Hey there! We believe in being straightforward about how we handle information. BetterSource connects conscious consumers with restaurants committed to local sourcing, and we want you to understand exactly what data we collect and how we use it.
1. Who We Are & What This Covers
BetterSource (operating as Better Source - Restaurant Supply Insight) is a platform that helps people find restaurants committed to sourcing from local farms and suppliers. This privacy policy covers:
- Our website at bettersource.app
- Our interactive restaurant map
- Restaurant application forms
- Email communications
- Social media interactions
2. Information We Collect
For General Visitors (Consumers)
When you use our map to find restaurants, we automatically collect:
- Basic website analytics - Pages visited, time spent, search terms used
- Device and browser information - To make sure the map works well for you
- IP addresses and cookies - Standard web stuff
- Location data (if you allow it) - To help you find nearby restaurants
- Your name
- Your email address
- Any personal identifying information
- Your account credentials (we don't have user accounts)
For Restaurants
When restaurants apply to be listed on BetterSource, we collect:
Restaurant Information:
- Restaurant name
- Full street address
- Phone number
- Business hours
- Restaurant description
- Local sourcing information (which categories, suppliers, percentages)
Contact Person Information:
- Contact person name
- Contact email address
- Position/title
Optional Information:
- Restaurant website
- Social media links
- Marketing preferences
- Current promotions
Payment Information
Important: We do NOT collect or store any payment information directly. All payments are processed through Stripe, a certified payment processor. When you click a payment link, you leave our site and complete payment on Stripe's secure platform.
What happens:
- You click our payment link → redirected to Stripe
- You enter payment info on Stripe's site (not ours)
- Stripe processes your payment
- Stripe confirms payment to us (we only receive confirmation, not your card details)
For information about how Stripe handles your payment data, visit: https://stripe.com/privacy
3. How We Use Your Information
For Consumers
We use the automatically collected data to:
- Provide the restaurant map and search functionality
- Understand which features are most helpful
- Improve the user experience
- Fix technical issues
- Analyze traffic patterns (anonymously)
For Restaurants
We use restaurant information to:
- Display your restaurant on our public map
- Show your local sourcing commitment to consumers
- Process your subscription (basic or premium tier)
- Communicate about your listing
- Send monthly coupon reminders (premium tier only)
- Provide customer support
We'll never:
- Sell your restaurant data to third parties
- Share your contact information with competitors
- Use your email for unrelated marketing
- Display information you asked us to keep private
4. When We Share Information
We keep information private, except in these specific situations:
Service Providers
We work with trusted companies that help us run BetterSource:
- Stripe - Payment processing (stripe.com)
- Google - Forms, Drive storage for coupons, Maps integration, Analytics
- Vercel - Website hosting
- GitHub - Secure code storage
- Email service providers - For restaurant communications
These companies only get the information they need to do their job, and they're contractually required to keep it safe.
Public Information
The following restaurant information is PUBLIC and visible to anyone using our map:
- Restaurant name
- Address
- Phone number
- Business hours
- Restaurant description
- Local sourcing categories and percentages
- Monthly coupons (premium tier only)
Contact person information (name, email, title) is kept private and never displayed publicly.
Legal Requirements
We might have to share information if legally required (like if we get a court order), but we'll fight unnecessary requests and notify you when legally allowed to do so.
Business Changes
If BetterSource gets acquired or merged with another company, your information would transfer to the new owners. We'd let you know beforehand and ensure your rights are protected.
5. Third-Party Platforms
We use various platforms, and each has its own privacy policy:
- Google Maps - Powers our interactive map (google.com/privacy)
- Google Forms - Restaurant application form (google.com/privacy)
- Google Drive - Stores premium coupon images (google.com/privacy)
- Stripe - Payment processing (stripe.com/privacy)
- Vercel - Website hosting (vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy)
- Social media platforms - Facebook, Instagram, etc. (when you interact with our posts)
Pro tip: You can copy any privacy policy into ChatGPT or Claude and ask it to explain the concerning parts. We encourage you to do this with any service you use!
6. Your Rights & Controls
For Consumers
Location Permissions:
- Control whether to share your location with our map
- Adjust in your browser settings anytime
Cookies:
- Block cookies through browser settings
- Some features may not work as well without cookies
For Restaurants
You have complete control over your information:
Update Your Information:
- Request changes to your listing anytime
- Update your contact information
- Modify local sourcing percentages
- Change subscription tier
Access Your Data:
- Request a copy of all information we have about you
- See what's displayed publicly on the map
Delete Your Information:
- Remove your restaurant from the map
- Delete all associated data
- Cancel your subscription
Marketing Preferences:
- Opt out of promotional emails
- Continue receiving essential service emails only
To exercise any of these rights, email us at: bettersource@gmail.com
We're real people who actually read and respond to emails.
7. Data Security
We take security seriously:
Technical Measures:
- Industry-standard encryption (HTTPS/SSL)
- Secure servers (Vercel hosting)
- Regular security updates
- Limited team access to data
- Secure file storage (Google Drive with restricted access)
Payment Security:
- All payments processed by Stripe (PCI-compliant)
- We never see or store your credit card information
- Stripe maintains the highest security standards
Restaurant Data:
- Stored in secure Google Sheets
- Access limited to authorized team members only
- Regular backups
- Version control for code (GitHub)
Reality Check: Nothing online is 100% secure. We'll always be transparent if there's ever a security incident that affects you.
8. Cookies & Tracking
Essential Cookies
These keep our website working properly:
- Map functionality
- Search features
- Session management
- Security features
Analytics Cookies
We use Google Analytics to understand:
- How people use the map
- Which search terms are popular
- What features are most helpful
- Technical issues to fix
This helps us make BetterSource better for everyone.
Your Cookie Controls
You can control cookies through your browser settings:
- Block all cookies
- Block third-party cookies only
- Delete existing cookies
- Set preferences per website
Note: Blocking all cookies might prevent some features from working properly, but that's your choice.
9. Children's Privacy
BetterSource is not intended for children under 13. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 13. If you're a parent and think your child has shared information with us, please contact us immediately and we'll delete it.
10. International Users
BetterSource operates from the United States and currently focuses on Colorado-based restaurants. If you're using our services from another country, your information will be transferred to and processed in the US.
Different countries have different privacy laws. By using BetterSource, you acknowledge this transfer and processing.
11. Data Retention
For Restaurants:
- We keep your information as long as you have an active subscription
- After cancellation: We retain basic information (name, address) for 90 days
- Contact information deleted immediately upon request
- Public listings removed within 48 hours of cancellation
- Payment records kept for 7 years (legal requirement)
For Consumers:
- Analytics data is anonymized and aggregated
- Individual session data deleted after 90 days
- No personal data is retained (we don't collect it)
12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
If you're a California resident, you have additional rights:
Right to Know:
- What personal information we collect
- How we use it
- Who we share it with
Right to Delete:
- Request deletion of your personal information
- With some legal exceptions
Right to Opt-Out:
- We don't sell personal information, so there's nothing to opt out of
Right to Non-Discrimination:
- We won't discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights
To exercise these rights, contact us at: bettersource@gmail.com
13. Changes to This Policy
We'll update this policy occasionally to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes:
- We'll email restaurant partners
- We'll post a notice on our website
- We'll update the effective date at the top
For restaurants: Continuing your subscription means you accept any changes.
For consumers: Continuing to use our map means you accept any changes.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
14. Contact Us
Questions about this privacy policy? Want to exercise your rights? Just want to chat about privacy in general?
- Email: bettersource@gmail.com
- Website: bettersource.app
We're real people running a real business, and we actually read and respond to our emails. No chatbots here!
Summary (TL;DR)
For people using the map:
- We don't collect personal info about you
- You can use our map anonymously
- We use basic analytics to make the map better
- Your location data (if you share it) helps find nearby restaurants
For restaurants:
- We collect business info to display your listing
- Contact info stays private
- Stripe handles all payments (we never see your card)
- You control your data and can delete it anytime
For everyone:
- We don't sell data to anyone
- We use trusted service providers
- We're transparent about our practices
- We're real people who respond to emails
Thanks for trusting us with your information. We don't take that lightly, and we're committed to handling it with the same care we'd want for our own.
Questions? Email us at bettersource@gmail.com
Content copyright 2026. BetterSource.app. All rights reserved.
This privacy policy was created to be straightforward and honest. If anything is unclear, please ask us - we're happy to explain.