A strong email list is critical for growing customer engagement and driving repeat sales. Many top retailers place their newsletter signup early in the checkout process, capitalising on the “Yes, I’m buying!” mindset. Our current flow places marketing opt-in at the very end of checkout, missing a prime opportunity to invite customers to stay in touch. I've attached some examples of other platforms (in the UK and USA). Separately, there is also a concern regarding customer control over different types of emails. Our system automatically enrols everyone into the rewards scheme, potentially causing confusion if they choose to unsubscribe from marketing emails, as they may inadvertently get removed from essential reward communications (or vice versa). Ideally, customers should have an easy, clear way to manage these distinct email categories—marketing (Mailchimp) and reward points—independently. Requested Changes: Move Newsletter Signup Earlier in Checkout Place the marketing signup option toward the beginning of the checkout flow, right before customers enter their personal or payment details. This ensures higher visibility and a greater likelihood of opting in. Separate Reward Scheme Emails from Marketing Emails Provide distinct controls for reward scheme emails and marketing/newsletter emails, so that customers can opt out of one without automatically opting out of the other, during checkout or in their account page. Clear Unsubscribe & Preference Management Ensure that unsubscribing from reward notifications does not affect a customer’s status on the Mailchimp list, and vice versa. A simple preference centre or clearly labelled checkboxes would allow users to select what communications they do (or do not) wish to receive. Why This Matters: Maximise Opt-Ins Positioning the newsletter sign-up earlier in the checkout process taps into the customer’s heightened purchasing interest, increasing email list growth and enabling us to capture more leads for marketing activities such as PPC audiences, incentive emails, and future promotions. Improve Customer Experience Giving customers direct control over which emails they receive reduces frustration and fosters trust. Customers who want reward points shouldn’t lose out simply because they’d rather not get promotional newsletters. Prevent Unintended Unsubscribes Separating the communications ensures that unsubscribing from a reward reminder doesn’t unintentionally remove a customer from our main marketing list (Mailchimp) or vice versa. Align with New Checkout Development As you’re already working on a new checkout, implementing these user-centric features now will streamline the experience, reduce confusion, and likely boost overall satisfaction and retention. Conclusion: Combining an earlier marketing signup prompt with clear, separate opt-outs for rewards and marketing ensures both improved engagement and greater customer satisfaction. Implementing these features would also support more robust marketing initiatives, allowing us to capture a higher volume of qualified leads for PPC campaigns, targeted incentive emails, and long-term brand advocacy. We believe it’s crucial to tackle these elements during the current checkout redevelopment phase. Thank you for your consideration. We’d be happy to discuss any details to support an efficient and user-friendly rollout of these features. P.S. Let me know if I'm wrong in assuming that unsubscribing from the points update email takes customers out of the Mailchimp List.
