We believe privacy should be straightforward. Here's exactly what we collect, why we collect it, and how you can control it.
Plain-language summary: We collect only what we need to run the platform. We don't sell your data. We use Stripe for payments (we never see your card number), Google Analytics to understand traffic, and Netlify Forms to receive your contact submissions. California and EU residents have specific rights explained below.
When you fill out a contact form, claim a business listing, or sign up for a paid plan, we collect:
When you visit BusinessCertified.org, our analytics and hosting infrastructure automatically record:
All billing is handled by Stripe, a PCI-DSS Level 1 certified payment processor. We never see, store, or have access to your full credit card number, CVV, or bank account details. Stripe provides us with a non-sensitive token confirming your payment status. You can review Stripe's privacy practices at stripe.com/privacy.
We use the information we collect to:
Create and manage your business listing, process your verification, display your profile to homeowners searching for your services.
Charge your monthly subscription through Stripe, send receipts, and manage plan upgrades or cancellations.
Send transactional emails about your account (verification status, billing receipts, support replies). We don't send unsolicited marketing email.
Understand which pages are useful, where users get stuck, and which features to build — using aggregated, anonymized analytics data.
Detect and prevent fake listings, fraudulent reviews, and unauthorized account access.
Maintain records as required by law and respond to lawful requests from government authorities when legally required.
We work with a small number of trusted providers. Each has been selected for strong privacy practices:
Payment processing for all paid subscriptions. Stripe is PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant — the highest standard for payment security. When you enter billing info, you're communicating directly with Stripe's servers.
Stripe Privacy Policy →We use GA4 to understand site traffic and user behavior in aggregate. We have IP anonymization enabled, data retention set to 14 months, and we do not use Google Signals. You can opt out using the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Google Privacy Policy →Contact forms on this site are processed by Netlify. Form submissions are stored on Netlify's servers and forwarded to our support team. Netlify is SOC 2 Type II certified. We regularly delete old form submissions.
Netlify Privacy Policy →Cookies are small text files placed on your device. We use three categories:
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), California residents have specific rights regarding their personal information:
To exercise your California rights, email privacy@businesscertified.org with subject line "CCPA Request." We will respond within 45 days.
If you are located in the European Union or United Kingdom, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives you additional rights. Our legal basis for processing your data is generally contract performance (to deliver the service you signed up for) or legitimate interests (analytics to improve the site, fraud prevention).
To exercise GDPR rights, contact privacy@businesscertified.org. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.
We keep your data only as long as necessary:
We take reasonable technical and organizational steps to protect your information, including:
No system is perfectly secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at privacy@businesscertified.org.
BusinessCertified.org is a B2B platform for business owners and consumers seeking local services. It is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13. If we learn we have inadvertently done so, we will promptly delete it.
When we make material changes to this policy, we'll post the updated version here with a new "Last Updated" date. For significant changes, we'll send an email notice to registered users at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the site after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
We're a real team and we respond to every privacy inquiry personally — no bot replies.
privacy@businesscertified.orgResponse time: within 2 business days