FishDuel ("FishDuel," "we," "us," or "our") is a competitive fishing platform where users create accounts, log catches, compete in tournaments, and join crews. Our services are available at fishduel.net and through any associated applications (collectively, the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information, and your rights regarding that data. By using the Service, you agree to the practices described here. This policy is incorporated by reference into our Terms of Service.
About FishDuel
FishDuel is a digital platform — we do not currently sell physical goods, though we may offer branded merchandise and third-party products in the future. Current services include:
- Free waitlist registration to receive early access and platform launch communications.
- A $1.00 one-time founding access fee to secure a discounted membership rate, processed via Stripe. No recurring charges occur at the time of this payment. Subscription billing begins only after the official platform launch, with advance email notice.
- Paid monthly membership tiers (Angler, Pro, Elite) beginning at or following public launch.
- Competitive features: catch logging, GPS-tagged photo verification, leaderboards, crew management, and location-based tournament discovery.
- Future features may include branded merchandise, third-party product listings, sponsored tournaments, in-app purchases, affiliate partnerships, and advertising — all covered by updated versions of this policy.
Information We Collect
- Identity and contact: Full name and email address at registration or waitlist signup.
- Profile data: Username, angler profile details, fishing specialties, and optional public profile content.
- User-generated content: Catch photos, catch logs, species data, weight and measurement submissions, GPS-tagged locations, and any content you upload.
- Location data: Precise GPS coordinates attached to catch submissions or used for tournament discovery — collected only with your explicit device permission.
- Support communications: Messages and emails sent to our support team.
- Payment information: Payment details entered at checkout go directly to Stripe's secure, encrypted interface. FishDuel does not collect, receive, transmit, or store your card number, CVV, expiration date, or other sensitive payment credentials. See Section 5 for full details.
- IP address and approximate location (city or region level) derived from your IP.
- Device type, operating system, browser name and version.
- Usage data: pages visited, session duration, links clicked, features used.
- Referral source: the URL or channel that directed you to the Service.
- Cookie and tracking identifiers (see Section 9).
- Stripe: Transaction confirmations, subscription status, and dispute notifications. We do not receive your full card details.
- Mailchimp: Aggregated email delivery and engagement metrics.
- Google Analytics: Anonymized, aggregated website usage data.
- Future advertising and affiliate partners: Impression and click data associated with sponsored content or affiliate links, clearly disclosed at the point of encounter.
How We Use Your Information
- Account creation, authentication, and profile management.
- Delivering platform features: catch logging, leaderboards, tournament entry, crew management.
- Processing payments and managing subscriptions through Stripe.
- Sending transactional communications: billing confirmations, subscription alerts, launch notices, account security updates.
- Sending marketing communications where you have opted in or where permitted by law. You may opt out at any time (see Section 7.3).
- Analyzing usage patterns to improve features, fix bugs, and develop new functionality.
- Detecting and preventing fraud, unauthorized access, chargeback abuse, and other harmful activity.
- Supporting sponsored content, advertising, and affiliate partnerships on a disclosed, opt-out basis.
- Complying with applicable laws and enforcing our Terms of Service.
Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
If you are in the European Economic Area, we process your data on the following legal bases:
- Contract performance: Account management, payment processing, and service delivery.
- Legitimate interests: Fraud prevention, platform security, and service improvement, where not overridden by your rights.
- Consent: Marketing communications and precise location collection. Withdrawable at any time without affecting prior processing.
- Legal obligation: Tax records, financial compliance, and lawful government requests.
Payment Processing — Stripe
All payments on FishDuel are processed exclusively by Stripe, Inc., a globally recognized payment infrastructure provider certified to PCI-DSS Level 1 — the highest level of payment security certification.
- Card numbers, CVV codes, expiration dates, and billing addresses are entered directly into Stripe's encrypted interface and never transmitted to FishDuel's servers.
- Stripe stores your payment method on our behalf and returns a secure, anonymized token we use to initiate authorized future charges.
- Your Stripe Customer ID (an anonymized reference — not card data).
- Transaction history: dates, amounts, and payment status.
- Subscription tier and billing status.
By submitting payment on FishDuel, you also agree to Stripe's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
All payments to FishDuel are final and non-refundable except where required by applicable law. The $1.00 founding access fee is charged immediately and is non-refundable. No recurring charges occur at the time of this payment. Subscription billing begins only after official platform launch with at least 7 days advance email notice. If you believe a charge was made in error, contact [email protected] before initiating any dispute or chargeback.
How We Share Your Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.
- Stripe, Inc. — Payments and card storage. stripe.com/privacy
- Mailchimp (Intuit Inc.) — Email communications. mailchimp.com/legal/privacy
- Google LLC — Analytics. policies.google.com/privacy
- Netlify, Inc. — Website hosting and delivery.
- Future advertising networks or affiliate platforms — disclosed at the point of encounter with opt-out rights.
- Angler display name and public profile.
- Catch submissions, photos, species, weight, and leaderboard rankings.
- Tournament results and crew affiliations.
Your email address, billing information, and private account data are never displayed publicly.
If FishDuel displays sponsored content or participates in affiliate programs, we will disclose such relationships clearly. We may share aggregated, non-identifiable audience data with sponsors — never individual personally identifiable information without your explicit consent.
We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect the safety, rights, or property of FishDuel, our users, or the public.
In a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred. We will provide advance notice before your data becomes subject to a materially different privacy policy.
Your Rights and Choices
Request a copy of your data or ask us to correct inaccuracies. Contact: [email protected].
Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention obligations such as billing records (minimum 7 years under U.S. tax regulations).
Click "Unsubscribe" in any marketing email or contact us. Transactional and billing emails are unaffected.
Revoke location permission through your device settings at any time. This may limit location-based features.
Contact [email protected] to update or remove your payment method.
You have the right to know what data we collect, request deletion, and opt out of data sales. We do not sell personal information. Contact us to exercise CCPA rights. We respond within 45 days.
You have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, or port your personal data, and to object to processing. Contact [email protected]. You may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
Data Retention
- Account and profile data: Life of your account plus up to 2 years after closure.
- Billing and payment records: Minimum 7 years per U.S. tax and financial regulations.
- Catch and leaderboard data: Retained to preserve competition record integrity.
- Marketing data: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
- Security logs: Up to 2 years for fraud investigation and dispute resolution.
- Analytics data: Anonymized and aggregated — no deletion timeline.
Cookies and Tracking
- Essential cookies: Required for session management and security. Cannot be disabled without affecting Service functionality.
- Analytics cookies: Google Analytics — aggregate usage data. Opt out at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
- Advertising cookies (future): If we display ads, we will update this section with full disclosure and opt-out mechanisms.
- Preference cookies: Store your settings between sessions.
Security
- HTTPS/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
- Payment data handled exclusively by Stripe under PCI-DSS Level 1 certification.
- Access to user data restricted to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis.
- Regular review of security practices and risk assessments.
No system is completely secure. In the event of a material data breach, we will notify affected users and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.
Children's Privacy
FishDuel is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If we discover such data was collected without verifiable parental consent, we will delete it promptly. Contact [email protected] if you believe a child has submitted information to us.
Third-Party Links
The Service may link to third-party websites not operated by FishDuel. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Review the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit.
International Data Transfers
FishDuel is operated in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the U.S., your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States. For EEA users, we rely on standard contractual clauses or other lawful mechanisms approved by the European Commission.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy at any time. For material changes, we will email you and post a notice on fishduel.net at least 14 days before changes take effect. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance.