We collect minimal information about visitors — basically, anonymous analytics about which pages get visited. We don't sell your data. We use cookies for analytics and to track affiliate clicks. The full details are below.
1. Scope of this policy
This privacy policy describes how Paid Off Club ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares information about visitors to paidoffclub.com (the "Site"). It applies to all visitors regardless of where you are located, with additional rights granted to visitors in the European Union, United Kingdom, and California as described below.
By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.
2. Information we collect
We collect the minimum amount of information necessary to operate the Site, understand our audience, and improve our content. Specifically:
Information collected automatically
When you visit the Site, our analytics provider (Google Analytics 4) automatically collects standard web data, including:
- Your approximate geographic location (typically city or region level, not precise location)
- The type of device, operating system, and browser you're using
- Pages you visit on the Site and how long you spend on them
- The website you came from before reaching the Site (the "referrer")
- Anonymous identifiers used to count unique visitors
This information is aggregate and does not identify you personally. We do not collect your name, email address, or other identifying information through normal use of the Site.
Information you provide voluntarily
If you contact us by email, we'll receive whatever information you choose to share — typically your email address and the content of your message. We use this only to respond to your inquiry and we do not add your email to any marketing list.
The Site does not have any login system, comment section, or form that collects personal information. The interactive calculators run entirely in your browser; we do not see or store the financial figures you enter.
3. How we use information
We use the information we collect for these purposes:
- To understand which content is useful to readers and improve future articles
- To monitor Site performance and fix technical issues
- To respond to questions or messages you send us
- To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or security incidents
- To comply with legal obligations
We do not use your information to build advertising profiles, sell products to you directly, or train AI systems.
4. Cookies and tracking technologies
The Site uses cookies and similar technologies to function and to collect the analytics described above. A cookie is a small text file stored on your device that helps websites remember information between visits.
Types of cookies we use
Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4). These cookies help us understand how many people visit the Site and which pages are most useful. They include cookies named _ga and _ga_* and typically expire after 13 months.
Affiliate tracking cookies. When you click an affiliate link on the Site (clearly labeled as such), the partner network may set a cookie on your device to track whether you ultimately sign up for the partner's service. This cookie is set by the partner, not by us. We receive a commission if you sign up; the commission does not change the price you pay.
How to control cookies
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers let you block or delete cookies entirely, or warn you before accepting them. Doing so may affect Site functionality. You can also opt out of Google Analytics specifically by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
5. Third-party services
The Site uses the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy that governs their handling of your data.
- Google Analytics — for visitor analytics. Google's privacy policy.
- Netlify — for website hosting. Netlify's privacy policy.
- Affiliate partners — when you click affiliate links, the partner's website applies their own privacy policy. Major partners include those administered through Impact (Impact's privacy policy) and other affiliate networks.
6. Affiliate links and disclosures
Paid Off Club participates in affiliate programs. This means we may earn a commission when readers click through to a partner's website from links on our Site and subsequently sign up for the partner's service or product. The reader pays the same price they would if they'd found the partner directly; the commission comes out of the partner's marketing budget.
In compliance with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines on endorsements, we disclose affiliate relationships clearly on every page that contains promotional links. The disclosure appears near the top of any review or recommendation page.
We only partner with companies whose products we'd genuinely recommend, and our editorial choices are not influenced by commission rates. When a non-affiliate option is the best choice for a reader's situation, we say so.
7. When we share information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share information only in these limited circumstances:
- With service providers who help us operate the Site (such as Google for analytics and Netlify for hosting), under contracts that limit their use of the data.
- To comply with the law, including responding to lawful requests from government authorities or in response to legal process.
- To protect our rights, the safety of our users, or the public, where we believe disclosure is necessary.
- In the event of a business transaction, such as a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
8. Your rights
For visitors in the European Union and United Kingdom (GDPR)
Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
- Restrict or object to processing of your data
- Data portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format
- Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent
- Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
To exercise these rights, contact us at legal@paidoffclub.com.
For California residents (CCPA / CPRA)
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act, California residents have the right to:
- Know what personal information we collect, use, and share
- Request deletion of personal information
- Correct inaccurate personal information
- Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
- Limit the use of sensitive personal information (we do not collect sensitive personal information as defined by CPRA)
- Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
To exercise these rights, contact us at legal@paidoffclub.com. We will respond within 45 days as required by law.
9. Children's privacy
The Site is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at legal@paidoffclub.com and we will take steps to delete that information.
10. Data security
We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards to protect the limited information we collect. The Site is served over HTTPS with industry-standard encryption. However, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, regulatory, or operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, provide additional notice (such as a banner on the Site).
We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your information.
12. How to contact us
If you have questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, please email us at legal@paidoffclub.com.
For general questions or feedback, our contact page lists the appropriate addresses for different types of inquiries.