Useful Economy — Privacy Policy
Last Updated: March 14, 2026
1. Information We Collect
Information You Provide
- Account information (email, name, password) when you register
- Store information (name, address, website) if you claim a listing
- Product information and images uploaded by Participating Retailers
- Payment information processed by Stripe, Inc. We do not store payment card details.
Information Collected Automatically
- Usage data: pages visited, search queries, features used
- Device information: browser type, operating system, screen resolution
- Location: approximate (IP-based) or precise (if you grant permission) for local search
- Log data: IP address, access times, referring URLs
Information from Public Sources
We collect publicly available product and store information from retail websites, including product names, prices, availability, and image URLs. This powers our search features. We do not collect personal information about individuals from these sources. Store location data is sourced from the Foursquare Open Source Places dataset, used under the Apache License 2.0. See our Attributions page (usefuleconomy.com/attributions) for details.
2. How We Use Information
- Provide and improve our product search and discovery service
- Process transactions for Participating Retailers via Stripe
- Communicate about accounts, orders, or store listings
- Respond to inquiries and provide support
- Detect and prevent fraud and abuse
- Comply with legal obligations
3. How We Share Information
- Cloud infrastructure and hosting providers
- Payment processing services (Stripe)
- Mapping and location services
- Retailers: order information shared with Participating Retailers to fulfill purchases
- Legal compliance: when required by law or to protect rights and safety
- Business transfers: in connection with mergers, acquisitions, or asset sales
We do not sell personal information to third parties for advertising purposes.
4. Data from Public Sources
Product and store data from public websites is not personal information. Retailers may request removal via our opt-out process (usefuleconomy.com/opt-out) or by contacting takedown@usefuleconomy.com.
5. Your Rights
- Access, update, or correct account information via account settings
- Request deletion by contacting legal@usefuleconomy.com
- Opt out of marketing emails via unsubscribe links
- Disable location services in browser settings
California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)
California residents have the right to: know what personal information we collect; request deletion; opt out of sales (we do not sell personal information); and not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. Contact: legal@usefuleconomy.com.
Vermont Residents
Vermont law provides additional protections. We will not share your nonpublic personal information with nonaffiliated third parties without your consent, except as permitted by law.
6. Data Retention
Personal information is retained while your account is active or as needed for services. Publicly sourced product data is retained and updated as long as relevant. Retailers may request removal at any time.
7. Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures including HTTPS encryption, secure authentication, and database access controls. No system is 100% secure.
8. Children
The Service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
9. Changes
We may update this policy. Material changes will be communicated to registered users.
10. Contact
Privacy inquiries: legal@usefuleconomy.com