Quick answer: In Canada, usually yes for anyone who bought from you in the two years before you send, or asked for a quote in the last six months. That's "implied consent" under CASL. Each email still needs your name, mailing address, contact info and an unsubscribe link. ChatGPT writes it in minutes. Not legal advice.
The problem it solves
Your easiest Black Friday buyers already know you: the couple who bought a sofa last spring, the family that bought a fridge in 2025. Their emails sit in your POS unused. One short email matched to what they bought can bring them back before the big box flyers do.
Price
Writing it costs nothing on ChatGPT's free plan. Send from the email tool you already use; Mailchimp's Free plan covers up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. Checked Nov 5, 2026.
Try it in 20 minutes
Export customers from your POS with last purchase date and what they bought. Keep names and emails in your spreadsheet, not in ChatGPT.
Keep only purchases in the two years before your send day (sending Nov 20, 2026? That's since about Nov 20, 2024), plus quotes from the last six months. Remove anyone who has unsubscribed.
Paste the prompt below, edit the draft and send.
Measure: add a code like THANKYOU to the email. Count redemptions at the till by Nov 30, plus unsubscribes.
Copy-paste prompt
I run [STORE NAME], a [STORE TYPE] store in [TOWN]. Our Black Friday sale runs [DATES] with [OFFER]. Write a short email to past customers who bought [CATEGORY] from us. Under 120 words, warm and plain: thank them, suggest one product that goes with what they bought and ask them to show the code THANKYOU in store. Give 3 subject lines under 45 characters, no ALL CAPS. End with our name, [MAILING ADDRESS], [PHONE], [WEBSITE] and "Unsubscribe: [LINK]".
FAQ
What about U.S. customers? CAN-SPAM needs a postal address, a clear opt-out honoured within 10 business days and the email marked as an ad.
How fast must I handle unsubscribes? Under CASL, within 10 business days, and the link must work for at least 60 days.
Can I text them instead? CASL covers texts too, and U.S. texts fall under stricter TCPA rules. Not legal advice: ask your lawyer if unsure.
Related: Which products should go on your Black Friday sale? · Follow up every quote and walk-out without lifting a finger
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Updated Nov 2026. Sources: CRTC: CASL Guidance on Implied Consent, CRTC: CASL FAQ, FTC: CAN-SPAM Act Compliance Guide, Mailchimp pricing.