Privacy Policy | NOU Marketplace

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in several ways to provide and improve our services:

Information You Provide Directly:

Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and profile information.
Shipping Addresses: Delivery addresses you save for order fulfillment.
Business Information: If you register as a seller, we collect your business name, description, location, category, and any required documentation for identity and business verification.
Communications: Messages you send through our in-platform messaging system, customer support inquiries, and feedback.
Reviews and Ratings: Product reviews, ratings, and any content you post on the Platform.

Information Collected Through Third-Party Services:

Payment Information: Payment details (credit card numbers, MonCash account information, PayPal credentials) are collected and processed directly by our payment partners (Stripe, MonCash, PayPal). NOU does not store your full payment credentials on our servers.
Authentication Data: Account authentication is managed through Clerk, our identity provider. Clerk may collect login credentials, session tokens, and multi-factor authentication data in accordance with its own privacy practices.

Information Collected Automatically:

Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers, browser type, and mobile network information.
Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, search queries, products viewed, time spent on the Platform, and interaction patterns.
Location Data: Approximate location based on your IP address or, with your permission, more precise location data from your mobile device.
Push Notification Tokens: If you enable push notifications, we collect your device token to deliver notifications.

2. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Account Management: To create and manage your account, verify your identity, and maintain your profile.
Transaction Processing: To facilitate purchases, process payments, coordinate order fulfillment between buyers and sellers, and send order confirmations and updates.
Communication: To send you service-related notifications (order updates, security alerts, account changes), respond to customer support inquiries, and facilitate messaging between buyers and sellers.
Platform Improvement: To analyze usage patterns, diagnose technical issues, improve Platform features, and develop new services.
Analytics: To provide sellers with aggregated analytics about their store performance, including sales data, customer demographics, and product performance metrics.
Security and Fraud Prevention: To detect and prevent fraud, unauthorized access, and other illegal activities, and to enforce our Terms of Service.
Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or government requests.

3. Third-Party Services

NOU integrates with the following third-party services to operate the Platform. Each service has its own privacy policy that governs its handling of your data:

Clerk (Authentication): Manages user registration, login, session management, and multi-factor authentication. Clerk processes your email, name, and authentication credentials. Clerk Privacy Policy
Stripe (Payment Processing): Processes credit and debit card payments and manages seller payouts through Stripe Connect. Stripe collects and processes payment card information directly. Stripe Privacy Policy
MonCash (Payment Processing): Processes mobile money payments for users in Haiti. MonCash handles your mobile money account information and transaction data.
PayPal (Payment Processing): Processes PayPal payments. PayPal collects and manages your PayPal account information. PayPal Privacy Policy
Convex (Data Storage): Our backend database platform that stores and processes application data, including user profiles, product listings, orders, and messages. Convex Privacy Policy
Expo (Push Notifications): Delivers push notifications to your mobile device. Expo processes your device push token and notification content. Expo Privacy Policy

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We share your data only in the following circumstances:

With Sellers for Order Fulfillment: When you place an order, we share your name, shipping address, and order details with the relevant seller(s) so they can fulfill your order. Sellers receive only the information necessary for delivery and customer communication related to the order.
With Payment Processors: We share transaction details with Stripe, MonCash, or PayPal as necessary to process your payments and detect fraud.
As Required by Law: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, court order, or governmental request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
With Service Providers: We may share information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating the Platform (such as hosting, analytics, and customer support), provided they are contractually obligated to protect your data.
Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. Specifically:

Account information is retained for the duration of your account and for a reasonable period thereafter to fulfill legal obligations and resolve disputes.
Transaction records, including order history and payment confirmations, are retained for a minimum of 5 years to comply with financial and tax regulations.
Messages and communications are retained for as long as your account remains active.
Upon account deletion, we will remove or anonymize your personal data within 90 days, except where retention is required by law.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

Encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL protocols and encryption of sensitive data at rest.
Secure authentication through Clerk with support for multi-factor authentication.
Regular security assessments and monitoring of our systems for vulnerabilities.
Access controls that restrict employee access to personal data based on job function and necessity.

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data, and you use the Platform at your own risk.

7. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information. You can also update much of your information directly through your account settings.
Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain data (such as financial transaction records).
Data Portability: You may request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.
Opt-Out of Marketing: You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or adjusting your notification preferences in your account settings.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@nou.ht. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

8. Cookies and Local Storage

Our website and applications use cookies and local storage technologies to:

Essential Cookies: Maintain your authentication session, remember your language preference, and ensure the Platform functions correctly. These cookies are necessary for the operation of the Platform and cannot be disabled.
Preference Cookies: Store your currency preference (USD or HTG), language selection (English, French, or Haitian Creole), and other user preferences.
Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with the Platform so we can improve our services. These cookies collect anonymized usage data.

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may impact the functionality of the Platform.

9. Children's Privacy

The NOU Platform is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information to NOU, please contact us at support@nou.ht.

10. International Data Transfers

NOU operates primarily in Haiti, but our third-party service providers (Clerk, Stripe, Convex, Expo) may process and store data in the United States or other countries. By using the Platform, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries outside of Haiti, which may have different data protection laws. We ensure that any such transfers are conducted with appropriate safeguards in place, including contractual protections with our service providers.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, through email or in-app notifications. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

12. Contact

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: support@nou.ht
Platform: NOU Marketplace
Location: Port-au-Prince, Haiti