SMTP Relay

Below you will find some information on SMTP relay providers we recommend. You are not limited to the providers listed below, these are just some recommendations we've done research on for you.

What is a SMTP Relay?

SMTP relay refers the type of SMTP that can be authenticated using a username, password and host URL. This is the type of SMTP services that will work with our E-Marketing senders. You can find some more information on setting up senders in our article on setting up an E-Marketing campaign.

How many emails do I send?

We've added information about your last 6 months usage to the E-Marketing Tab. From that you should be able to determine how many emails you send and the size of plan you will need.

Can I use my personal email's SMTP settings?

No, you want a SMTP relay meant for sending large volumes of emails. Your personal email's SMTP will likely have a sending limit that will stop messages from being delivered and cause your domain to be flagged as sending spam because of it. It is not meant for email marketing. You can however enter the SMTP credentials for your user under the My Settings page so that individual messages sent by you will go out through your server.  

Mailjet is a good offering for clients with low to moderate E-Marketing volume. It has accessible features that aren't too advanced for anyone who isn't an expert in email marketing but enough that you should find it adaptable as you grow.

Pricing

Free up to 6000 a month (200 messages a day). Beyond that they have plans starting at $7.49 per month (30,000 emails/month). You can find more details here.

Support

mailjet provides a large number of resources you can access to both prevent your SMTP from getting blocked and also implement practices that will lead to successful campaigns. Below are some resources we recommend reading.

Compliance Guide - Guide on how to run campaigns within compliance of the law and system framework.

Authenticating Domains with SPF and DKIM - It is suggested you setup an SPF record for your DNS (Domain Name Servers), this helps prevent your emails being identified as Spam.

Email Statuses - Explanation on the different status of messages going through your SMTP. The section about Bounced and Blocked message are particularly helpful. 

The Different Types of Emails - Explanation of the different types of emails you use in EMarketing. Understanding the difference can help with the success of your campaigns. 

Setting up a Sender

You can find some general information about E-Marketing campaigns including setting up a sender here. You will need the SMTP settings from mailjet to complete setting up a Sender. 

You can find this information along with the username and password in mailjet's user portal. Go to the "Transactional" section at the top of the screen and then "SMTP". You will find the Username and Password under credentials. 

You can see from the image above they will provide randomly generated strings for the Username and Password. On the right you will find the SMTP Host and Port. We recommend using TLS on the Sender in DebtPayPro.  

SendGrid is the SMTP service used by DebtPayPro for all of our transactional emails (email triggers, e-sign requests, etc...). It is good for organizations sending a large volume of emails and offers a lot of controls for managing your server's reputation. Most may find SendGrid too large a tool for their needs, but for those consistently sending a large volume of messages who want to have complete control of the SMTP server's reputation for their campaigns, this may be the best option for you.

Pricing

SendGrid offers 2 types of plans; one with a Shared IP and one with a dedicated IP. Having a dedicated IP might be necessary depending on the volume and types of emails you are sending. Using a dedicated IP lets you manage your server's reputation and will mean you are not subject to a shared IP's reputation. 

The Essentials plan offers up to 40,000 email a month for $9.95 per month with pricing increasing every 10,000 emails per month. This plan does not include a dedicated IP. 

The Pro plan offers 100,000 email a month for $79.95 per month and includes a dedicated IP. 

The Premier plan requires custom pricing (contact SendGrid for more information) and 2,500,000 email a month. This plan comes with a dedicated IP and prioritized support. This plan is likely too large for our clients.

You can find details about SendGrid's pricing here.

Support

SendGrid does offer support documentation on their site as well as customized personal support with their upgraded plans. You can find all their support materials including a User guide here.  

Setting up a Sender

Sendgrid requires you to create an API associated with the SMTP Relay and provides a random string you will use for the password. Once created, the username will be "apikey" and the password will be the string of characters provided by SendGrid. You can create an API Key once logged into the user dashboard under "Settings" along the left hand side. Once entered, the SMTP Setting should look something like below.

You can find more instructions on setting up the API Key and using it for SMTP here.

SMTP2GO is a good offering for clients with low to moderate email volumes. 

Pricing

SMTP2GO offers tiered plans starting at $14 per month for 20,000 emails. The upgraded plans offer Dedicated IP Addresses starting at $69 per month for 100,000 emails. They also offer discounts when renewing annually (2 months free).

Support

They offer ticketing (email), Toll-free, Live Chat, and Setup Assistance along with a knowledge base of short but helpful articles. Below are a few articles you should find helpful.

The Review Process - Describes their review process when taking on new clients. They take protecting their server reputation seriously!

SMTP Server Settings - This article directs you how to find or setup SMTP relay settings you will use for your E-Marketing Sender in DebtPayPro.

FAQ - This page has a great overview of their service.

Setting up a Sender

Follow the instructions to add a user from the SMTP Server Settings Article. From there you will create a dedicated user that will be used on the Sender in DebtPayPro.

Make sure to copy the username and password to be used on the SMTP Server Settings.