LEGAL
Privacy Policy
Effective date: October 1, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how AreaVantage handles information when you use the website.
Accounts, saved plans and payments
If you sign in, we use your authenticated account identifier and email to associate saved business plans and, when enabled, a subscription with your account. Saving a plan stores its text, cost assumptions and checklist progress on the service. Downloads do not require saving a plan. Stripe handles checkout and payment-card information; we store billing customer and subscription identifiers and subscription status, not your full card details. Account information needed for checkout is sent to Stripe when you choose to subscribe. Use Manage billing to manage your subscription.
Visitor navigation chat
Chat messages remain in the current page session until cleared or the page is closed. When AI navigation is enabled, your question, recent chat messages and selected area, business type and section are sent to OpenAI to generate a reply. Saved business-plan contents are not included. We request that API responses are not stored as response objects; provider handling remains subject to its applicable data policy. For abuse control, short-lived request counters may include a hash of your IP address and are retained for up to two days. Do not enter passwords, payment details or confidential information. Navigation mode uses preset website guidance when AI is unavailable.
Information you provide
AreaVantage may receive information you choose to provide, such as a message, feedback, or email address if a contact or signup feature is enabled. We use it to respond, provide requested updates, and improve the service.
Information collected automatically
The service may receive standard technical information such as browser type, device information, approximate location derived from an IP address, pages requested, and timestamps. This information may be used for security, reliability, analytics, and aggregate usage measurement.
Research selections
Market and business selections may be processed to return the requested results. Research selections are separate from the business plans you explicitly save to your account. Avoid entering sensitive personal, financial, or confidential business information into research fields.
Cookies and analytics
AreaVantage may use essential technologies for security and site operation. If analytics or advertising tools are added, they may use cookies or similar technologies according to their own policies. You can control cookies through your browser settings.
News and external links
AreaVantage links to external publishers, government sites, and data providers. When you follow a link, the destination site may collect information under its own privacy policy. AreaVantage does not receive information submitted directly to those sites unless they share it with us.
Service providers and disclosures
We may use hosting, analytics, security, email, and payment providers to operate the service. We may disclose information when required by law, to protect the service and users, or as part of a business transfer. We do not sell personal information as a core business practice.
Retention and security
We retain information only as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described here or as required by law. No internet service can guarantee absolute security, but we use reasonable measures appropriate to the service.
Your choices
You may contact us to ask about information associated with your request, request correction, or withdraw from optional communications. We may need to verify your request and may retain information where the law permits or requires it.
Children
AreaVantage is intended for business research and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
Changes and contact
We may update this policy as features change. The effective date above shows when this version took effect. Questions may be sent to the contact address published on the AreaVantage website.