Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information Easy Crochet Charts collects, how we use it, and the rights you have under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Easy Crochet Charts is an independent online tool for designing crochet pattern charts. We are the data controller for the personal data described here. To contact us about your data, use our Contact page.

2. Information we collect

• Account details — name, email address, and profile picture (for Google sign-in only). If you register with email + password, we store a hashed version of your password (bcrypt) — never the plain text.
• Your charts — the chart designs you create, associated with your account.
• Payment information — handled entirely by our payment processor, Stripe. We never see or store your card details. Stripe returns a customer identifier and your billing email to us for allow-listing your account.
• Contact submissions — first name, email, and message you send via the Contact page.
• Session cookies — an httpOnly session cookie so you stay signed in.
• Basic usage data — anonymised counts of exports, used to enforce trial limits.

3. How we use your information

• To provide the Service and store your charts;
• To authenticate you and secure your account;
• To process subscription payments and refunds (via Stripe);
• To respond to contact submissions;
• To communicate essential service updates (billing, security);
• To detect abuse and enforce trial limits.

4. Legal basis (UK GDPR)

We process your personal data on the basis of (a) performance of our contract with you when you use the Service, (b) our legitimate interests in operating and securing the Service, and (c) your consent for optional communications (which you can withdraw at any time).

5. Sharing and processors

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with:

• Stripe (payment processing) — stripe.com/gb/privacy
• Google (only if you sign in with Google) — policies.google.com/privacy
• Emergent (our hosting platform) — used only to host the Service infrastructure.

6. Data retention

We keep account data for as long as your account is active. On account deletion we permanently remove your charts and personal data within 30 days, except where we are legally required to retain records (e.g. tax invoices).

7. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you;
• Correct inaccurate data;
• Request deletion of your data;
• Export your data in a portable format;
• Object to or restrict certain processing;
• Withdraw consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, use our Contact page. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

8. Cookies

We use one essential cookie: a session token that keeps you signed in. We do not use tracking or advertising cookies.

9. Security

We use industry-standard measures (HTTPS, hashed passwords, httpOnly cookies, brute-force protection) to protect your data. No system is completely secure — please use a strong, unique password.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced in-app or via email.