Managing Email Addresses
Overview
Section titled “Overview”Each email address held for a customer or contact has its own record. The record shows whether the address is verified, whether sending to it is suspended, and every email sent to it. Support agents and billing administrators use this guide to verify addresses, confirm a caller’s identity, and fix addresses that cannot receive email.
This guide shows you how to:
- Get an address verified, so it can receive full invoices
- Use a PIN to verify an address or a caller while on the phone
- Find customers who cannot receive email
- Reactivate a suspended address
For sending emails, see Emailing Customers.
Quick start
Section titled “Quick start”Most common tasks
Section titled “Most common tasks”Verify an address while on the phone -> Customer page > Send PIN next to the address Confirm a caller’s identity -> Email address page > Actions menu > Send and Validate Phone Support PIN Find customers who cannot receive email -> Main menu > View Email Addresses Reactivate a suspended address -> Email address page > Actions menu > Reactivate Email Address
Why verification matters
Section titled “Why verification matters”Itemised calls and other usage details on an invoice are personal data. PECR protects that call data for business and individual subscribers alike, so these protections apply whatever the customer’s class.
Until an address is verified, the platform emails it a de-personalised version of the invoice, without itemisation or other sensitive detail. Verification confirms the address is correct, that the recipient has access to it, and that they consent to receiving personal data.
You can release the full detail for a whole account without verifying each address by setting GDPR & PECR Consent Given on the customer. Full bills, unencrypted CDRs and usage files then go to every address on the account. Only set it once you have a lawful basis for email delivery. See GDPR and PECR Consent.
On a consented account, a recipient can still ask for password-protected attachments through their MyAccount email settings. Their choice takes precedence for their address.
For the regulatory background, see the ICO’s Guide to PECR, in particular its guidance on itemised bills and traffic data. Our blog post on protecting customer personal data shows how these controls work in practice.
Verifying an address
Section titled “Verifying an address”By email link
Section titled “By email link”The customer verifies the address themselves by following a link in an email from the platform. Invoice emails to unverified addresses include the link, and you can add it to any correspondence template.
To get addresses verified before the first invoice, send new customers a welcome letter containing the verification link as soon as their account is set up. Their first invoice can then include itemisation.
By PIN, on the phone
Section titled “By PIN, on the phone”Use this when the customer is on the phone and needs a full invoice straight away.
- Open the customer’s page and click Send PIN next to the address. Alternatively, open the email address and go to Actions menu > Send PIN and Verify Address by Phone.
- Ask the customer to read out the PIN from the email they receive.
- Enter the PIN.
When the PIN is correct, the address is verified straight away. If sending to it was suspended, it is also re-enabled. You can then resend the invoice with full detail.
Confirming a caller’s identity
Section titled “Confirming a caller’s identity”A phone support PIN checks that the caller has access to an address already verified on the account. It does not change the address’s status.
- Open the email address and go to Actions menu > Send and Validate Phone Support PIN.
- Ask the caller to read out the PIN.
- Enter it.
The platform confirms whether the PIN is correct.
These email PINs are separate from the customer’s Generate PIN action, which issues a Stats Site login PIN.
Email address fields
Section titled “Email address fields”Email Address Details
Section titled “Email Address Details”Basic email address information including the email address itself and any dealer code associations.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Dealer Code | Dealer code associated with this email address |
| Email Address | The email address itself |
Verification Details
Section titled “Verification Details”Email verification status, marketing consent, and account access information for the email address.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Verification Email Sent | Date when a verification email was most recently sent to this address |
| Verified On | Date when this email address was verified by the customer |
| Marketing Consent Given | Whether the customer has given consent to receive marketing emails |
| Payment Reminders | Whether this address has explicitly opted in to generic payment reminders; no choice still permits Credit Control-driven reminders |
| Reactivation Key Expires | Expiry date for the address reactivation key |
| MyAccount Access | Whether this email address has MyAccount portal access |
| MyAccount Link Expired | Whether the outstanding MyAccount password or setup link has expired |
Security Details
Section titled “Security Details”Security settings including attachment preferences, passwords, and encryption details for email communications.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Attachment Preference | User preference for how email attachments should be handled |
Failures Details
Section titled “Failures Details”Email delivery failure information and status tracking for bounced or problematic email addresses.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Failure Type | Type of email delivery failure, if any |
| Removable | Whether this failed email address can be manually removed |
System Information
Section titled “System Information”System-generated timestamps and activity tracking information for this email address.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Last Modified | Timestamp of the most recent modification to this email address |
| Created | Timestamp when this email address was created |
Finding problem addresses
Section titled “Finding problem addresses”Go to Main menu > View Email Addresses and choose a tab:
- Missing Addresses (shown first): customers with no working email address, who cannot receive bills by email.
- Customer Failed Addresses: customers whose address has failed and been suspended.
- Missing Verified Addresses: customers with no verified address, who receive only the de-personalised invoice.
- Failed Email Addresses: the suspended addresses themselves, with the failure type.
- Reactivation Emails Sent: addresses with a reactivation or resubscribe email waiting for the customer.
The All, Verified and Pending Email Addresses tabs list every address for review or download. Each invalid or unverified address has a link to send a verification PIN.
On a customer’s page, an address with a problem shows in red.
Reactivating a suspended address
Section titled “Reactivating a suspended address”When an email to an address fails, or the recipient unsubscribes, the platform suspends sending to that address. Only that address is affected; the customer’s other addresses keep working. How you restore it depends on the failure and on your email service.
For the full detail, see Reactivating failed or unsubscribed addresses.
Your email service affects your options
Section titled “Your email service affects your options”If you send through your own email server, you can reactivate an address as soon as you are satisfied the problem is fixed. If you send through the shared platform server, reactivation re-checks the address and may refuse it, limits apply to how often you can reactivate, and in harder cases the customer must confirm the address themselves.
Read the failure first
Section titled “Read the failure first”Open the address and read the “Sending Suspended” panel. It says what the receiving server reported, for example that the mailbox does not exist or is full, or that the message was refused, and whether reactivating directly is appropriate.
Reactivate the address yourself
Section titled “Reactivate the address yourself”Once the problem is fixed, for example the customer has corrected a typo or cleared a full mailbox, go to Actions menu > Reactivate Email Address.
Send the customer troubleshooting information
Section titled “Send the customer troubleshooting information”The Customer Troubleshooting tab on the address has a message explaining the specific failure. Send it from your own email client, using the mailto: link or by copying the text. This helps the customer fix the problem; it does not reactivate the address.
Ask the customer to reactivate it
Section titled “Ask the customer to reactivate it”If the platform reports the address as invalid but the customer is sure it is correct, go to Actions menu > Send Reactivation Email. The customer receives a link, and the address reactivates once they follow it. For an unsubscribed address, the action is Send Resubscribe Email, so the customer can opt back in. These emails have sending limits, so make sure the customer has fixed any underlying problem first.
Spam complaints
Section titled “Spam complaints”An address that received a spam complaint is blocked permanently. It cannot be reactivated, and no reactivation email can be sent to it.
- Tell the customer the address is blocked because of a spam complaint.
- Ask for a different address.
- Add the new address and verify it before sending personal data.
Managing multiple addresses
Section titled “Managing multiple addresses”There are two ways to send bills to more than one person at a customer:
- Several addresses in the customer’s email field, separated by commas, for example
[email protected], [email protected]. Everyone receives the same bill in the same format. See Email Addresses. - Customer contacts: a contact record for each person. Each contact can have their own bill format, correspondence types and ticket update copies, and one contact can be shared across several customer accounts. See Contacts.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”The customer has not received the verification email
Section titled “The customer has not received the verification email”Ask them to check their junk folder and any mail filters. If it still has not arrived, check the sent email’s status on the address page. If the customer is on the phone, verify the address by PIN instead.
The same address keeps failing
Section titled “The same address keeps failing”Read the “Sending Suspended” panel and the Delivery Details on the failed emails. Repeated failures at one email provider, across several customers, can point to a problem with your sending records (SPF, DKIM or DMARC) rather than with the customer’s address. Contact support if you send through the platform server.
Related guides
Section titled “Related guides”- Emailing Customers: sending and tracking emails
- Emailing Customers reference
- Contacts