Send only the fields the mailing needs, by a transfer method your office has approved. Do not send the whole account database.
Reviewed October 17, 2026
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The FTC's business guide says to keep only the personal information you need for a legitimate business purpose. FTC: scale down We apply that here: make a separate mailing export with only the agreed fields. Leave out payment details and unrelated account notes. Ask the mailing team which address and recipient fields it needs.
The FTC also says to limit access to the people who need the information for their jobs. FTC: access limits Have one person in your office approve who receives the file.
Check the provider and the route the file takes
Before you outsource, the FTC says to investigate the provider's data security practices and put your expectations in writing in the contract. FTC: service providers Ask how the mailing arrangement will handle access, how long files are kept, and what happens if something goes wrong.
The FTC says to encrypt sensitive information you send to third parties over public networks like the internet. FTC: information in transit Have your security person approve the actual transfer method. The word "upload" alone does not tell you how a file is protected.
Write down the handoff
Keep a short record: who receives the file, which fields it holds, how it travels, and who approved the release. Agree how corrections will come back and what happens to working copies afterward. Ask the provider to confirm its real practices in writing before you rely on them.
This is a vendor-review checklist, not a promise about any one provider.
General information, not legal advice. The FTC guide is general business guidance, not a legal checklist for your company. Talk to your own attorney or insurer about which data rules apply to you.
Get a Duty to Warn quote with your customer count, then ask how your list will be handled.
About Bill Stomp
Bill Stomp built Propane Safety Pro. He is a war veteran who ran over 87 propane branch offices across 12 states, and he has helped more than 200 propane companies improve their profits, sales, safety and operations.