ConnectsLocal Privacy Policy

Version 2.1

Effective Date: 7/5/2026

ConnectsLocal ("ConnectsLocal," "Company," "we," "our," or "us") operates a mobile application and related services (collectively, the "App") that connect neighborhood residents ("Residents") with local businesses ("Merchants") through real-time deals, digital loyalty programs, events, and local discovery.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect from Residents and Merchants, how we use and share it, and the choices available to you. It applies to everyone who downloads or uses the App, regardless of account type.

ConnectsLocal is currently focused on New York State, with an initial launch in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan. This Policy is written with that current scope in mind. As we expand to additional states and cities, we will update this Policy to reflect applicable state and local privacy laws, and will notify users of material changes as described in Section 13.

● "Resident" means an individual who downloads or uses the App to discover businesses, deals, events, or loyalty programs.

● "Merchant" means a business, or an individual acting on behalf of a business, that creates or manages a business listing, promotion, loyalty program, or event on the App.

● "Personal Information" means information that identifies, relates to, or could reasonably be linked with a particular individual or household.

● "Service Providers" means third-party companies we engage to help operate the App, such as payment processors, cloud hosting, and analytics providers.

We collect different information depending on whether you use the App as a Resident or a Merchant.

When you create and use a Resident account, we may collect:

● First and last name 

● Email address

● Phone number 

● Physical Address

● Zip Code

● Birth date

● Gender

● Profile photo 

● Saved favorites, redeemed deals, loyalty program activity, and in-app preferences

● Customer support communications

When a business signs up as a Merchant (whether self-service or through a ConnectsLocal field representative), we may collect:

● Business name, address, and category

● Owner or authorized representative name, email, and phone number

● Business hours, description, photos, and logo

● Deal, promotion, event, and loyalty program content created by the Merchant

● Billing and payment information (see Section 3.3)

● Communications with ConnectsLocal support or field representatives

Merchant billing is processed through Stripe, Inc. ("Stripe"), an independent third-party payment processor. When a Merchant enters payment card information whether directly, via a link sent to the Merchant, or with the assistance of a ConnectsLocal representative using a Stripe-hosted checkout flow, that information is transmitted directly to and stored by Stripe. ConnectsLocal does not directly collect, view, process, or store full credit card or bank account numbers on its own servers.

We receive limited billing metadata from Stripe (such as subscription status, plan tier, payment method type, and last four digits of a card) to manage Merchant accounts and billing. Stripe's use of Merchant payment data is governed by Stripe's own privacy policy, available at stripe.com/privacy.

With your permission, the App collects approximate or precise device location to show you nearby businesses, deals, and events, and to power the map and search features. Location information is processed using the Google Maps Platform to display maps, calculate distances, and power location-based search. Residents and Merchants can enable or disable location access at any time through device settings. Disabling location will limit certain App features, such as nearby search results and the map view.

When you use the App, we and our Service Providers automatically collect certain technical and usage information, including:

● Device type, operating system, and unique device identifiers

● App usage data, such as screens viewed, features used, deals clicked or redeemed, and search activity

● Log and diagnostic data e.g., crash reports, IP address, app version)

● Advertising or analytics identifiers, where enabled

ConnectsLocal currently use Firebase (provided by Google LLC) as our application database and for analytics and crash reporting. Firebase stores account information, app content, and usage data on our behalf, and may collect device identifiers as described in Google's privacy policy at policies.google.com/privacy. We do not currently use third-party advertising SDKs.

ConnectsLocal uses Google's Gemini AI models to help generate marketing and listing copy suggestions for Merchants. In the future, we plan to introduce an AI-powered chatbot (also using Gemini) to help Residents and Merchants find information and get support within the App. When AI features are used, relevant content (such as a listing description or a chatbot message) may be sent to Google's Gemini API for processing. We configure our use of Gemini so that this data is not used by Google to train its underlying models. We will update this Policy and provide in-app notice before launching AI chatbot features that process Resident or Merchant messages.

We use the information described above to:

● Create and manage Resident and Merchant accounts

● Display nearby businesses, deals, events, and loyalty programs to Residents

● Enable Merchants to publish and manage listings, deals, and loyalty programs

● Process Merchant subscription billing through Stripe

● Provide Merchants with aggregated, non-identifying analytics about engagement with their listing (for example, total clicks, redemptions, and resident age-range distribution), as shown in the Merchant dashboard. Merchants do not receive individually identifiable Resident information through these analytics.

● Send transactional communications, such as deal confirmations, account notices, and customer support responses

● Send promotional or engagement notifications, where permitted, which you may opt out of in-app or through device settings

● Maintain the security of the App and prevent fraud or abuse

● Improve and develop new features

● Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell Personal Information. We share information only in the following circumstances:

When a Resident redeems a deal, joins a loyalty program, or otherwise interacts with a Merchant's listing, the Merchant may receive limited information necessary to fulfill that interaction (for example, confirmation that a deal was redeemed). Merchant-facing analytics dashboards display only aggregated data (such as counts and age-range breakdowns) and are not designed to identify individual Residents.

We share information with Service Providers who perform functions on our behalf, including:

● Stripe, Inc. - payment processing and billing for Merchant subscriptions

● Google LLC (Firebase) - application database, analytics, and crash reporting

● Google LLC (Google Maps Platform) - maps, location display, and distance/search calculations

● Google LLC (Gemini API) - AI-assisted listing copy generation, and, in the future, an in-app chatbot

● Customer support tools

Service Providers are contractually required to use information only to provide services to ConnectsLocal and in accordance with this Policy.

We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or legal process, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of ConnectsLocal, our users, or the public, or to investigate fraud or violations of our Terms of Service.

If ConnectsLocal is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify users of any such change in ownership or use of Personal Information.

We may share information for other purposes with your consent or at your direction.

The App may use device identifiers, SDKs and similar technologies to support core functionality, remember preferences, and understand app usage. These are not currently used for third-party advertising. You can limit certain tracking through your device's privacy settings.

We retain Resident and Merchant information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the App's services. If you delete your account, we will delete or de-identify your Personal Information within a reasonable period, except where we are required or permitted to retain it for such scenarios as billing records needed for tax and accounting purposes, or information needed to resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, or comply with legal obligations.

We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect Personal Information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Payment card data is handled directly by Stripe under Stripe's PCI-compliant infrastructure and is never stored on ConnectsLocal's own servers. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Residents and Merchants can exercise the following choices:

● Access and update account information directly within the App's profile settings

● Disable location permissions or push notifications through device settings

● Delete their account directly within the App or by emailing team@connectslocal.com with a deletion request

● Request a copy of the Personal Information we hold about them by emailing team@connectslocal.com

We will respond to deletion or access requests within a reasonable time, and will verify your identity before fulfilling a request. Deleting your account will not delete billing records that ConnectsLocal or Stripe is required to retain by law.

The App is not directed to children, and ConnectsLocal does not knowingly collect Personal Information from anyone under 13 years of age. If we learn that we have collected Personal Information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to remove such information and terminate the child’s account. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with Personal Information, please contact us at team@connectslocal.com.

ConnectsLocal currently operates in New York State only. This Policy is intended to describe our practices for users interacting with our New York-based services. As we expand to additional states, we will update this Policy to address any additional state-specific privacy rights that may apply to users in those states.

The App may contain links to Merchant websites or other third-party sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing information to them.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the App or by other reasonable means prior to the change taking effect. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this Policy reflects the most recent revision. By continuing to access or use the Service after those changes become effective, you acknowledge the revised Privacy Policy.

We use various safeguards to protect the personal information ConnectsLocal processes. However, no method of transmission over the internet or via mobile device, or method of electronic storage, is completely secure. Therefore, while we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us at:

Email: team@connectslocal.com

Website: www.connectslocal.com