I've been using a service called Resend for email notifications for about a year now, but it's pretty pricey compared to the direct costs of Amazon SES. I've tried applying for SES production access three times, but I've been denied each time. The last response I got was frustrating because AWS said they wouldn't be responding to any further inquiries on this matter.
My email use case is quite simple: I'm only sending transactional emails such as account verification, password resets, and general app notifications. The volume is low, my domain has proper setup including SPF and DKIM, and there's no marketing, cold emails, or bulk sending involved. I've shared my metrics from Resend, which show a 0% bounce rate.
Despite simplifying my explanation with each request, I keep receiving generic feedback regarding concerns about deliverability without any specific reasons. I'm not so much upset about the denials anymore, but I'm really confused about the process. Is this kind of denial common with SES? Has anyone else faced similar issues, and is there a realistic way to move forward, or should I just consider switching to another email provider?
4 Answers
It sounds like you might just be having a tough time. I received a similar vague denial from AWS. It could really just be their way of prioritizing. If you've shown you're not a spammer in your other tests, you might want to consider switching to something like Postmark or MailerSend. It often saves a lot of frustration.
I got SES approved in just 24 hours for all my accounts. It might help if you share a bit more info upfront and show that you have controls in place like CloudWatch alarms. Those details can make a difference in the approval process.
You should definitely check if your AWS account is well-established and in good standing. If you're new to it, that could be a factor. It's generally advised to run some test emails to show that you understand proper sending practices before making a request for production access.
This situation isn’t unusual. AWS takes spamming seriously, so they often deny accounts by default. Make sure you’re running your emails through a non-production environment for a while. The approval might also depend on how much you're spending on AWS. Some find it easier to use other email vendors for sending instead.
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