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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 17, 2025

Merchmapper (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website at www.merchmapper.com. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information. By using Merchmapper, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you have any questions, contact us at hello@merchmapper.com.

1. What Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

  • Email address
  • Username and display name
  • Biography (optional)
  • Account role (member or creator)
  • Onboarding completion timestamp

Sign-In With Google

If you choose to sign in with Google, we receive your Google account email address and basic profile information (name and profile photo) via Google OAuth. We use this information only to create and manage your Merchmapper account. We do not access your Gmail, Google Drive, Google Contacts, or any other Google service or data.

Preferences and Interests

During onboarding, we ask you to select interest tags (such as product types, themes, and location types) to personalize your experience. These preferences are stored in your account.

Engagement Activity

We record actions you take within the app, including:

  • Products you like or save
  • Places you save
  • Places and creators you follow

User-Submitted Content

If you submit a product or a design request through Merchmapper, we collect the details you provide in that submission.

Analytics Data

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use Merchmapper. Google Analytics collects information such as pages visited, time spent on the site, general geographic location (country/city level), device type, and browser type. This data is collected using cookies and similar tracking technologies. It is aggregated and does not directly identify you by name. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

No Payment Information

Merchmapper does not process or store any payment or financial information. If you purchase merchandise, you do so directly through the vendor's own store.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Create and manage your account
  • Personalize your experience based on your interest tags
  • Display your saved places, followed creators, and engagement activity
  • Process and review product and design submissions
  • Understand how visitors use the site through aggregated analytics
  • Respond to questions or requests you send to hello@merchmapper.com

3. Third-Party Services

Merchmapper relies on the following third-party services to operate. Each has its own privacy policy.

Supabase

Supabase provides our database and authentication infrastructure. Your account data and engagement activity are stored in Supabase-hosted servers. Supabase also handles the technical flow of Google OAuth sign-in. See Supabase's privacy policy at supabase.com/privacy.

Mapbox

Mapbox powers the interactive map that displays places and products. When you use the map, Mapbox may collect certain usage and technical data as described in their privacy policy at mapbox.com/legal/privacy.

Vercel

Vercel hosts the Merchmapper web application. As with any hosting provider, Vercel may process request logs and technical data. See Vercel's privacy policy at vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy.

Google OAuth

If you sign in with Google, the authentication process is governed by Google's Privacy Policy at policies.google.com/privacy. As noted above, Merchmapper only receives your email address and basic profile information from Google. We do not request or access any other Google account data.

4. Cookies and Tracking

Merchmapper uses cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Authentication: to keep you signed in across sessions
  • Session state: to remember your preferences during a visit
  • Analytics: Google Analytics uses cookies to measure site usage (see Section 1)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling authentication cookies will prevent you from staying signed in.

5. Location Information

Merchmapper does not collect or store your device location. The geographic data displayed on the map refers to the locations of places (venues, parks, breweries, etc.), not to you as a user.

6. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored in Supabase-hosted databases protected by row-level security policies. We use HTTPS for all data in transit. While we take reasonable precautions to protect your information, no online service can guarantee absolute security. If you become aware of any potential security issue, please contact us at hello@merchmapper.com.

7. Data Retention and Account Deletion

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. You may request deletion of your account at any time by contacting hello@merchmapper.com. When your account is deleted, your profile information is removed. Engagement data associated with your account (such as product likes, saves, follows, and submissions) is anonymized rather than deleted, so that aggregated site data remains consistent.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you
  • Correct inaccurate information in your profile
  • Request deletion of your account and personal data
  • Opt out of Google Analytics data collection (see Section 1)

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@merchmapper.com.

9. Children's Privacy

Merchmapper is not directed at children under the age of 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a child has created an account, please contact us at hello@merchmapper.com.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of Merchmapper after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.