What are the legal requirements for Mother's Day promotional emails in the US?

What are the legal requirements for Mother's Day promotional emails in the US?

In the US, commercial email is governed by the CAN-SPAM Act, and holiday campaigns are no exception. The rules are practical, and none of them stop a good Mother's Day campaign. Here is what compliance actually requires. Note that this is general guidance, not legal advice; for specific questions, talk to a lawyer.

Be truthful about who you are and what you are sending

Your From name, domain, and reply address must accurately identify your business. Your subject line must reflect the content honestly. This is where holiday marketing gets careless: writing last chance or only today in a subject line while the offer runs another week is a deceptive subject under CAN-SPAM, not a clever tactic. The email body must also identify itself as an advertisement. Most stores satisfy this naturally, because a promotional email is obviously promotional, but the requirement exists and regulators have enforced it.

Include your physical postal address

Every commercial email must contain a valid physical postal address: your street address, a registered PO box, or a private mailbox. Most stores put this in the footer automatically through their email platform. Check that it is present and current in your Mother's Day templates, because an old address in a reused template still counts as missing.

Make unsubscribing easy and honor it fast

Every email needs a clear, working unsubscribe mechanism, and it must stay functional for at least 30 days after sending. The opt-out cannot require a login, a fee, or anything beyond one email address and one simple step. Once someone opts out, you have 10 business days to honor it, and most email platforms process it instantly. Two more rules bite here: you cannot charge for unsubscribing, and you cannot sell or share the email addresses of people who opted out. Mother's Day urgency does not soften any of this.

You are responsible for your vendors

If an agency or email platform sends on your behalf, both you and they are legally responsible for compliance. You cannot outsource the obligation. Review the actual emails your vendor sends, especially during campaign season when templates get rushed, because a vendor's shortcut becomes your violation.

Compliance also protects your campaign performance

Beyond the law, these rules keep deliverability healthy. Deceptive subjects train subscribers to distrust you, buried unsubscribe links turn into spam complaints, and spam complaints hurt the inbox placement of every email you send afterward. CAN-SPAM compliance and good email practice point the same direction, so a compliant Mother's Day campaign usually performs better anyway.

Convert the traffic your compliant emails earn

A compliant campaign is only half the job; the store still has to turn the click into an order, especially with gift shoppers who hesitate on the choice.

Frequently asked questions about CAN-SPAM for holiday emails

Does CAN-SPAM apply to holiday campaigns?

Yes. It applies to all commercial email with no seasonal exceptions, and every requirement listed above holds for Mother's Day exactly as for any campaign.

Can I write urgency subject lines like last chance?

Only if they are true. A last chance subject for an offer that continues is a deceptive subject line, and CAN-SPAM treats it as a violation.

How fast must I process unsubscribes?

Within 10 business days. Most email platforms do it instantly, and instant is the safe standard to hold yourself to.

Do transactional emails need the same things?

Purely transactional messages like receipts have lighter requirements, but once a receipt promotes a sale, the promotional rules apply. Keep transactional and promotional content separate to stay safe.

What if my email platform sends for me?

You are still responsible. CAN-SPAM holds both sender and vendor accountable, so review what goes out under your name.

Where should I put the postal address and unsubscribe?

The footer, clearly visible. Most platforms insert both automatically, so verify your Mother's Day templates kept them rather than designing them out.