Using alt_customer_id instead of email

Overview

If the customer database has multiple records with the same email address, we recommend that the alt_customer_id should be used to identify customers instead of the email address. The table below shows the three customers in the Connect database who have the same email address, [email protected]. A new column is added for alt_customer_id.


Customer_id

Alt_customer_id

Active_email_address

Subscription status to “conv”

1002

10001

[email protected]

Subscribed(5)

1005

10012

[email protected]

Subscribed(5)

1007

10023

[email protected]

Subscribed(5)


XML

The XML below shows how to use the alt_customer_id field to unambiguously target the right customer.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kanaRoot>
<EventRequest CompanyName="default" CampaignName="ETCamp5">
<Customer KeyField="Alt_customer_id" Alt_customer_id="10012"
EmailAddress="[email protected]" First_Name="John"
Postal_Code="101201">
</Customer>
</EventRequest>
</kanaRoot>


Result

The customer 1005 receives the email.
Note: The KeyField attribute can have two possible values as follows:

  1. EmailAddress (default): The EmailAddress attribute value is used to fetch the customer from the Connect database.

  2. Alt_customer_id: This attribute is case sensitive. If the attribute is alt_customer_ID then the keyfield entry should be keyfield="alt_customer_ID".