diff --git a/ctms/crud.py b/ctms/crud.py
index 8d19ba55..abe2d74e 100644
--- a/ctms/crud.py
+++ b/ctms/crud.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session, joinedload, load_only, selectinload
 
 from ctms.schemas.newsletter import NewsletterTableSchema
+from ctms.schemas.waitlist import WaitlistTableSchema
 
 from .auth import hash_password
 from .backport_legacy_waitlists import format_legacy_vpn_relay_waitlist_input
@@ -478,15 +479,19 @@ def create_or_update_newsletters(
 
 
 def create_waitlist(
-    db: Session, email_id: UUID4, waitlist: WaitlistInSchema
+    db: Session, email_id: UUID4, waitlist: WaitlistInSchema | WaitlistTableSchema
 ) -> Optional[Waitlist]:
     if waitlist.is_default():
         return None
-    if not isinstance(waitlist, WaitlistInSchema):
-        # Sample data are used as both input (`WaitlistInSchema`) and internal (`WaitlistSchema`)
-        # representations.
-        waitlist = WaitlistInSchema(**waitlist.dict())
-    db_waitlist = Waitlist(email_id=email_id, **waitlist.orm_dict())
+
+    # This is called from API input data with `WaitlistInSchema`, and from tests fixtures
+    # with `WaitlistTableSchema`
+    # Unlike `WaitlistTableSchema`, `WaitlistInSchema` has no `email_id`, `subscribed` fields.
+    attrs = {"email_id": email_id, **waitlist.dict()}
+    if "subscribed" in attrs:
+        del attrs["subscribed"]
+
+    db_waitlist = Waitlist(**attrs)
     db.add(db_waitlist)
     return db_waitlist
 
@@ -522,7 +527,10 @@ def create_or_update_waitlists(
 
 
 def create_contact(
-    db: Session, email_id: UUID4, contact: ContactInSchema, metrics: Optional[Dict]
+    db: Session,
+    email_id: UUID4,
+    contact: ContactInSchema | ContactSchema,
+    metrics: Optional[Dict],
 ):
     create_email(db, contact.email)
     if contact.amo:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_api.py b/tests/unit/test_api.py
index 600694a0..a63d55d4 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_api.py
@@ -180,7 +180,16 @@ def test_post_get_put(client, post_contact, put_contact, update_fetched):
     resp = client.get(f"/ctms/{email_id}")
     assert resp.status_code == 200
 
-    fetched = ContactInSchema(**resp.json())
+    # TODO: remove this once we remove support of `vpn_waitlist` and
+    # `relay_waitlist` as input.
+    # If we don't strip these two fields before turning the data into
+    # a `ContactInSchema`, they will create waitlist objects.
+    without_alias_fields = {
+        k: v
+        for k, v in resp.json().items()
+        if k not in ("vpn_waitlist", "relay_waitlist")
+    }
+    fetched = ContactInSchema(**without_alias_fields)
     update_fetched(fetched)
     new_default_fields = find_default_fields(fetched)
     # We set new_default_fields here because the returned response above
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_api_patch.py b/tests/unit/test_api_patch.py
index 0af4681a..734979b3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_api_patch.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_api_patch.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     MozillaFoundationInSchema,
     MozillaFoundationSchema,
 )
+from ctms.schemas.waitlist import WaitlistInSchema
 
 
 def swap_bool(existing):
@@ -187,6 +188,19 @@ def test_patch_cannot_set_timestamps(client, maximal_contact):
     assert actual["amo"]["update_timestamp"] != new_ts
     expected["amo"]["update_timestamp"] = actual["amo"]["update_timestamp"]
     expected["email"]["update_timestamp"] = actual["email"]["update_timestamp"]
+    # `actual` comes a `CTMSResponse`, and `expected` is a `ContactTableSchema`
+    # that has timestamps.
+    # Since this test compares the two instances directly, we strip the timestamps from
+    # `expected`.
+    for newsletter in expected["newsletters"]:
+        del newsletter["email_id"]
+        del newsletter["create_timestamp"]
+        del newsletter["update_timestamp"]
+    for waitlist in expected["waitlists"]:
+        del waitlist["email_id"]
+        del waitlist["create_timestamp"]
+        del waitlist["update_timestamp"]
+
     # products list is not (yet) in output schema
     assert expected["products"] == []
     assert "products" not in actual
@@ -323,14 +337,9 @@ def test_patch_to_unsubscribe(client, maximal_contact):
     """PATCH can unsubscribe by setting a newsletter field."""
     email_id = maximal_contact.email.email_id
     existing_news_data = maximal_contact.newsletters[1].dict()
-    assert existing_news_data == {
-        "format": "T",
-        "lang": "fr",
-        "name": "common-voice",
-        "source": "https://commonvoice.mozilla.org/fr",
-        "subscribed": True,
-        "unsub_reason": None,
-    }
+    assert existing_news_data["subscribed"]
+    assert existing_news_data["name"] == "common-voice"
+    assert existing_news_data["unsub_reason"] is None
     patch_data = {
         "newsletters": [
             {
@@ -476,7 +485,9 @@ def test_patch_does_not_add_an_unsubscribed_waitlist(client, maximal_contact):
 def test_patch_to_update_a_waitlist(client, maximal_contact):
     """PATCH can update a waitlist."""
     email_id = maximal_contact.email.email_id
-    existing = [wl.dict() for wl in maximal_contact.waitlists]
+    existing = [
+        WaitlistInSchema(**wl.dict()).dict() for wl in maximal_contact.waitlists
+    ]
     existing[0]["fields"]["geo"] = "ca"
     patch_data = {"waitlists": existing}
     resp = client.patch(f"/ctms/{email_id}", json=patch_data, allow_redirects=True)
@@ -492,7 +503,9 @@ def test_patch_to_remove_a_waitlist(client, maximal_contact):
     """PATCH can remove a single waitlist."""
     email_id = maximal_contact.email.email_id
     existing = [wl.dict() for wl in maximal_contact.waitlists]
-    patch_data = {"waitlists": [{**existing[-1], "subscribed": False}]}
+    patch_data = {
+        "waitlists": [WaitlistInSchema(**existing[-1], subscribed=False).dict()]
+    }
     resp = client.patch(f"/ctms/{email_id}", json=patch_data, allow_redirects=True)
     assert resp.status_code == 200
     actual = resp.json()
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_bulk.py b/tests/unit/test_bulk.py
index 8460c164..784776c9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_bulk.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_bulk.py
@@ -118,6 +118,15 @@ def test_get_ctms_bulk_by_timerange(
     # does not have them.
     del dict_contact_actual["vpn_waitlist"]
     del dict_contact_actual["relay_waitlist"]
+    # The reponse does not show `email_id` and timestamp fields.
+    for newsletter in dict_contact_expected["newsletters"]:
+        del newsletter["email_id"]
+        del newsletter["create_timestamp"]
+        del newsletter["update_timestamp"]
+    for waitlist in dict_contact_expected["waitlists"]:
+        del waitlist["email_id"]
+        del waitlist["create_timestamp"]
+        del waitlist["update_timestamp"]
 
     assert dict_contact_expected == dict_contact_actual
     assert results["next"] is not None
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_crud.py b/tests/unit/test_crud.py
index 5e1ec8c1..07bff35a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_crud.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_crud.py
@@ -454,8 +454,9 @@ def test_get_bulk_contacts_some_after_higher_limit(
         after_email_id=after_id,
     )
     assert len(bulk_contact_list) == 2
-    assert last_contact in bulk_contact_list
-    assert sorted_list[-2] in bulk_contact_list
+    bulk_contact_list_ids = [c.email.email_id for c in bulk_contact_list]
+    assert last_contact.email.email_id in bulk_contact_list_ids
+    assert sorted_list[-2].email.email_id in bulk_contact_list_ids
 
 
 def test_get_bulk_contacts_some_after(
@@ -482,7 +483,7 @@ def test_get_bulk_contacts_some_after(
         after_email_id=after_id,
     )
     assert len(bulk_contact_list) == 1
-    assert last_contact in bulk_contact_list
+    assert last_contact.email.email_id == bulk_contact_list[0].email.email_id
 
 
 def test_get_bulk_contacts_some(
@@ -502,9 +503,10 @@ def test_get_bulk_contacts_some(
         limit=10,
     )
     assert len(bulk_contact_list) >= 3
-    assert example_contact in bulk_contact_list
-    assert maximal_contact in bulk_contact_list
-    assert minimal_contact in bulk_contact_list
+    bulk_contact_list_ids = [c.email.email_id for c in bulk_contact_list]
+    assert example_contact.email.email_id in bulk_contact_list_ids
+    assert maximal_contact.email.email_id in bulk_contact_list_ids
+    assert minimal_contact.email.email_id in bulk_contact_list_ids
 
 
 def test_get_bulk_contacts_one(dbsession, example_contact):