Privacy Policy

The Price of Words is built to be anonymous by design. There are no accounts, no sign-ups, and no email list. This policy explains the limited data we handle and the choices you have.

Data we handle

• A random device identifier. We store a random “member” ID in a cookie so your history, streak, and records persist across visits. It contains no personal information and is not tied to your identity. Clearing your cookies erases it for good.
• Purchase records. For each purchase we store the amount, whether it was a compliment or roast, the language, a timestamp, the message delivered, and the random identifier above. This is the anonymous dataset the “market” is built from.
• Your IP address, transiently, to rate-limit abuse and keep the Service up. We do not use it to build a profile of you.
• A recipient’s first name, only if you add one to a gift. It is stored with that purchase and shown only on that gift’s private claim page.
• A recipient’s email, only if you choose anonymous email delivery (where available). It is used once to deliver the sealed link and then permanently deleted. Recipients can block all future delivery with one click, honored forever as a one-way hash.
• Content you write. If you write your own line or submit one to the public gallery, we store it (and, for gallery posts, moderation and vote data).

Payments

Payments are processed by Stripe. We never receive or store your full card number. Stripe’s handling of your payment data is governed by its own privacy policy.

Cookies

We use a small number of first-party, functional cookies: the random member identifier described above, and short-lived cookies that keep a purchase or a sealed gift working. We do not use third-party advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. Because the member cookie persists, we show a notice on first visit; you can decline by not using the Service, and you can clear the cookie at any time.

How we use data

To run the Service, deliver what you paid for, compute the aggregate market statistics, prevent abuse, and — for the experiment — publish anonymized, aggregate figures (for example, average prices). We do not sell your data or share it with advertisers.

Who we share with

Only the vendors needed to operate: Stripe (payments), our hosting provider, and — only if you use anonymous email delivery — an email provider, for the single delivery. That’s it.

Retention

Anonymous transaction data is retained to sustain the experiment and its published record. Recipient emails are deleted immediately after delivery. You can reset your device identity at any time by clearing cookies.

Your rights

Depending on where you live (for example, the EEA/UK under GDPR, or California under the CCPA), you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal data, and to object or complain to a regulator. Because most data we hold is anonymous and not linked to your identity, we may be unable to locate data “about you” without more information. To make a request, email privacy@thepriceofwords.com.

Children

The Service is for adults (18+). We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has used the Service, contact us and we will remove any associated data.

International

The Service may be operated from, and data processed in, the United States and other countries. By using it you understand your data may be processed outside your country of residence.

Changes

We may update this policy; the date above reflects the latest version. Material changes take effect when posted.

Contact

Privacy questions or requests: privacy@thepriceofwords.com.

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