Privacy Policy

Welcome to Putts & Payouts! We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and website.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, nickname, phone number
• Profile Information: Golf handicap, quota, profile photo, bio
• League Information: League names, descriptions, member lists, scores
• Payment Information: Entry fees, payout information (processed securely through third-party payment processors)
• Communication: Messages sent through our chat features

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Location Data: GPS coordinates for distance calculations to golf holes (only when using GPS features)
• Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers
• Usage Data: How you interact with the app, features used, time spent
• Log Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, timestamps

1.3 Information from Third Parties

• Social Sign-In: If you sign in with Google, Apple, or Facebook, we receive basic profile information
• Golf Course Data: Course information from third-party golf databases

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

2.1 To Provide Our Services

• Create and manage your account
• Enable league creation and management
• Calculate scores and leaderboards
• Provide GPS distance measurements
• Process payments and distribute payouts
• Facilitate communication between league members

2.2 To Improve Our Services

• Analyze usage patterns to enhance features
• Fix bugs and technical issues
• Develop new features based on user needs
• Conduct research and analytics

2.3 To Communicate With You

• Send service-related notifications (score updates, league invitations)
• Send promotional emails about new features and updates (with opt-out option)
• Respond to your support requests
• Send important notices about policy changes

2.4 For Advertising

• Display relevant advertisements from our advertising partners
• Measure advertising effectiveness
• Personalize ad content based on your interests (with your consent)

3. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

3.1 With Your Consent

• League members can see your profile information, scores, and stats within shared leagues
• Information you choose to make public (e.g., public leagues)

3.2 Service Providers

• Firebase/Google Cloud: Database and authentication services
• Payment Processors: Stripe or similar for handling transactions
• Email Services: For sending notifications and newsletters
• Analytics Providers: Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics
• Advertising Networks: Google AdMob and similar partners

3.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or governmental request, or to:

• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect our rights and property
• Prevent fraud or security issues
• Protect the safety of our users

3.4 Business Transfers

If Putts & Payouts is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or prominent notice in the app.

4. Advertising and Marketing

4.1 Advertisements

We partner with advertising networks to display ads in our app. These partners may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Show you relevant advertisements
• Measure ad performance
• Limit how many times you see an ad

4.2 Promotional Emails

We may send you promotional emails about:

• New features and updates
• Golf tips and content
• Special offers and promotions
• League management best practices

You can opt-out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or adjusting your notification preferences in the app settings.

4.3 Targeted Advertising

You can control personalized advertising by:

• iOS: Settings > Privacy > Advertising > Limit Ad Tracking
• Android: Settings > Google > Ads > Opt out of Ads Personalization
• Web: Browser settings and cookie preferences

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: Data in transit is encrypted using SSL/TLS
• Secure Storage: Data at rest is encrypted in Firebase Cloud Firestore
• Authentication: Firebase Authentication with secure password hashing
• Access Controls: Strict access limitations to personal data
• Regular Audits: Security reviews and updates

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Privacy Rights

6.1 Access and Portability

• Request a copy of your personal data
• Download your league data and scores

6.2 Correction

• Update your profile information in the app settings
• Request correction of inaccurate data

6.3 Deletion

• Delete your account and associated data
• Request deletion of specific information

6.4 Opt-Out

• Unsubscribe from promotional emails
• Disable push notifications
• Opt out of personalized advertising

6.5 GDPR Rights (EU Users)

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights under GDPR:

• Right to be forgotten
• Right to data portability
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to object to processing

6.6 CCPA Rights (California Users)

If you are a California resident, you have rights under CCPA:

• Know what personal information is collected
• Know if personal information is sold or disclosed
• Say no to the sale of personal information
• Access your personal information
• Request deletion of personal information
• Not be discriminated against for exercising your rights

7. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide our services
• Comply with legal obligations
• Resolve disputes
• Enforce our agreements

When you delete your account:

• Personal information is deleted within 30 days
• Some data may be retained in backups for up to 90 days
• Anonymized usage data may be retained for analytics
• Legal and accounting records may be retained as required by law

8. Children's Privacy

Putts & Payouts is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately, and we will delete such information.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and maintained on servers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where data protection laws may differ. By using our services, you consent to this transfer.

We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
• Privacy Shield frameworks where applicable
• Other legally approved transfer mechanisms

10. Third-Party Links and Services

Our app may contain links to third-party websites, golf courses, or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

Third-party services we integrate with:

• Google Maps (for GPS and course mapping)
• Firebase (authentication and database)
• Stripe (payment processing)
• Google AdMob (advertising)

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date
• Notify you via email or in-app notification
• Post the updated policy on our website

Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. California "Shine the Light" Law

California residents can request information about how we share certain categories of personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. As stated above, we do not share your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

13. Your Consent

By using Putts & Payouts, you consent to this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.