Introduction
At Pooled ("we", "us", or "our"), we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal and financial information with care. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our money pooling platform.
Information We Collect
Personal Information
We collect the following personal information:
- Phone number (for authentication)
- Name and profile information
- Email address (if provided)
- Profile picture (optional)
Financial Information
We collect and process financial information to facilitate transactions on our platform:
- Payment method details (processed securely through our payment processor)
- Transaction history and contribution amounts
- Bank account information for fund disbursement (for pool creators)
- Refund processing information
Usage Information
We automatically collect certain information:
- Device information (type, operating system, browser)
- IP address and location data
- Usage patterns and interaction with pools
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies
How We Use Your Information
We use your information for the following purposes:
- Authentication: To verify your identity and secure your account
- Transaction Processing: To process contributions, refunds, and fund disbursements
- Pool Management: To create, manage, and display pool information
- Communication: To send transaction confirmations, pool updates, and important notices
- Fraud Prevention: To detect and prevent fraudulent transactions and protect users
- Platform Improvement: To analyze usage patterns and improve our services
- Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws and financial regulations
Financial Data Processing
We take special care with your financial information:
- Payment card information is processed and stored by our PCI-DSS compliant payment processor
- We never store complete payment card numbers on our servers
- All financial transactions are encrypted using industry-standard SSL/TLS protocols
- Bank account information for fund disbursement is encrypted and securely stored
- Transaction records are maintained for accounting and regulatory compliance purposes
Information Sharing and Disclosure
Public Information
Certain information is made public by design to ensure transparency:
- Your name and profile picture when you contribute to a pool
- Contribution amounts (visible to all pool participants)
- Pool creation and participation history
Third-Party Service Providers
We share information with trusted third parties:
- Payment Processors: To process payments and refunds
- Authentication Services: To verify phone numbers and send OTP codes
- Cloud Hosting: To store data securely (Supabase, Vercel)
- Analytics Providers: To understand platform usage
- Customer Support: To provide assistance when needed
Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information when required by law or to:
- Comply with legal processes or government requests
- Enforce our Terms of Service
- Protect against fraud or security threats
- Protect the rights, property, or safety of Pooled, our users, or others
Data Security
We implement robust security measures:
- End-to-end encryption for all data in transit
- Encrypted data storage for sensitive information
- Regular security audits and penetration testing
- Multi-factor authentication for account access
- Strict access controls for employee data access
- Regular backups and disaster recovery procedures
However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as necessary to:
- Provide our services to you
- Comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations (typically 7 years for financial records)
- Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements
- Prevent fraud and ensure platform security
When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or for legitimate business purposes.
Your Rights and Choices
You have the following rights regarding your information:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your account and personal information
- Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
- Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications
- Object: Object to certain types of processing
To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@pooled.money. We will respond within 30 days.
Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Maintain your session and keep you logged in
- Remember your preferences
- Analyze platform usage and performance
- Prevent fraud and enhance security
You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling cookies may affect platform functionality.
Children's Privacy
Pooled is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will promptly delete that information.
International Data Transfers
Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by:
- Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
- Updating the "Last updated" date
- Sending you an email notification (for significant changes)
Your continued use of Pooled after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
- Email: privacy@pooled.money
- Contact Form: pooled.money/contact