Privacy Policy

Catholic Owned (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the catholicowned.com marketplace and Business Directory. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

By using our services, you agree to the collection and use of information as described below. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.

Information you provide: Account information (name, email, password), billing and shipping addresses, payment method details (handled by Stripe — we never see your full card number), business information if you sell on the platform, content you post, and messages you send to other users.

Information collected automatically: IP address, device and browser information, pages viewed, referring URLs, and interactions with the platform. We use this for analytics, fraud prevention, and improving the service.

From third parties: If you sign in via Google, Apple, or another identity provider, we receive the profile information you authorize them to share (typically name, email, and profile image).

• To create and manage your account
• To process orders, payments, and subscriptions
• To deliver transactional emails (receipts, shipping updates, payment notices)
• To send marketing emails (only if you’ve opted in)
• To enable messaging between buyers, merchants, and directory listings
• To verify Catholic-owned business status
• To improve the platform and detect fraud or abuse
• To comply with legal obligations

With merchants: When you place an order, we share the information the merchant needs to fulfill it (name, shipping address, order contents).

With service providers: We use vetted third-party services to run the platform, including Stripe (payments), Resend (transactional email), SendGrid (marketing email, if you’ve opted in), and analytics providers. Each operates under a data processing agreement limiting their use of your information to the purposes we specify.

For legal reasons: We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or to protect our rights, users, or the public.

We do not sell your personal information.

If you opt in, we send two kinds of text messages — each with its own separate consent. Event messages: an RSVP confirmation and reminders before an event you register for; you opt in by checking a consent box when you RSVP, and that consent is per event. Marketing messages: occasional updates such as a new curated guide; you opt in separately via a consent box in your account settings. Neither box is ever pre-checked, opting in to event reminders never enrolls you in marketing messages, and no consent is required to use the platform.

We do not sell or share your mobile phone number or SMS opt-in information with third parties or affiliates for their marketing or promotional purposes. Your number is used only to deliver the messages you asked for, and is shared solely with the messaging provider that transmits them on our behalf.

Message frequency varies with the events you register for. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP at any time to unsubscribe, or HELP for help. Opting out of texts does not affect your account or any email notifications.

Essential cookies keep you signed in, remember your cart, and secure your session. These are required for the site to work and are always active.

Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4) help us understand how the platform is used so we can improve it. These are optional. If you are visiting from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we ask for your consent before loading them, and they stay off unless you accept.

You can change your choice at any time using the Cookie preferences link in the footer, or disable cookies in your browser settings — though parts of the site may not work correctly without the essential ones.

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate information
• Delete your account and associated data
• Opt out of marketing emails (use the unsubscribe link in any marketing email)
• Export your data in a portable format

To exercise any of these rights, email us at support@catholicowned.com.

We retain your account information for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period afterward, or as required to meet legal or accounting obligations. Order and transaction records are retained as required by tax and commercial law.

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data — TLS encryption in transit, secure databases, and limited internal access. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute protection against unauthorized access. If you believe your account has been compromised, email support@catholicowned.com immediately.

Catholic Owned is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, contact us and we’ll delete it.

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we’ll update the “last updated” date at the top and, for material changes, notify you by email or a prominent notice on the platform.

Questions about this Privacy Policy? Email support@catholicowned.com.