Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

PrepPals ("we," "us," or "our") is a student-founded platform designed to connect high school students for Digital SAT preparation. You can reach us at [email protected].

2. Who Can Use PrepPals

PrepPals is intended for users between the ages of 13 and 18 years old (high school age). By creating an account, you confirm that you are at least 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that a user is under 13, we will delete their account and associated data immediately.

3. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information when you use PrepPals:

Account Information

• Email address
• Password (stored as a secure hash — we cannot see your actual password)
• First name and last initial

Profile Information

• Grade level
• SAT goal scores (Math and Reading)
• Current SAT scores (if provided)
• Academic strengths and weaknesses
• Bio (optional)
• Avatar selection

Usage Information

• Swipe interactions (who you liked or skipped)
• Match history
• Chat messages sent and received
• Bookmarked profiles
• Report and block history

Uploaded Files

• SAT score report PDFs or images uploaded for verification purposes

Technical Information

• Account creation date
• Last active timestamp
• Device type and browser (collected automatically)

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Create and manage your account
• Match you with compatible SAT study partners based on your goals and score range
• Enable in-app messaging between matched users
• Verify your SAT scores through uploaded documents
• Send you email notifications about matches (if you opted in)
• Send transactional emails such as account verification and password reset links
• Maintain platform safety through report and block functionality
• Improve the app based on usage patterns

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share your information only in the following limited cases:

• Other users: Your first name, last initial, grade level, SAT goals, strengths, weaknesses, bio, and avatar are visible to other PrepPals users on the Discover page.
• Matched users: Once matched, you can chat with each other. Your messages are visible to the person you matched with.
• Service providers: We use Supabase for database and authentication, and Resend for email delivery. These providers process data on our behalf under their own privacy policies.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the safety of our users.

6. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely using Supabase, which provides industry-standard encryption and security practices. Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. We use HTTPS for all data transmission.

While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, no system is 100% secure. Please use a strong, unique password for your PrepPals account.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate information in your profile
• Delete your account and all associated data at any time (available in the app under Profile → Delete My Account)
• Opt out of email notifications (available in Profile settings)
• Contact us with any privacy concerns at [email protected]

8. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law. Chat messages may be retained for a short period after account deletion for platform integrity purposes.

9. Cookies and Tracking

PrepPals uses session cookies to keep you logged in. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking technologies. We do not serve ads.

10. International Users

PrepPals is available globally. By using the app, you consent to your information being processed and stored in the United States, where our infrastructure is hosted. We comply with applicable data protection laws to the best of our ability.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by email or through the app. Continued use of PrepPals after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

[email protected]