Privacy Policy

1. Scope

This policy explains how GIS Utils handles personal information when you browse this website, use the GIS tools, purchase or download a dataset, or contact us. It does not govern the independent privacy practices of Stripe, Google, map providers, or other third-party services.

2. Information we handle

Website and technical information

When you visit the site, our hosting and application infrastructure may process ordinary request information such as your IP address, browser and device type, requested page, referring page, and request time. We use this information to operate the site, protect it from abuse, and diagnose errors.

Purchase and download information

When you purchase a dataset, Stripe collects the payment information entered at checkout. Stripe returns information needed to complete and document the order. Depending on what you provide at checkout, we may retain:

• Your name, email address, and billing address or location;
• The dataset purchased, order date, currency, subtotal, tax, discount, and total;
• Stripe session, payment-intent, payment-status, and transaction identifiers;
• Dataset entitlements, download access, short-lived access tokens, and download events.

We do not receive or store your full payment-card number or card security code. Stripe handles payment data under its own Privacy Policy.

Account and sign-in information

If you create an account, we store your name, email address, verification status, password hash when you set a password, account status, and purchase relationships. If you use Google sign-in, we receive your Google account identifier, name, email address, and profile image. Google does not provide your Google password to us.

To prevent abusive registrations, we process registration IP addresses and compare them with prior registrations and locally stored Tor, VPN/datacenter, and disposable-email blocklists. Cloudflare Turnstile may process technical information needed to distinguish people from automated traffic.

Support communications

If you email us, we receive your email address and the information you include in the message. Please do not send payment-card details or unnecessary sensitive information by email.

GIS tool input

GeoJSON, coordinates, CSV content, WKT, polylines, and other content pasted into or opened by our GIS tools are processed locally in your browser. The tools do not send that content to our application server.

Map-based tools request visual map tiles from the map provider selected in the tool. The provider can receive ordinary network information and the tile coordinates needed to display the visible map area. Selecting a different basemap changes the provider receiving those requests.

Catalog searches

When you search the tools or dataset catalogs, we may retain the normalized search phrase, the catalog searched, the number of matching results, and an aggregate search count. We do not store an IP address with the search phrase. Searches are rate-limited, combined by phrase and day, and removed after a limited retention period. We use them to identify missing tools and datasets. Do not enter personal or sensitive information into catalog search fields.

3. Cookies and browser storage

• Essential site storage: the site uses a session cookie for authentication, carts, purchase access, security, and normal request handling.
• Preferences: theme and per-tool map-style choices are stored locally in your browser so they persist between visits.

You can clear or block cookies and local storage through your browser. Blocking essential cookies may prevent sign-in, carts, and purchase access from working. Blocking preference storage may reset your selected theme or map style.

4. How we use information

• Complete payments and deliver purchased datasets;
• Create accounts, authenticate users, and attach verified guest purchases;
• Send confirmations and provide renewable, time-limited access links to permanent purchase entitlements;
• Manage one-time dataset update passes and their access periods;
• Verify orders, rate-limit access, and answer support requests;
• Maintain site security, prevent abuse, and troubleshoot failures;
• Understand aggregate site usage and improve navigation and tools;
• Meet accounting, tax, legal, and regulatory obligations.

Depending on where you live, these activities may rely on performance of a contract, our legitimate interests in operating and securing the service, compliance with law, or consent where consent is required.

5. When information is shared

We disclose information only as needed to operate the service or comply with law. Relevant service providers include:

• Stripe, for checkout, payment processing, tax calculation, fraud prevention, and transaction records;
• Google, when you choose Google sign-in;
• Cloudflare Turnstile, when enabled for automated-abuse prevention;
• Email-delivery providers, for order confirmations, download links, and support replies;
• Hosting and infrastructure providers, for serving and securing the website;
• CARTO, OpenStreetMap, and Esri, when their map tiles are displayed.

These providers may process information in countries other than your own and apply their own privacy terms. We may also disclose information when reasonably necessary to comply with law, enforce our terms, protect the service or its users, or complete a business reorganization or transfer.

We do not sell personal information. We do not share GIS tool input with data brokers or use it to create datasets for sale.

6. Retention

Completed purchase entitlements remain available while we operate the applicable download service. Individual guest-access and file links expire quickly and can be regenerated after verification. Order, entitlement, update-pass, and download records may be retained for purchase support, accounting, fraud prevention, dispute handling, and legal compliance. Incomplete checkout records and expired access tokens are removed when no longer operationally necessary.

Deleted accounts have a 30-day recovery period. After that period, account data is removed or de-identified unless specific records must be retained for completed purchases, update passes, accounting, fraud prevention, disputes, or legal obligations.

Support messages are retained as needed to resolve the request and maintain an appropriate support record. Aggregate catalog searches are normally retained for 180 days. Browser preferences remain on your device until you clear them.

7. Security

We use HTTPS, password hashing, email verification, restricted access, secure payment processing, signed short-lived links, private file storage, request throttling, and other reasonable administrative and technical safeguards. No website or transmission method can be guaranteed completely secure, so you should keep access links private and store downloaded files appropriately.

8. Your choices and rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of your personal information, and to object to or restrict certain processing. You may also withdraw consent where processing depends on consent.

Send requests to support@gisutils.com . We may need to verify your identity and purchase details before responding. We may retain information that must be kept for legal, accounting, fraud-prevention, or dispute-resolution purposes.

9. Children

The service is intended for business, professional, and research use and is not directed to children. Do not submit a purchase unless you are legally able to enter into a contract or are acting with the authorization of someone who is.

10. Updates and contact

We may update this policy when the service or our legal obligations change. The effective date at the top identifies the current version. Material changes will be presented on this page before or when they take effect.

Questions or privacy requests can be sent to support@gisutils.com .