Sending email via SMTP isn't good enough at production scale.
Transactional email (verification codes, password resets, receipts) needs high deliverability, bounce handling, and delivery tracking. Sending from your own SMTP server without proper configuration gets you into spam folders. Using a transactional email service solves this.
No transactional email system, or email going to spam, or using an unprofessional email provider that doesn't scale
Email deliverability has three authentication mechanisms that inbox providers check:
SPF (Sender Policy Framework): A DNS record listing which servers are authorized to send email for your domain. If email is sent from an unauthorized server, it's likely spam.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): A cryptographic signature added to outgoing emails. Proves the email wasn't tampered with in transit. Every transactional email service provides a DKIM key to add to DNS.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication): A policy that specifies what to do when SPF or DKIM checks fail (none, quarantine, reject). Required for high deliverability at volume.
Without these configured, email from your custom domain lands in spam.
The transactional email providers:
Resend: Built for developers. React Email integration. Simple API. $0 for 3,000 emails/month; $20/month for 50k. Best for new applications.
SendGrid: Industry standard. Higher volume limits. More complex setup. Good deliverability track record. $0 for 100 emails/day; $19.95/month for 50k.
Postmark: Premium deliverability. Separates transactional and bulk email streams. Higher base cost. Best when deliverability is critical.
The types of transactional emails:
- Email verification (required at signup)
- Password reset
- Magic link login
- Payment receipt
- Subscription confirmation/cancellation
- Team invitations
- Alert notifications
Each needs a template. The auth-related ones (verification, password reset) need to be set up before launch.
Production transactional email system with authenticated sending domain, delivery tracking, bounce handling, and React Email templates
DNS configuration
(SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Resend or SendGrid
integration
Core templates
(verification, password reset, receipt)
Delivery tracking
(opens, bounces, complaints)
Bounce handling
(remove undeliverable addresses)
One honest number to start.
Fixed-scope, fixed-price. The number below is the starting point — final scope is built from your brief.
Production transactional email system with authenticated sending domain, delivery tracking, bounce handling, and React Email templates
Three steps, every time.
The same repeatable engagement on every project. No surprises, no mystery, no billable ambiguity.
Brief & discovery.
We send you questions, then get on a call. Output: a written scope with every step, feature, and integration listed.
Build & ship.
Fixed schedule, weekly reviews. No scope creep unless you change the scope — and if you do, we reprice it transparently.
Warranty & retainer.
30-day warranty on every launch. Most clients stay on a monthly retainer for ongoing features and maintenance.
Why Fixed-Price Matters Here
Transactional email scope is the integration setup and the template count. Fixed-price.
Questions, answered.
Most common cause: missing DKIM/SPF configuration. Second: sending from a shared IP with poor reputation. Third: email content triggers spam filters. Check all three.
For personal projects: yes. For production: no. Gmail limits to 500 emails/day and Google can suspend the account. Use a dedicated transactional email service.
Tell Ryel about your project.
Describe what you’re building and what outcome you need. You’ll have a written, fixed-price scope within the week.