Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 19, 2026

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

When you use CartKrate, we may collect information you voluntarily provide:

• Newsletter Subscription: Email address, name (optional), subscription preferences
• Contact Forms: Name, email address, message content
• Account Information: If you create an account, username, email, and password
• Tool Usage: Data you enter into our calculators and tools (processed locally, not stored)

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

We automatically collect certain information when you visit CartKrate:

• Analytics Data: Page views, time on site, referral source (via self-hosted Plausible Analytics)
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device type, operating system
• Cookies: Essential cookies only (see Section 3)

1.3 Information From Third Parties

We collect publicly available data about ecommerce apps and tools from:

• Shopify App Store API
• WooCommerce Plugin Repository
• BigCommerce Marketplace
• Reddit public discussions (sentiment analysis)

Note: This data does not include personal information about individual users.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

• Newsletter Delivery: Send weekly "CartKrate Insider" emails with app reviews and recommendations
• Customer Support: Respond to your inquiries and provide assistance
• Site Improvement: Analyze usage patterns to improve content and user experience
• Legal Compliance: Comply with legal obligations and protect our rights
• Security: Detect and prevent fraud, spam, and abuse

3. Cookies and Tracking

3.1 Essential Cookies Only

CartKrate uses minimal, essential cookies only:

• Session Cookies: Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser
• Preference Cookies: Remember your dark mode preference and tool settings (stored locally)

3.2 No Third-Party Tracking

We do NOT use:

• Google Analytics (we use self-hosted Plausible)
• Facebook Pixel
• Third-party advertising cookies
• Cross-site tracking technologies

3.3 Analytics

We use Plausible Analytics, a privacy-friendly, GDPR-compliant analytics tool that:

• Does not use cookies
• Does not collect personal data
• Does not track users across websites
• Anonymizes IP addresses

4. Your Privacy Rights

4.1 GDPR Rights (EU/UK Users)

If you are located in the European Union or United Kingdom, you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
• Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a portable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your data
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time

4.2 CCPA Rights (California Users)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Know: Request disclosure of personal information collected
• Delete: Request deletion of personal information
• Opt-Out: Opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell data)
• Non-Discrimination: Not receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your rights

4.3 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at:

• Email: [email protected]
• Response Time: We will respond within 30 days

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data:

• Encryption: All data transmitted via HTTPS/TLS
• Access Controls: Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Regular Audits: Periodic security assessments and vulnerability scans
• Data Minimization: We collect only what is necessary
• Secure Hosting: Data stored on secure, EU-based servers (for EU users)

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary:

• Newsletter Subscribers: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion
• Contact Form Data: 90 days after resolution of inquiry
• Analytics Data: Aggregated data retained indefinitely (no personal identifiers)
• Backup Data: 30 days in encrypted backups

7. International Data Transfers

CartKrate operates globally. If you are located outside the United States:

• EU Users: Data stored on EU servers; transfers comply with GDPR
• Standard Contractual Clauses: Used for any necessary international transfers
• Data Processing Agreements: In place with all third-party processors

8. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• Email Delivery: [Your email service provider] - for newsletter delivery
• Hosting: WPX Hosting - secure website hosting
• Analytics: Plausible Analytics (self-hosted) - privacy-friendly analytics
• Payment Processing: [If applicable] - for premium features

Each service has its own privacy policy and data protection measures.

9. Children's Privacy

CartKrate is not intended for users under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on this page
• Updating the "Last updated" date at the top
• Sending an email to newsletter subscribers (for significant changes)

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: cartkrate.com/contact
• Data Protection Officer: [email protected]