Last Updated: February 7, 2026
Our Commitment: At Merritty, we believe your personal information belongs to you. We collect only what's necessary to provide our services, we never sell your data, and we give you control over your information.
1. Information We Collect
Information You Provide
- Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, and profile photo when you create an account
- Profile Information: Bio, interests, and preferences you choose to share
- Event Information: Event details, dates, locations, guest lists, and vendor requirements you create
- Business Information: For vendors: business name, description, service categories, pricing, photos, and service areas
- Payment Information: Payment card details are processed securely by Stripe and are not stored on our servers
- Communications: Messages you send through the app to other users or vendors
Information Collected Automatically
- Device Information: Device type, operating system, and unique device identifiers
- Usage Data: How you interact with the app, features used, and time spent
- Location Data: With your permission, we collect location data to show you relevant local vendors and events
- Log Data: IP address, browser type, and crash reports for troubleshooting
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Provide, maintain, and improve our services
- Connect event planners with relevant local vendors
- Process payments and prevent fraud
- Send you notifications about events, bids, and bookings
- Respond to your questions and provide customer support
- Analyze usage patterns to improve the user experience
- Comply with legal obligations
3. Information Sharing
We never sell your personal information to third parties.
We may share information in the following circumstances:
- With Other Users: Profile information and event details are shared with relevant users (e.g., event guests, vendors you're working with)
- With Vendors: Event details are shared with vendors who receive your service requests. Vendor addresses are only shared after payment is confirmed.
- Service Providers: We use trusted third parties for payment processing (Stripe), cloud hosting (Firebase/Google Cloud), and analytics
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect rights and safety
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger or acquisition, user information may be transferred
4. Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:
- All data transmitted between the app and our servers is encrypted using TLS/SSL
- Payment information is handled by PCI-compliant payment processors (Stripe)
- Access to user data is restricted to authorized personnel only
- We regularly review and update our security practices
5. Your Rights and Choices
You have control over your information:
- Access: View your personal information in your account settings
- Update: Edit your profile and account information at any time
- Delete: Request deletion of your account and associated data
- Location: Control location sharing through your device settings
- Notifications: Manage notification preferences in the app settings
- Marketing: Opt out of promotional communications
6. Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Upon account deletion:
- Profile data: Profile information, event data, and messages are deleted within 30 days of your deletion request
- Financial records: Transaction records and payment history are retained for 7 years to comply with financial regulations and tax reporting requirements
- Reviews: Reviews you have written may be anonymized and retained
- Shared data: Data shared with other users (e.g., messages sent, event invitations) may persist in recipients' accounts
- Inactive accounts: Accounts with no login activity for 24 months may be flagged for deletion. We will send a notification to your registered email 30 days before deletion
- Backups: Encrypted backups containing your data may persist for up to 90 days after deletion before being permanently purged
- Anonymized data: Anonymized and aggregated data that cannot identify you may be retained indefinitely for analytics and service improvement
7. Data Breach Notification
In the event of a data breach that compromises your personal information, we will:
- Notify affected users via email within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach
- Post a notice within the app describing the nature of the breach
- Report the breach to relevant regulatory authorities as required by applicable law (including GDPR, CCPA, and state breach notification laws)
Our notification will include:
- A description of the nature of the breach and the types of data affected
- Steps we are taking to address and mitigate the breach
- Recommended actions you can take to protect yourself (e.g., changing passwords)
- Contact information for our privacy team
We maintain an incident response plan and conduct regular security assessments to minimize the risk and impact of data breaches.
8. Children's Privacy
Merritty is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 18. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.
9. Third-Party Services
Our app integrates with third-party services that have their own privacy policies:
10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):
- Right to know what personal information we collect and how it's used
- Right to request deletion of your personal information
- Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we don't sell your data)
- Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
11. International Users
Merritty is operated in the United States. If you access our services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by:
- Posting the new policy in the app
- Sending you an email notification
- Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
13. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:
By using Merritty, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Thank you for trusting us with your data.
