Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to ReferralPods ("we," "our," "us," or the "Platform"), operated by ReferralPods LLC. ReferralPods provides an operating platform for independent business referral syndicates, power partner pods, and executive networking groups.

We value the trust you place in us when sharing your personal and professional information. This Privacy Policy explains our practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of information when you access or use our website (referralpods.com), our web application, and related services (collectively, the "Services").

By creating an account, connecting third-party authentication providers, joining a pod, or using our Services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide, maintain, and optimize our networking tools. This includes:

A. Account and Profile Information

• Registration Details: Name, professional handle, business email address, phone number, and password hash.
• Networking Profile: Job title, company name, industry trade category, business website, professional bio, geographic market (city, state, metro), and social profile links (LinkedIn, X, YouTube, etc.).
• Profile Media: Profile photographs or corporate logos you voluntarily upload.

B. Pod & Business Networking Data

• Membership & Role Details: Pod memberships, exclusive trade seat categories, attendee rosters, and leadership roles.
• Referrals & Introductions: Business referral submissions, contact notes exchanged between teammates, and referral reward records.
• Closed Business (TYFCB): Thank You For Closed Business records celebrating revenue generated through pod referrals.

C. Billing & Payment Data

Payment processing for pod membership dues and Organizer direct deposits is handled exclusively by our third-party payment partner, Stripe, Inc. ReferralPods does not collect, process, or store full credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates, or CVV codes on our servers. Stripe securely manages all cardholder data in compliance with Level 1 PCI-DSS standards.

3. Google OAuth 2.0 User Data & Limited Use Disclosure

When you choose to link or sign in with your Google Account, we request only the basic, non-sensitive OpenID Connect identity scopes (openid, profile, and email).

• Data Accessed: Your permanent Google account subject ID (sub), primary Google email address, verified email status, Google display name, and avatar image URL.
• How We Use It: We use this information solely to authenticate your identity, prevent account collisions, and allow 1-click sign-in to your ReferralPods account.
• No Sensitive Scope Access: We do not request access to, read, or store your private Gmail messages, Google Drive files, Google Contacts, Google Docs, or Google Calendar contents.
• Zero Sale of Google Data: We will never sell, license, or monetize your Google user data, nor do we share it with data brokers or advertising networks.
• Managing & Disconnecting: You can disconnect your Google account at any time in User Settings → Connected Accounts & Logins. You can also revoke ReferralPods' access directly in your Google Account Security Settings.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use the collected information for specific, legitimate operational purposes:

• Operating the Platform: Managing pod rosters, reserving industry exclusive seats, and facilitating 1-on-1 networking appointments.
• Communications: Sending transactional alerts, weekly nudge notifications, meeting calendar invitations, and pod updates.
• Security & Fraud Prevention: Preventing duplicate seat claims, protecting against account takeover, verifying email ownership, and enforcing platform integrity.
• Financial Settlement: Facilitating automated dues billing and Organizer revenue-share disbursements via Stripe Connect.

5. Lead & Referral Privacy (Pod Exclusivity & TYFCB)

ReferralPods is designed to protect professional discretion between networking partners:

• 1-Seat Exclusivity: Only one professional per trade specialty is permitted in each pod, ensuring your business leads and referrals are never exposed to direct competitors.
• Lead Confidentiality: When a teammate passes a qualified prospective client to you, the prospective client's contact information is visible only to the referring member and the recipient.
• Closed Business Privacy Options: Pod organizers can configure closed revenue reporting (TYFCB) to be Public (visible in the pod activity feed) or Aggregate-Only (dollar amounts are masked to protect client confidentiality in sensitive sectors such as wealth management, legal, or healthcare).

6. Third-Party Data Sharing & Service Providers

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We only share information with vetted service providers who assist in operating our infrastructure:

• Stripe, Inc.: Payment processing, customer billing portal, and direct deposit payouts.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS SES): Transactional email delivery and notification dispatching.
• Twilio & Daily.co: Audio telephone conference bridges and WebRTC video meeting rooms for scheduled pod meetings.
• Google Cloud Platform (GCS): Encrypted cloud storage for member avatar uploads and digital agreements.
• Legal & Regulatory Compliance: We may disclose information if required to do so by law, subpoena, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of ReferralPods, its users, or the public.

7. Data Security & Retention

We employ modern industry safeguards to protect your personal information:

• Encryption in Transit: All web traffic and API communications are encrypted using modern Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.3 / HTTPS).
• Password Security: Passwords are never stored in plaintext; they are hashed using strong cryptographic one-way hashing algorithms.
• Data Retention: We retain account data for as long as your account remains active. Unverified registration attempts are automatically purged after 24 hours. When an account is terminated, profile records are permanently removed or anonymized in accordance with legal and tax compliance obligations.

8. Your Rights & Choices

You have full control over your information:

• Profile Management: You can review and update your name, business details, timezone, and networking preferences directly in User Settings.
• Directory Visibility: You can toggle whether your public profile is indexable in the public directory or restricted to verified pod teammates.
• Notification Controls: You can customize or unsubscribe from specific email notifications (referral alerts, promotion reminders, event notices).
• Account Deletion: You may request complete account deletion by contacting our privacy desk. Upon verification, your profile, memberships, and credentials will be removed.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data protection practices, please contact us: