What timelines should I be aware of?

• Applications must be received at least 1 week prior to the event start date, but 2 weeks’ notice is recommended in case any adjustments need to be made.  
• Once a request has been submitted, customers will receive acknowledgement from Validity within 48 business hours.  
• Validity is required to provide our partners with at least 48 hours’ notice prior to the event start time; however, 1 week is preferred by some partners.  
• IPs added to a Certification account specifically for a Mandated Event can take advantage of Certification benefits for up to 2 weeks.  

What types of campaigns qualify for Certification for Mandated Mail?

Certification for Mandated Mail is designed for time-sensitive messages that are intended to inform customers of critical, non-promotional information related to a triggering event. These essential messages are an exception to normal sending practices.  

Campaign types must be non-promotional, including, but not limited to...  

• Legal, privacy, TOS notices
• Safety, duty of care
• System/user access/data breach
• Emergency, health, natural disaster

What is the vetting process to qualify for Certification for Mandated Mail? How long does the vetting process take?

The vetting process takes place upon application. We will verify your business entity, conduct baseline infrastructure checks, and review your campaign creative to ensure it meets our eligibility criteria for Certification for Mandated Mail.

For a list of all requirements, please see Certification for Mandated Mail Requirements. All requirements must be met in order to qualify for this program. If this is not the case, our team will provide insight into the changes that need to be made. Our partners will not be notified of the event until required changes are completed.  

Since many mandated mailings are time-sensitive, the vetting process is expedited compared to standard IP Certification. Applications must be received at least 1 week prior to the event start date, but we highly recommend 2 weeks’ notice. This time allows you to make any adjustments after our review of your campaign, and to ensure all partners can apply appropriate benefits. 

What are the main differences between IP Certification and Certification for Mandated Mail?

IP Certification and Certification for Mandated Mail provide distinct benefits and are appropriate for different circumstances. 

IP Certification provides a thorough audit of your email program and 24/7 monitoring to help you maintain email communication with your customers throughout the year. IP Certification helps preserve your inbox placement rates for your standard email cadences by implementing and maintaining best sending practices.

With Certification for Mandated Mail, we will provide advance notice to mailbox providers of your upcoming mandated mailing. This helps increase your notification rate to customers. 

If I already have IP Certification, can my IP benefit from Certification for Mandated Mail as well? Are there additional benefits?

Yes, your dedicated IP can benefit from Certification for Mandated Mail in addition to standard IP Certification. By Certifying your IP for a mandated mail, you will receive benefits for your one-time campaign. This includes the benefit of giving mailbox providers advance notice of your specific mandated event, which is not done with IP Certification. 

Can I leverage an existing Certified IP?  

Yes; however, we recommend temporarily pausing email deployment of all campaigns for IP(s) that are not related to the mandated event for reporting purposes. These include, but are not limited to, legacy campaigns, promotional content, and free-form content. In doing so, you will have reporting specific to the event.   

Does the IP address used to send a Mandated Event need to be dedicated?  

No; however, to receive full Certification benefits, not just Mandated Mail benefits, the IP address must be dedicated to the sender. Customers who are leveraging a shared IP address can still be audited and communicated with our partners, just not placed on the Sender Certification allowlist. 

I don't have IP Certification. Can my IP address qualify for Certification for Mandated Mail?

Yes, your IP address can qualify for Certification for Mandated Mail. The dedicated or shared IP(s) can still be audited and communicated with our partners.

How do I notify Validity when a triggering event occurs?

When a triggering event occurs, complete the questionnaire, which asks standard questions about your mandated campaign (reason for sending, volume of send, time of send, etc.) and your sending infrastructure (IP to be Certified, sending domain, etc.). Our Certification Analyst team will be in touch within 48 hours once completed. All requirements must be met in order to qualify for Certification for Mandated Mail. If that is not the case, you will be informed of any changes that need to be made. Once changes are complete, we will need an additional 48 hours to notify mailbox providers before you can send your campaign.

How long do I have to send my mandated campaign once I become Certified?

Once Certified, you will have up to 2 weeks to send your mandated campaign. We will notify mailbox providers of the expected send timeframe so they can treat your campaign accordingly. 

At what Mailbox Providers will I receive benefits?

Due to confidentiality agreements, we are unable to share a list of participating partners. Certification for Mandated Mail benefits can be seen across a growing list of mailbox providers and filtering companies across the globe, covering over 80% of the market.

What happens after my mandated campaign is sent?

Once your send is complete, you will receive a formal Certificate of Coverage that shows you fulfilled your duty of care responsibilities as a sender by leveraging this solution to send your mandated campaign. The Certificate shows that your IP was covered during a specified time period to send your campaign. The Certificate can be shared with auditors to demonstrate compliance with your obligations. 

Will you provide any performance data after the campaign is sent?

At this time, Certification for Mandated Mail will provide a Certificate of Completion to confirm the campaign has been sent and advance notice was given to mailbox providers. Reporting  specific to the Mandated event is only available to IP Certification customers in instances when the IP is dedicated and all mail streams unrelated to the event are paused for the length of the send.

Do I need to have other Validity for Email products to be eligible for Certification for Mandated Mail?

No, Certification for Mandated Mail is available to all Validity customers as a beta for a limited time.

Will my Certification usage be impacted by mandated events? 

Certification Customers who leverage existing Certified IPs or have a dedicated IP added to their Certification account for the duration of the event will affect usage.

How do I get updates on the status of the event? 

When an application is submitted, a support ticket is created. A Validity representative will provide periodic updates in your support ticket. As always, you can respond to the ticket and ask for updates as you see fit.   

Where do I go if I have questions? 

If you have any questions or concerns about this offering, please contact certification@validity.com.