CASL Compliance
Effective date: June 25, 2025
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) came into force on July 1, 2014. It applies to all commercial electronic messages (CEMs) sent to or from Canada — including the review request emails and SMS messages you send through ReviewMate.
This page explains how ReviewMate is designed with CASL compliance in mind, and what your obligations are as the business sending messages through our platform.
What Is CASL?
CASL prohibits sending commercial electronic messages (email, SMS, certain in-app messages) without the recipient's consent, unless a specific exemption applies. A CEM is any electronic message that encourages participation in a commercial activity — including messages that invite someone to leave a review.
Violations can result in fines of up to $1 million per violation for individuals and $10 million per violation for organisations.
The Two Types of Consent
Express consent
The recipient has explicitly agreed to receive messages from you — for example, by checking a box on a form, signing up for your loyalty program, or verbally agreeing (with a record kept). Express consent has no expiry date unless withdrawn.
Implied consent
Implied consent exists when there is a pre-existing business relationship. Under CASL, this includes situations where:
- A customer purchased a product or service from you within the past 2 years
- A person made an inquiry to you within the past 6 months
- The person conspicuously published their contact information (e.g., on a business website) without a “no solicitation” notice
Most review requests sent by small businesses to recent customers fall under implied consent — a customer who just dined at your restaurant or had their car serviced by you is typically a valid implied-consent contact for up to 2 years.
How ReviewMate Helps
| CASL Requirement | How ReviewMate Handles It |
|---|---|
| Consent before sending | You confirm consent when uploading contacts. ReviewMate does not add contacts on your behalf. |
| Sender identification | Every message includes your business name and is sent from a verified domain. |
| Unsubscribe mechanism | Every email includes a one-click unsubscribe link. Every SMS includes a STOP instruction. |
| Unsubscribe processing | Opt-outs are processed immediately and automatically. We suppress those contacts from future sends. |
| No re-messaging after opt-out | Unsubscribed contacts are permanently suppressed — they cannot be re-added or messaged again. |
| Contact address included | Your business mailing address (required by CASL) is included in every email footer. |
Your Responsibilities as the Sender
Before uploading any contact list to ReviewMate, you must be able to answer yes to both of these questions:
- Do I have consent? Either express consent, or a valid implied-consent relationship (typically: this person bought from me within the last 2 years).
- Have they opted out before? If a contact previously asked to stop receiving messages from you — by any channel — do not add them to ReviewMate.
What We Do Not Do
- We do not send messages to contacts you did not upload.
- We do not purchase, source, or supplement your contact lists.
- We do not encourage or facilitate sending to cold contacts or purchased lists.
- We do not offer to “blast” review requests to anyone who hasn't had a real relationship with your business.
Record-Keeping Recommendation
CASL requires that you be able to demonstrate consent if challenged. We recommend keeping records of:
- The date and nature of each customer's last transaction (to establish implied consent)
- Any express consent forms or sign-up records
- Opt-out requests and when they were received
ReviewMate logs all messages sent and all unsubscribes processed through our platform, and this log is available from your dashboard.
Exemptions That May Apply
CASL includes exemptions that may be relevant to small businesses:
- Personal relationships — messages to someone you know personally are generally exempt.
- Family relationships — messages to family members are exempt.
- Referrals — a message to a person referred by a mutual acquaintance may qualify under specific conditions.
These exemptions are narrow. When in doubt, treat a contact as requiring consent.
Questions?
If you have questions about CASL and how it applies to your business, we recommend consulting the CRTC's official CASL guidance or speaking with a Canadian communications lawyer.
For questions about how ReviewMate handles compliance features specifically, contact us at hello@reviewmate.ca.
Note: This page is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. ReviewMate is not a law firm. We recommend confirming your compliance obligations with qualified Canadian legal counsel for your specific situation.