Privacy Policy

1. Overview

TipaTale is a platform for reading and publishing serialized fiction. To operate the Service — including accounts, Coins, Creator payouts, and notifications — we need to collect and process certain information about you. This policy explains what we collect, why, and the choices available to you.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide to us:

• Account information: username, email address, password (stored hashed), and optional profile details like pen name, bio, and avatar.
• Content you post: chapters, book descriptions, cover images, comments, reviews, and messages.
• Payment-related information: purchase history and, for Creators, payout details (such as bank account or third-party payout account identifiers) needed to send earnings.
• Communications: anything you send us, such as support requests or copyright notices.

Information collected automatically:

• Usage data: pages viewed, chapters read, reading progress, time spent, clicks, and search queries within the Service.
• Device and log data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, and approximate location derived from IP address.
• Push notification tokens: if you enable notifications on our mobile app, we collect a device push token to deliver alerts about comment replies, updates to books you follow, and account activity. You can disable this anytime in your device’s notification settings.
• Cookies and similar technologies, described in Section 6.

Information from third parties:

• If you sign up or log in using Google Sign-In, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo as permitted by your Google account settings.
• If you sign up or log in using another third-party account (such as Apple), we receive basic profile information from that provider as permitted by your settings with them.
• Payment processors and app stores (including Google Play and Apple) share limited transaction data with us (e.g. confirmation that a purchase succeeded), but not your full card number.

3. How We Use Information

• To provide, maintain, and improve the Service, including personalized recommendations;
• To process Coin purchases and calculate and issue Creator payouts;
• To deliver push notifications about activity relevant to you, such as comment replies, new chapters from books you follow, and account or security alerts;
• To communicate with you, including service updates, security alerts, and support responses;
• To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, coin manipulation, and violations of our Terms;
• To comply with legal obligations, including tax reporting for Creator earnings where required;
• To send marketing communications, where permitted, which you can opt out of at any time.

4. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in these circumstances:

• Public by design: your username, pen name, published stories, comments, and public profile are visible to other users, since TipaTale is a public reading platform.
• Service providers: payment processors, cloud hosting, push notification delivery (such as Expo’s notification service), email delivery, and analytics vendors who process data on our behalf under contractual confidentiality and security obligations.
• Authentication providers: Google, to verify your identity when you use Google Sign-In.
• Legal reasons: when required to comply with law, enforce our Terms, or protect the rights, property, or safety of TipaTale, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to standard confidentiality protections.

5. Payments & Coins Data

Coin purchases are processed by third-party payment providers (such as Stripe, Apple, or Google Play Billing, depending on how you access the Service). We receive confirmation of your purchase and your Coin balance, but do not store your full payment card details. Creator payout information (such as bank details) is collected solely to send you earnings and is handled under appropriate security controls; see our Terms for details on how Coins and payouts work.

6. Cookies & Similar Technologies

On our website, we use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences (like content filters and reading theme), understand how the Service is used, and measure the effectiveness of our marketing. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect Service functionality, such as staying logged in. Our mobile app uses equivalent on-device storage (rather than browser cookies) for the same purposes, such as remembering your reading theme and session.

7. Data Retention

We retain account and content data for as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period afterward to comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Published stories and comments may remain visible after account deletion if other users have interacted with them, unless you request removal, subject to Section 8. Push notification tokens are deleted when you disable notifications, sign out, or delete your account.

8. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export your personal information, and to object to or restrict certain processing. You can exercise many of these directly from your account settings — including deleting your account entirely — or by contacting us at privacy@tipatale.com. We will respond to verified requests within the timeframe required by applicable law. You may also unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any such email, and disable push notifications at any time in your device settings.

9. Children’s Privacy

TipaTale is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, contact us at privacy@tipatale.com and we will take appropriate action, including deleting the account.

10. Security

We use industry-standard technical and organizational measures, including encryption in transit and hashed password storage, to protect your information. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. International Transfers

We may process and store information in countries other than the one you live in. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses) to protect information transferred internationally.

12. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced through the Service or by email, and the “Last updated” date above will be revised accordingly.

13. Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy or your data can be sent to privacy@tipatale.com.