Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Scope

Welcome to Coop. This Privacy Policy describes how Coop ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use our platform.

1a. Who We Are

Coop is a platform that connects local businesses with their communities through cost-saving opportunities and collaborative purchasing. We serve three types of users:

Businesses: Local companies seeking cost savings on essential services
Community Organizations: Chambers of commerce and local associations that support their business members
Service Providers: Vendors offering services to our business network

1b. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Coop, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly, information from your use of our Service, and information from third parties like QuickBooks when you connect your account.

2a. Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account or use our Service, you may provide:

Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, password
Business Information: Business name, address, industry category, tax ID, employee count, annual revenue
Community Information: Organization name, city, contact details, service area
Payment Information: Payment processor details for receiving savings (we do not store credit card numbers)
Profile Information: Optional information like company logo, description, website
Communications: Information you provide when contacting support or responding to surveys

2b. Information We Collect Automatically

When you use Coop, we automatically collect:

Usage Information: Pages viewed, features used, time spent on platform, click patterns
Device Information: Device type, operating system, browser type and version, unique device identifiers
Log Information: IP address, access times, referring/exit pages, error logs
Location Information: Approximate geographic location based on IP address
Cookies and Similar Technologies: See Section 8 for details

2c. Information from Third-Party Services

When you connect third-party services to Coop, we may receive:

QuickBooks Integration: Vendor lists, expense categories, transaction history, payment amounts (we do not access your bank account information directly)
Authentication Providers: Information from Google or other SSO providers if you use them to sign in
Service Providers: Information from vendors you work with through our platform

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to provide our Service, analyze your spending to identify savings opportunities, match you with relevant vendors, and improve your experience.

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

3a. Provide and Improve Our Service

Create and maintain your account
Analyze your spending patterns to identify cost-saving opportunities
Match businesses with relevant service providers
Calculate and display potential savings across expense categories
Facilitate group purchasing and negotiated rates
Process and track savings agreements
Provide customer support and respond to inquiries
Improve and optimize our platform features and user experience

3b. Communications

Send transactional emails (account verification, password resets, savings reports)
Send service announcements and updates
Notify you of new savings opportunities (with your consent)
Send newsletters and promotional content (you can opt out anytime)
Request feedback and conduct surveys

3c. Analytics and Research

Analyze usage patterns and trends
Conduct research on cost-saving opportunities across different industries
Generate aggregated, anonymized insights about business spending
Measure the effectiveness of our Service

3d. Security and Compliance

Verify identity and prevent fraud
Detect and prevent security incidents
Monitor for suspicious activity
Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use
Protect the rights and safety of our users

4. How We Share Your Information

We share limited information with service providers, vendors you choose to work with, and your community organization if applicable. We never sell your personal information.

4a. With Your Consent

Vendor Connections: When you express interest in a vendor, we share relevant business information to facilitate the connection
Community Organizations: If you join through a chamber of commerce or community organization, we share basic information about your participation and savings
Group Purchasing: When participating in group buying, other businesses may see aggregated participation numbers (not your specific details)

4b. Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf:

Hosting and Infrastructure: Cloudflare (website and API hosting)
Analytics: PostHog (product analytics and session recording)
Communication: Email service providers, support chat tools
Payment Processing: Payment processors for facilitating savings payments

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

4c. Business Transfers

If Coop is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4d. Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:

Valid legal processes (subpoenas, court orders)
Government requests
Requests to protect our rights, property, or safety
Requests to protect the rights, property, or safety of others

4e. Aggregated and Anonymized Data

We may share aggregated or anonymized information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you. For example, we might publish industry reports on average cost savings by category.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including encryption, access controls, and regular security assessments.

We take the security of your information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures:

Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit using TLS/SSL and at rest using industry-standard encryption
Access Controls: Strict access controls limit who can view your information
Authentication: Secure password hashing and optional two-factor authentication
Infrastructure Security: Hosted on secure, SOC 2 compliant infrastructure (Cloudflare)
Regular Assessments: Ongoing security monitoring and vulnerability assessments
Employee Training: Staff trained on data protection best practices

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our Service. You can request deletion at any time.

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Active Accounts: Information is retained while your account is active
Closed Accounts: After account deletion, we delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days
Legal Requirements: Some information may be retained longer if required for legal, regulatory, or tax purposes
Anonymized Data: We may retain anonymized, aggregated data indefinitely for research and analytics
Backup Systems: Information may remain in backup systems for up to 90 days after deletion

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have control over your information. You can access, update, or delete your data, opt out of communications, and control how we use your information.

7a. Access and Portability

Access: You can access most of your information through your account dashboard
Data Export: Request a copy of your data in machine-readable format by contacting [email protected]

7b. Correction and Updates

Update your account information through your profile settings
Contact us to correct inaccurate information

7c. Deletion

Request account deletion through account settings or by contacting [email protected]
We will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days
Some information may be retained as required by law

7d. Marketing Communications

Opt Out: Unsubscribe from promotional emails using the link in any email
Preferences: Manage communication preferences in your account settings
Transactional Emails: You cannot opt out of essential service communications

7e. Third-Party Connections

Disconnect QuickBooks or other integrations through your account settings
Revoke access permissions through the third-party service's settings

7f. Cookies and Tracking

Manage cookie preferences through your browser settings
Opt out of analytics tracking (see Section 8)

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you logged in, remember your preferences, and understand how you use our Service.

8a. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us provide and improve our Service.

8b. Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies: Required for the Service to function (authentication, security)
Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings
Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how you use the Service (PostHog)
Session Cookies: Temporary cookies deleted when you close your browser

8c. Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect your ability to use some features of our Service.

Browser Controls: Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies
Opt-Out: Opt out of PostHog analytics by setting "do not track" in your browser

9. Children's Privacy

Coop is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 18, please contact us immediately at [email protected], and we will take steps to delete such information.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States. By using Coop, you consent to this transfer.

Coop is based in the United States. If you are accessing our Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States and other countries where we or our service providers operate.

These countries may have different data protection laws than your country. By using our Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where we operate.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

11a. Right to Know

Request disclosure of the personal information we collect, use, and share
Request the specific pieces of personal information we have collected

11b. Right to Delete

Request deletion of your personal information (subject to certain exceptions)

11c. Right to Opt-Out of Sale

We do not sell personal information. We have not sold personal information in the past 12 months.

11d. Right to Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights

11e. Exercising Your Rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected] or through your account settings. We will verify your identity before processing your request.

12. Other U.S. State Privacy Rights

Residents of Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Virginia have similar rights under their respective state privacy laws. Contact us at [email protected] to exercise these rights.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We'll notify you of material changes via email or through the Service.

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. When we make material changes, we will:

Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
Notify you via email if you have an account
Display a prominent notice on our Service

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.