CubBuddy Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 8/30/2026 Last Updated: 8/30/2026

1. Who We Are

CubBuddy is operated by CubBuddy LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company ("CubBuddy," "we," "us," "our").

Contact for privacy questions: thecubbuddyapp@gmail.com

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect through the CubBuddy mobile application and cubbuddy.com (together, the "Service"), how we use it, who we share it with, and what choices you have.

By using the Service, you agree to this Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Age Requirement

The Service is for users 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we learn that we have collected information from a person under 18, we will delete that information and terminate the account.

If you believe a person under 18 has provided us information, contact us at thecubbuddyapp@gmail.com.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information you give us

  • Account information: name, email address, password (stored only as a hash by our authentication provider), and — if you sign in through Apple or Google — the identifiers those services return to us.

  • Profile information: university or school affiliation, subjects, year or level, availability, biography, profile photo, and any other details you choose to add.

  • Tutor information: subjects offered, rates, qualifications you describe, availability, and payout setup details you complete with our payment processor.

  • Session and booking information: who you booked with, when, the subject, the location or meeting method, and session status.

  • Messages and content: messages you exchange with other users through the Service, files or study materials you upload, and reviews or ratings you submit.

  • Support and safety communications: anything you send us by email or through in-app reporting, including reports about other users.

3.2 Information collected automatically

  • Device and technical data: device model, operating system version, app version, language, time zone, and a device or installation identifier.

  • Usage data: screens viewed, features used, and actions taken in the app.

  • Diagnostic data: crash reports and performance data.

  • Push notification tokens: so we can send you notifications about bookings and messages.

3.3 Information we receive from others

  • From our payment processor (Stripe): confirmation that a payment succeeded or failed, the amount, the last four digits and brand of the card, and — for tutors — the status of payout account onboarding and verification. We do not receive full card numbers.

  • From Apple or Google: if you sign in with those services, the account identifier and, where you permit it, your name and email.

  • Subscription and purchase data: when you buy a subscription through Apple's in-app purchase system, we receive — through Apple and our subscription management provider — your subscription status, product purchased, purchase and renewal dates, trial status, and an anonymous purchase identifier. We do not receive your Apple ID, your name, or any payment card information from Apple.

3.4 Information we do NOT collect

  • We never receive or store full payment card numbers, CVV codes, or bank account numbers. All card data is collected directly by Stripe.

  • We do not receive tutors' Social Security numbers, tax identification numbers, or government ID images. Stripe collects that information directly for identity verification and tax reporting under its own privacy policy.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

  • create and maintain your account and authenticate you;

  • operate the marketplace: display profiles, match students with tutors, and enable booking and scheduling;

  • process payments to tutors and collect our platform fee;

  • manage subscriptions and verify which features and content your account is entitled to;

  • deliver messages and notifications between users;

  • provide customer support and respond to your requests;

  • investigate reports, enforce our Terms of Service, and protect the safety of users;

  • detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, and security incidents;

  • understand how the Service is used so we can improve it and fix problems;

  • comply with legal obligations, including tax and recordkeeping requirements; and

  • send you service-related communications (booking confirmations, security alerts, policy changes). These are not marketing and you cannot opt out of them while you hold an account.

5. Legal Bases for Processing (Users in the EEA and UK)

Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we process personal information on these bases: performance of a contract (operating your account and bookings), legitimate interests (security, fraud prevention, product improvement), consent (optional features such as location or marketing, which you may withdraw at any time), and legal obligation (tax, accounting, and responses to lawful requests).

6. How We Share Information

6.1 With other users

Your profile — name, photo, school affiliation, subjects, biography, ratings, and reviews — is visible to other users of the Service. When you book a session, the other party sees the information necessary to complete it, which may include your first name, profile, and the agreed meeting details. Do not put anything in your profile or messages that you would not want another user to see.

6.2 With service providers

We share information with vendors who process it on our behalf, under contract, for the purposes listed:

ProviderPurposeData involvedGoogle LLC (Firebase)Authentication, database, file storage, cloud functions, push notifications, crash reporting, analyticsAccount data, profile data, messages, usage and diagnostic data, push tokensStripe, Inc. (including Stripe Connect)Payment processing and tutor payoutsPayment and payout data, transaction records, tutor identity verification (collected by Stripe directly)Apple Inc. [/ Google LLC]App distribution, sign-in, and in-app purchase billing for subscriptionsAccount identifiers, subscription and purchase statusRevenueCat, Inc.Subscription management and entitlement verificationAnonymous purchase identifier, subscription status, product and renewal data, device identifier[HOSTING PROVIDER]Hosting of cubbuddy.comWebsite usage data[EMAIL PROVIDER]Business email and support correspondenceContents of your emails to us

6.3 For legal and safety reasons

We may disclose information when we believe in good faith it is necessary to comply with a law, subpoena, or lawful request; to enforce our Terms; to investigate suspected fraud or abuse; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of CubBuddy, our users, or the public.

6.4 Business transfers

If CubBuddy is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your information becomes subject to a materially different privacy policy.

7. We Do Not Sell Your Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising or targeted advertising, as those terms are defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act and similar state laws.

We do not use third-party advertising networks, and we do not track you across apps or websites you do not own. We have not enabled Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt because we do not engage in tracking as Apple defines it.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal information only as long as we need it:

  • Account and profile data: for as long as your account is active.

  • After you delete your account: we delete or de-identify your account and profile data within [30] days, except as described below.

  • Messages: deleted with your account, though a copy may remain visible in the other participant's message history. [CONFIRM this matches how your app actually works.]

  • Transaction and payout records: retained for at least [7] years, because tax, accounting, and anti-fraud laws require it. These records are also independently retained by Stripe under its own policies.

  • Subscription records: retained for at least [7] years for tax and accounting purposes. Apple and our subscription provider retain their own records under their own policies, and deleting your CubBuddy account does not cancel an active Apple subscription — you must cancel that separately in your Apple account settings.

  • Safety and abuse records: if an account was suspended or reported, we may retain a limited record to prevent the person from re-registering and to protect other users.

  • Backups: residual copies may persist in encrypted backups for up to [90] days before being overwritten.

9. Security

We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information, including encryption in transit, authentication controls, secrets management for credentials, and app attestation to limit access to our backend to legitimate copies of our app.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your password confidential and for notifying us at thecubbuddyapp@gmail.com if you believe your account has been compromised.

If a breach affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you and any required regulators as the law requires.

10. Your Rights and Choices

10.1 Deleting your account

You can delete your account at any time from within the app: Settings → Account → Delete Account. This permanently deletes your account and associated personal data, subject to the retention exceptions in Section 8. It is not a deactivation.

10.2 Other rights

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

  • access the personal information we hold about you and obtain a copy;

  • correct inaccurate information (you can edit most of it directly in the app);

  • delete your personal information;

  • port your information to another service in a portable format;

  • opt out of sale, sharing, targeted advertising, or profiling (we do none of these);

  • withdraw consent for optional processing; and

  • not be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.

To exercise a right, email thecubbuddyapp@gmail.com from the address associated with your account. We will respond within 45 days, and may extend once by another 45 days where the law permits, with notice to you. We may need to verify your identity before acting.

Authorized agents: you may use an authorized agent to submit a request where state law allows; we may ask for proof of authorization.

Appeals: if we decline your request, you may appeal by replying to our response with the word "Appeal." We will respond to appeals within the time your state's law requires. If your appeal is denied, you may contact your state Attorney General.

10.3 Push notifications and communications

You can turn off push notifications in your device settings at any time. Some in-app and email communications are essential to the Service and cannot be disabled while you hold an account.

11. Users Outside the United States

We operate in the United States, and our service providers store and process data in the United States and other countries. If you use the Service from outside the U.S., you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. Where required, we rely on appropriate transfer mechanisms such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses.

Users in the EEA and UK also have the right to lodge a complaint with their local data protection authority.

12. Third-Party Links and Services

The Service may link to third-party websites or services we do not control, including Stripe's onboarding and payment pages. This Policy does not apply to them. Review their privacy policies before providing information.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy. If we make material changes, we will notify you in the app, by email, or both, before the changes take effect, and we will update the "Last Updated" date above. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date means you accept the updated Policy.

14. Contact Us

thecubbuddyapp@gmail.com | CubBuddy LLC