How Postcard Advantage collects, uses, and protects the limited personal information you share with us. In plain terms: we ask for only what we need to help you, we use it only to do that, and we never sell it.

Information we collect

Three kinds, and no more than we need for each.

What you send us. When you use a form or call, we collect your name, business name, email, phone, the trade or category you are asking about, the neighborhoods you are interested in, and anything you choose to write in a message. If you book a slot we also hold the details of that booking, including the web address and phone number printed on your ad.

Payment details we never see. Card payments are handled by our payment processor. Your card number does not reach our servers and we do not store it. We keep the fact of a payment, its amount and its status.

Scans of the QR codes on our cards. Each code on a card opens a short address on this site, which counts the scan and then sends you on to the advertiser's website or page. For each scan we record the time, which code was scanned, whether it came from a phone or a computer, and a scrambled (hashed) fingerprint made from your internet address and your browser's identifying string, with a key that changes every day. The fingerprint exists only so that the same phone opening the same code again within half an hour counts once, while two different people on the same Wi-Fi count as two. It cannot be turned back into your address or your browser, we keep neither in clear, we set no cookie, and we do not know who scanned. Requests from link previews and automated crawlers are not counted.

How we use it

To answer your enquiry, tell you whether your category is open, design and produce your ad, mail the card, take payment, and keep the records a business is required to keep. That is the complete list. We do not know who reads a card. The only thing on a card that routes through us is its QR codes, and advertisers see only totals from them: how many scans, by day, and the share from phones.

How we share information, and how we do not

We do not sell, rent or trade personal information, and we do not sell enquiries to anyone. We share only with the suppliers who make the service work: a payment processor, an email delivery provider, our hosting and website infrastructure, and the printer and USPS for the physical mailing. Each receives only what that job needs. A printer receives artwork, not your enquiry history. Scan records are never sold or shared; an advertiser sees the totals for their own ad and nothing else.

Cookies and analytics

This site uses the minimum that makes it work. We do not run advertising trackers, we do not build profiles, and we do not follow you across other websites.

How long we keep it

Enquiries that do not lead to a booking are kept while they are still useful to answer and then deleted on request. Booking and payment records are kept as long as the law requires. Scan records hold nothing that identifies a person and are kept for as long as the card's results are useful to its advertisers.

Your choices and rights

You can ask what we hold about you, ask for it corrected, or ask us to delete it, subject to records we are required to keep. Email hello@postcardadvantage.com and we will respond promptly. We will never charge you or treat you differently for asking, and you do not need to give a reason.

Marketing, texts and calls

We contact you about your enquiry or booking, and we follow up by email about cards, availability and offers. Every one of those emails has an unsubscribe link; use it and we stop. If we text, reply STOP and we will stop texting that number. Tell us you would rather only be emailed and we will note it.

Text alerts (SMS)

Advertisers who use our call tracking can choose to get text alerts from our toll-free alerts number, (888) 998-7771. We text only people who signed up themselves: on their own account page, or when buying call tracking, by typing their mobile number and ticking an unticked box that says what we will send. We never sign anyone up on their behalf.

What we text: one confirmation when you sign up, one text for each message our AI receptionist takes for your business (the caller's name, number, what they need and when to call back) and, only if you also ask for it, one text for each call you miss (the time and the caller's area code). That is up to about one text per call, never more than 20 a day per number, and never marketing. Message and data rates may apply.

Stopping and help: reply STOP to any text and we stop at once; reply START to have them back; reply HELP for help, or call (888) 348-1992 or email hello@postcardadvantage.com. You can also turn text alerts off on your account page at any time.

What we keep: your mobile number, when you signed up, the wording you agreed to, a scrambled (hashed) form of the internet address you signed up from, and a copy of each text we send you with its delivery status and cost. We do not keep the content of texts sent to us.

No sharing: we do not sell, rent or share mobile numbers or text alert sign-up (opt-in) information with third parties or affiliates for their marketing or promotional purposes. The only company that handles your number is our text message provider, and only to deliver the alerts you asked for. More about the program: text alerts.

Children

This is a service for businesses. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has sent us information, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes, and how to reach us

If we change this policy we will post the revised version here. Questions about anything above: hello@postcardadvantage.com, or the contact page.

Who we are

Postcard Advantage is operated by Postcard Advantage LLC, 6601 South Tamiami Trail #214, Sarasota, FL 34231. Questions about this page: hello@postcardadvantage.com.