We have made some changes to the way Host manages an app user’s consent to receive marketing emails and notifications. 

The following changes will be available from 1st March 2023. Though marketing consent will be available within the admin portal from this date, it needs to be manually turned on. Until turned on, all app users will continue to receive marketing. Building and client admins will be able to configure and turn this on at a building level as required. If you would like this feature turned on or configured at the client level, please reach out to Host.  

These changes do not apply to operational emails, such as booking confirmation emails or purchase receipts, and app users will continue to receive operational emails.

What this means for new app users

On the registration screen where the app user accepts the T&Cs, wording can now be added for the app user to opt-in to receive marketing. To opt-in the user will tick the tick box. Agreeing to receive marketing is not mandatory. 

The text that appears on the registration screen is by default 'I would like to receive marketing updates via email and push notifications’ and can be customized. If there is a marketing policy to view, the text will appear underlined, and the app user can click the text and view the full marketing policy within the app.

See how to manage policies to add a marketing policy to your app. Until a marketing policy is added, the marketing consent wording will not show on the registration screen.

What this means for existing app users

By default, when an admin adds a marketing policy, all existing app users will be opted-out of receiving marketing and will not receive any emails flagged as marketing. Because of this, it is important that you force display a new marketing policy to existing users so existing app users are asked to either accept or decline to receive marketing the next time they open the app. 

Force displaying the marketing policy for acceptance or rejection can also be used when an existing marketing policy has been updated. See how to manage policies to add a marketing policy to your app and/or make it force display to your app users.

When there is a marketing policy uploaded, existing app users can manage their marketing preferences via the Communication Preferences section in My Profile. To opt-in to receiving marketing the user will toggle on, to opt-out of receiving marketing the app user will toggle off. 

The title and text that appears within the accordion can be customized. The default ‘I would like to receive marketing updates via email and push notifications’ is the same text that appears on the registration screen. If there is a marketing policy to view, the ‘Learn more’ link will appear, and the app user can click the text and view the full marketing policy within the app. This language is the same as shown to app users as part of the registration process. 

What this means for admin portal users

When sending blast emails or notifications from the admin portal, users will now need to indicate whether the email or notification is marketing by ticking ‘Only send email or notification to users who have agreed to receive marketing’. 

‘Only send push notifications to users who have accepted the privacy policy’ is still applicable and will work in conjunction.

Ticking this will send the marketing email or notification only to users who have opted-in to receive marketing, and it will also replace the standard email disclaimer with a marketing disclaimer at the bottom of the email or notification informing the user how to opt-out. 

Campaign Monitor and Campaign Breeze 

For clients who use Campaign Monitor and Campaign Breeze, Host will inform these platforms of the app users who choose to opt-out of receiving marketing. 

If the app user unsubscribes using the link at the base of the email sent via Campaign Breeze, Host will then opt the app user out of receiving marketing.