Your membership site is live. PMPro Hosting is sending your welcome emails, checkout receipts, and password resets without any extra setup. But then someone replies to one of those emails, and you realize you haven’t thought about where that reply actually lands.
PMPro Hosting handles outbound transactional email for your site. It does not provide email inboxes. You need an email address on your domain, somewhere replies, admin messages, and support requests can land. This post covers your options.
What PMPro Hosting Provides (and What It Doesn’t)
PMPro Hosting sends outbound transactional emails on behalf of your site. This includes checkout confirmations, password resets, and account notifications. These go out automatically as part of normal site operation.
What it does not include:
- Email inboxes or mailboxes
- The ability to receive email at addresses like
info@yourdomain.com - Webmail access
For the full breakdown of how transactional email works on PMPro Hosting, see the Transactional Email documentation.
The rest of this post is about the other half of the equation: getting an email address on your domain so you can receive messages too.
Option 1: Cloudflare Email Routing (Free)
If you’re on PMPro Hosting, your domain’s DNS is managed through Cloudflare. That means you have access to Cloudflare Email Routing at no additional cost.
Email routing lets you create a professional-looking address, like hello@yourdomain.com or support@yourdomain.com, that automatically forwards incoming messages to your existing personal inbox (Gmail, Outlook, or wherever you already check email).
How it Works
- You request us to set up email forwarding for you domain.
- We set up a forwarding rule in Cloudflare. This means that emails to
info@yourdomain.comget routed toyourname@gmail.com. - When someone emails
info@yourdomain.com, it lands in your Gmail inbox. - When you reply, your reply comes from your personal email address. The recipient will see your actual Gmail address.
That last part is worth understanding before you set it up. Cloudflare Email Routing is email forwarding, not a full inbox. You don’t get a separate mailbox or the ability to compose and send from your domain address. It’s a one-way delivery route.
Who This is Right For
This setup works well if you:
- Want a professional-looking address for your site without paying for email
- Are comfortable with replies going out from your personal email
- Just need somewhere for admin messages and member replies to land
Many membership site owners, especially in the early stages, are happy with this arrangement. The address looks professional publicly. Your personal email address is somewhat hidden from the public, until you choose to reply to someone’s message. Behind the scenes, you’re still working out of the inbox you already use every day.
To set up Cloudflare Email Routing, just open a support ticket. We handle the configuration for you.
Option 2: A Real Email Inbox (Paid)
If you want to send and receive email from your domain address, with a real inbox, not just forwarding, you need a paid email provider. Here are three solid options.
Proton Mail
Proton Mail is a privacy-focused email service based in Switzerland. It supports custom domains on paid plans starting around $4–8/month.
It’s a good fit if:
- Privacy and security are important to you
- You want a clean, standalone inbox not tied to Google
- You’re a solo operator or small team
Proton Mail has solid deliverability and is straightforward to configure with a custom domain. The interface is clean and works well on desktop and mobile.
Zoho Mail
Zoho Mail offers a free plan for one user with custom domain email, which makes it one of the few genuinely no-cost options for a real inbox (not just forwarding). Paid plans start around $1–3/month per user.
It’s worth considering if:
- You want a real inbox but aren’t ready to pay monthly
- You only need one email address
- You don’t need tight Google integration
The free tier is more limited than paid options, but it covers the basics: sending, receiving, and managing email from your domain.
Google Workspace
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) gives you Gmail with your custom domain. Plans start at around $7-8/user/month.
It’s the right choice if:
- You already live in Google’s ecosystem (Drive, Docs, Calendar, Meet)
- You want the most familiar email interface available
- You manage a small team and want everyone on the same tools
Google Workspace has the strongest deliverability and the deepest integrations. For most membership site owners who already use Google tools, this is the path of least friction.
Comparing Your Options at a Glance
| Option | Cost | Real Inbox | Send from Domain | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Email Routing | Free | No (forwarding only) | No | Keeping things simple, using personal email |
| Zoho Mail (free tier) | Free | Yes | Yes | Budget-conscious, solo operators |
| Proton Mail | ~$4–8/mo | Yes | Yes | Privacy-first, simple setup |
| Google Workspace | ~$7-8/mo/user | Yes | Yes | Google users, teams |
Which Option Is Right for You?
Start with Cloudflare Email Routing if you’re in early stages, happy using your personal email day-to-day, and just need a professional address on your site. It costs nothing and takes 10 minutes to set up.
Move to a paid inbox if you need to send from your domain address, want to keep work email separate from personal, or you’re building a brand where support@yourdomain.com needs to actually reply as support@yourdomain.com.
There’s no wrong answer. A lot of established membership site owners run everything through email forwarding and a personal Gmail. Others want the clean separation of a dedicated work inbox from day one. Decide based on how you actually work, not how you think you should work.
Once You Have an Email Address
Once you’ve set up an email address, whether it’s a forwarding alias or a full inbox, you’ll want to set it as the reply-to address for your site’s transactional emails.
In WordPress, go to Settings > General and update the Administration Email Address field. In PMPro, you can set a specific reply-to address under Memberships > Settings > Email Settings.
This is also the address where you’ll receive admin notifications, new member alerts, and other messages generated by your site.
Related: Member Emails Documentation
Frequently Asked Questions
PMPro Hosting provides outbound transactional email sending only. It does not include email inboxes, mailboxes, or the ability to receive email at your domain. See the Transactional Email documentation for details on what’s included.
Email forwarding (like Cloudflare Email Routing) delivers incoming messages to your existing personal inbox. You can’t send or reply from your domain address: replies go out from your personal email. A full inbox (Google Workspace, Proton Mail, Zoho) lets you both send and receive from your domain address.
No. Domain email accounts are for transactional and operational use (replies, support, admin). Marketing emails and newsletters need to go through a dedicated email marketing service. See Email Marketing Integrations for Paid Memberships Pro for options that work with PMPro.
Your domain is already on Cloudflare’s DNS through PMPro Hosting, so the routing feature is available to you. Open a support ticket for your request and we will get it set up.
Some domain registrars include basic email forwarding or hosting with domain registration. If that’s already set up and working for you, you don’t need to switch. Use whatever address you’ve configured as the reply-to in your WordPress and PMPro settings.
Once your domain email is set up, you’re ready to start receiving replies, admin messages, and member communications in one place. If you have questions about your PMPro Hosting setup, visit the PMPro Hosting documentation.
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