SpareSeat

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 15, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how SpareSeat LLC (entity formation pending) (“SpareSeat”, “we”, “us”) collects, uses, stores, and shares information when you use the SpareSeat platform (the “Platform”). It is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Service. The Platform is designed for users in the United States.

1. Information we collect

Information you provide directly

  • Account information — email address, display name, password (stored as a hash by our authentication provider, Supabase; we never store plaintext passwords), and metro area.
  • Invitation Gmail address — the Gmail address you submit when joining a group. This is used solely so your Host can send your YouTube Premium Family plan invitation. We do not send email to this address on our own initiative, and we do not share it with anyone other than your Host.
  • Group chat messages — messages you send in group chat, including automated system messages generated by Platform events (e.g., invite confirmations and seat status changes).
  • Dispute details — the description and evidence you provide when opening a dispute.
  • Member removal reasons — when a Host removes a Member, the Host must provide a written reason. This reason is stored on the Platform, included in the notification email sent to the removed Member, and used in reliability scoring and dispute review.
  • Host verification — Hosts receiving payouts complete identity verification directly with Stripe. SpareSeat receives only the verification status (verified / pending / failed), not your underlying identity documents.
  • Agent-of-payee consent — the timestamp at which a Host accepts the payment collection agent terms, recorded to substantiate the authority to collect payments on the Host’s behalf.

Information collected automatically

  • Usage and device data — IP address, browser type and version, pages visited, time of access, referring URL, and approximate geographic region, collected through server logs and our error monitoring provider (Sentry).
  • Authentication cookies — we use strictly necessary session cookies to keep you signed in. We do not set advertising, tracking, or third-party analytics cookies.
  • Platform audit events — a log of significant actions (such as group creation, seat count changes, membership transitions, removal events, and payout releases) linked to your account ID and used for platform integrity, dispute resolution, and reliability scoring.
  • Email delivery metadata — whether transactional emails we send were delivered, bounced, or flagged as spam, as reported back by our email provider (Resend).

Information from third parties

  • Google sign-in (optional) — if you choose to sign in with Google, we receive your email address and display name from Google via OAuth. Connecting Google is optional and enables a “Google-verified” badge on your Host profile.
  • Stripe payment information — payments are processed by Stripe. We receive transaction metadata (charge amounts, status, last four digits of card, payment method type) but never your full card number or CVV. Hosts’ payout account details are held by Stripe Connect and are not stored on SpareSeat servers.

2. How we use your information

  • Operate the marketplace — matching Members to available groups, managing group and seat state, coordinating invitations, running group chat, and enforcing seat capacity and Host-defined seat counts.
  • Process payments — charging Member subscriptions, issuing refunds (including prorated refunds for Host-initiated removals), and transferring Host payouts through Stripe Connect.
  • Enforce service levels and platform integrity — tracking invitation deadlines, computing reliability scores (including deductions for misuse of the removal feature), processing disputes, detecting and preventing fraud, and enforcing these Terms.
  • Send transactional communications — payment receipts and failure notices, invitation notifications and deadline reminders, membership status updates (including removal notices with reason), dispute updates, and payout confirmations. These emails are required to operate your account and subscription.
  • Monitor errors and improve the product — using aggregated and anonymized usage data and error reports to diagnose issues and build new features.
  • Comply with legal obligations — responding to lawful requests from government authorities, enforcing our rights, and preventing illegal activity.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your information for third-party advertising or behavioral profiling.

3. How we share your information

  • With other users — minimally and only as necessary. Your display name, metro area, and reliability score are visible to other Platform users. Your Host sees the Gmail address you provide for your invitation. Other Members in your group see your display name and chat messages — never your account email, payment details, or invitation address. When a Host removes a Member, the removal reason is disclosed to the removed Member only (via email and in-Platform notification).
  • Service providers — infrastructure and processing partners acting on our behalf under data processing agreements: Supabase (database and authentication), Stripe (payment processing and payout infrastructure), Vercel (application hosting), Resend (transactional email delivery), and Sentry (error monitoring). Each provider receives only the data required to perform its function.
  • Legal disclosures — when required by applicable law or valid legal process, to protect the rights, property, or safety of SpareSeat, our users, or the public, or in connection with a business transfer (merger, acquisition, or asset sale), in which case this Privacy Policy continues to govern data collected prior to the transfer.

4. Data retention

We retain account data while your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter to resolve pending disputes. Payment and payout records (including refund history and Member removal logs used for reliability scoring) are retained as required for tax, accounting, dispute, and regulatory purposes — generally for seven years. Group chat messages are retained while the group exists. Platform audit events are retained for a minimum of two years.

When you delete your account, we delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except records we are required to retain by law, records needed to resolve active disputes, and anonymized aggregate data used to improve the Platform.

5. Your rights and choices

  • Access and correction — you can view and update your display name and metro area in your account settings at any time.
  • Data requests — you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data by emailing admin@spareseat.app. We will respond within 30 days and may verify your identity before acting.
  • California residents (CCPA/CPRA) — you have the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used and shared; the right to delete your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements); the right to correct inaccurate information; and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell or share personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA. Submit a verifiable consumer request to admin@spareseat.app.
  • Marketing communications — we do not currently send marketing or promotional email. If we introduce marketing communications in the future, they will include an unsubscribe link. Transactional emails (receipts, membership updates, removal notices, dispute communications) are required to operate your account and cannot be opted out of while you have an active membership or group.

6. Security

We protect your data using industry-standard measures: TLS encryption for all data in transit; row-level security policies so users can only access their own records; restricted service credentials with least-privilege access; webhook signature verification for all payment events; and routine security review of our application code. No system is perfectly secure. In the event of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

7. Children

The Platform is for adults 18 years of age and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18, and never from children under 13. If you believe a minor has provided us data, contact us at admin@spareseat.app and we will delete it promptly.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. For material changes we will notify you by email or in-app at least 14 days before the changes take effect. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the version currently in effect.

9. Contact

Privacy questions, data requests, or concerns: admin@spareseat.app