Removing double opt-in using the api

[aaronh]

I attempted to chat with Mailchimp support on this but they pushed me
here. so here is the chat transcript. Help!

Our account is: DressRush


aaron: do here is my quandry. Our site - DressRush.com has a request
invite button that takes an email and puts it in our list "Dress Rush
Invite Requests". Then Mailchimp automatically sends them a bunch of
double opt in emails. after 24 hours we send them an autresponder
email with the invite code for them to sign up.

Takuya: Ah ok, go on :).

aaron: Then when they use the invite code to sign up it puts them on
the "Dress Rush Membership" list in Mailchimp. Which then sends them
another series of double opt in emails.

aaron: We want to avoid this email overload.

aaron: We'd prefer to not have them double opt in to the invite
request.

Takuya: Ah, unfortunately, whenever a subscriber wants to join a list
using their own action, they will have to go through the double opt-
in.

aaron: that way the only emails they get for double opt in are when
they actually sign up. The "Dress Rush Membership" list is the list we
send our daily emails too - so that one needs the double opt in.

aaron: I thought there was a way to set this up with the api to not
force the double opt in process

aaron: we use the api for all of this.

Takuya: Ahhhh ookkk.

Takuya: Unfortunately here in support we aren't trained to work with
the API, so all API questions are directed to the MailChimp API Google
Group, where we have some of our devs moderating and answering
questions pertaining to that.

aaron: in addition, after a member signs up and has already gone
through the double opt in process for membership, if they purchase
something, they are invited to join our "Insider" list which then
forces them to do the double opt in thing again. this is all overkill
and we've had feedback on its annoyance to our members.

So, can you help me clean this up?

Here is what we'd like:

Request invite - no double opt in
New member sign up - double opt in
Insider signup - no double opt in

Thanks in advance,

Aaron
Dressrush.com

[Frank Laszlo]

Check the Mailchimp API docs, there is a boolean argument for
disabling double opt-in.

http://apidocs.mailchimp.com/api/1.3/listsubscribe.func.php

listSubscribe(string apikey, string id, string email_address, array
merge_vars, string email_type, bool double_optin, bool
update_existing, bool replace_interests, bool send_welcome)

[jesse]

You should never be adding someone to your list that has not opted in
either via our process or through your site. The initial invite is a
transactional email - you can use SES for those:

http://blog.mailchimp.com/mailchimp-launches-transactional-email-service-on-top-of-amazon-ses/

After that you can use our or your own double optin process to confirm
that the email address is valid.


jesse