a clear unsubscribe link, honor requests within 10 business days (we recommend immediately), and not require login to unsubscribe.
4.4 List Hygiene
| Practice | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Remove bounces | Remove hard-bounced addresses immediately. Do not circumvent RelayPost's suppression list. |
| Process complaints | Remove recipients who mark your email as spam |
| Remove inactive | Clean your list of recipients who haven't engaged in 6+ months |
| Validate addresses | Use email validation before importing large lists |
| No purchased lists | Never send to purchased, rented, or scraped lists |
4.5 Suppression List Compliance
RelayPost maintains per-organization suppression lists. You must not attempt to remove addresses to re-send, upload known-bad addresses, or create new organizations to bypass suppressions.
5. Rate Limits and Volume
| Plan | Monthly Volume | Daily Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 emails | 1,000/day |
| Starter | 10,000 emails | No cap |
| Pro | 100,000 emails | No cap |
If you're sending from a new domain, gradually increase volume over 2–4 weeks. Avoid sending your entire monthly volume in a single burst.
6. Monitoring and Enforcement
6.1 What We Monitor
| Metric | Threshold | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bounce rate | > 5% triggers review | High bounces damage sender reputation |
| Spam complaint rate | > 0.1% triggers review | Complaints can get our IPs blocklisted |
| Spam trap hits | Any hits trigger review | Indicates purchased/scraped lists |
| Content patterns | Automated scanning | Detecting phishing and malware |
6.2 Enforcement Actions
| Level | Action | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Warning | Email notification with remediation steps | First minor violation |
| 2. Throttling | Sending rate reduced temporarily | Continued issues after warning |
| 3. Suspension | Sending paused; account access retained | Serious or repeated violations |
| 4. Termination | Account terminated | Severe violations (phishing, malware) |
We reserve the right to immediately suspend without warning for phishing, malware distribution, spam trap hits, or any activity that threatens our infrastructure.
6.3 Appeals
Email [email protected] with your Organization ID. We will review within 5 business days.
7. Your Responsibilities
- Obtain proper consent from all recipients
- Verify your domains with proper DNS records
- Include unsubscribe links in marketing emails
- Include your physical address in commercial emails
- Honor unsubscribe requests promptly
- Maintain list hygiene
- Respect suppression lists
- Comply with CAN-SPAM, CASL, GDPR, and other applicable laws
- Keep bounce rates below 5% and complaint rates below 0.1%
- Warm up new domains gradually
- Secure your API keys and SMTP credentials
8. Reporting Abuse
If you receive unwanted email sent through RelayPost or become aware of abuse: email [email protected] with full email headers and relevant details.
9. Changes to This Policy
We will notify you by email at least 14 days before material changes. Changes to prohibited content or enforcement thresholds will have at least 30 days' notice.
10. Contact Us
- Legal & compliance: [email protected]
- Abuse reports: [email protected]
- General support: [email protected]