Privacy Policy

1. Overview

We collect information to run a whiskey discovery, collection, community, events, merch, and subscription product—including recommendations, barcode tools, ads for free users, and security. We do not sell your personal information as a standalone product. We do use data (including de-identified and aggregated data) to operate, improve, and protect the Service, as described below and in the Terms.

2. Information we collect

• Account and profile: email, username, password or passkey credentials, name fields you provide, avatar, preferences (locale, privacy, landing page), age-verification status, and similar account settings.
• User Content you choose to provide: reviews, notes, posts, comments, messages, collection and wishlist data, price submissions, sightings (including store name, zip/postal region, optional price), barcode scans and community links, whiskey submissions, event participation, and uploads such as images.
• Technical and usage data: a masked IP address (we do not derive your location from it), device and browser type, app version, pages and features you use, referral URLs, the zip or postal code you choose to enter, diagnostics, and security logs. Visit and event rows are deleted after 90 days.
• Commerce: merch cart and order details, shipping address, billing email, subscription status, and payment tokens handled by our processors (we do not store full card numbers on our servers).
• Advertising and affiliate measurement: ad impressions and clicks we control, affiliate link clicks, and related fraud-prevention signals.
• Communications: support messages and emails you send us; transactional emails we send you.

3. How we use information

We use information to: provide and improve the Service; personalize recommendations and local intelligence; operate collections, forums, messages, events, and barcode tools; process orders and Pro subscriptions; show alcohol-related ads to free users and measure them; prevent fraud and abuse; secure accounts; comply with law; and communicate about the Service. We may create de-identified or aggregated statistics (for example regional price trends or popular styles) that no longer identify you, and use those freely for research, product, and business purposes.

4. Content licenses and catalog data

How we use User Content (including rights to keep catalog contributions in the shared database) is described in the Terms of Service. Personal data in that content is still handled under this Policy. Deleting your account does not always remove public catalog facts others rely on (for example a barcode already linked for everyone), as explained in the Terms. Terms of Service

5. How we share information

We share information with service providers who process it for us (hosting, databases, email, payments such as Stripe, app stores / RevenueCat where used, analytics, error monitoring, advertising and affiliate partners). We require appropriate use limited to providing their services. We may share information if required by law, to protect rights and safety, or in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale (with notice where required). Other users can see what you choose to make public (profile fields, reviews, posts, public collection elements you share). We do not sell personal information for money. Some advertising or affiliate measurement may be considered a "sale" or "share" under certain U.S. state laws—see Your choices below.

6. Cookies and similar technologies

We use essential cookies and similar technologies for sign-in, security, cart, age gate, locale, and cookie notice preferences. Product measurement is first-party: a visit is stored from a masked IP and browser type, without a separate analytics cookie and without sending the visit to a third-party analytics service. You can control cookies in your browser; blocking essential cookies may break the Service. A short cookie notice appears until dismissed.

7. Advertising, affiliates, and measurement

Free-tier users may see alcohol-related ads. We and partners may process limited data to deliver and measure ads and affiliate links. Leaving our site for a retailer or advertiser means their privacy policy applies. Pro may remove ads we control.

• We may record that an ad or affiliate link was shown or clicked for billing, analytics, and fraud prevention. An ad click is counted only after that browser was shown the banner.
• Third-party ad or retail sites collect data under their own policies.
• Cookies or similar tech may support sessions, preferences, security, age verification, and measurement.

8. Retention

We keep information as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the Service, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and meet legal, tax, and security requirements. First-party visit and event rows are deleted after 90 days. Backups may persist for a limited period after deletion. Catalog contributions may remain as described in the Terms.

9. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure; you use the Service at your own risk regarding residual security risk.

10. Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export personal data, or to object to or restrict certain processing. You can update many settings in your account, control some profile visibility, export collection or tasting notes where Pro allows, and opt out of non-essential marketing emails. To make a privacy request, contact us as below. We will verify requests as required by law. We will not discriminate against you for exercising privacy rights.

U.S. state privacy (including California): We do not sell personal information for money. We may "share" limited data for advertising measurement. You may request to know, delete, or correct personal information, and to opt out of sale/share where applicable, by contacting us. We do not knowingly sell or share personal information of anyone under 16.

11. Children and legal drinking age

The Service is not directed to children under 16, and alcohol features require legal drinking age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have, contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

12. International users

We are based in the United States. If you use the Service from elsewhere, you understand information may be processed in the U.S. and other countries where we or our providers operate, which may have different data-protection rules than your country.

13. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will change the date at the top and, for material changes, provide additional notice when appropriate. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acknowledgment of the updated Policy.

14. Contact

Privacy questions and requests: Use the contact options on poormansascent.com or the email published for Whisk(e)y Notebook support. Operator: Poorman's Ascent. https://poormansascent.com

Terms of Service