I recently signed up for Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) to send transactional emails from my website, like signup verifications and booking confirmations. After I applied for production access, I received a response stating that my request was denied. They didn't provide specific reasons, but mentioned that they believe my use of SES could negatively impact their service. This left me baffled—what could have led to this denial? Does anyone have insights or experiences to share?
3 Answers
Amazon SES often has strict approval processes, especially if you're not sending high email volumes. They really prioritize maintaining the reputation of their SES infrastructure, which leads to a higher barrier for entry. They usually look for how you verify that your email recipients are opted-in, how you manage unsubscribes, handle bounces, and address spam complaints. When you applied, they likely wanted to see that you could keep your bounce rate low—like below 0.2%. It might be worth considering other SMTP providers if you keep facing issues with SES. Many users have found success with alternatives that are more lenient for low volume senders.
Totally agree! Also, ensure you set up SNS topics for notifications on deliveries, bounces, and complaints. That way, you can better handle any issues.
I've been there, and it's super frustrating! I also received denials from SES and eventually had to switch to SendGrid. It may cost a bit more, but the ease of use is worth it. I can focus on my SaaS without the hassle. Plus, SendGrid just works for me without all those unnecessary barriers!
Thanks for the recommendation! I'll definitely check out SendGrid.
I just applied for SES too, so it's good to know I'm not alone in this struggle. If anyone finds a good alternative provider, please share!
I heard good things about Mailrelay, may give them a shot.
Hey, just for clarity, the bounce warning threshold is actually at 5%, while 10% puts you at risk. Complaints are more critical with warnings at 0.1% and risk at 0.5%. Just something to keep in mind!