Privacy Policy | PetChipHub

This policy explains what personal information PetChipHub collects, why, and the choices you have. We collect only what we need to run the registration service, and we don't sell your personal information.

Information we collect

Owner details you provide: name, email address, phone number and postal address.
Pet details you provide: microchip number, pet name, type, breed, sex, color, description and any photo you upload. You may also give a previous keeper's name and phone number when transferring a pet.
Account details: your password, stored only as a one-way cryptographic hash.
Messages: what you send through our contact form or the "message the owner" feature, including any photo attached.
Payment information: handled by our payment processor, Stripe. We receive confirmation of payment and limited details (such as the amount and a payment reference), not your full card number.
Technical information: IP address and browser information in server logs, used for security and troubleshooting. If you allow analytics cookies, anonymous usage statistics (see our Cookie Policy).

How we use it

To register your pet's microchip and keep your registration up to date.
To let someone who finds your pet send you a message through us.
To process payments, send confirmations and receipts, and handle refunds.
To manage your account, including password resets and email verification.
To respond to support requests.
To protect the Service against fraud and abuse, and to comply with legal obligations.

We send service emails related to your registration. We don't send marketing emails.

What is public

When someone looks up a microchip number, they can see your pet's details (name, type, breed, sex, color and description) and whether it's reported lost. If you report your pet lost, its listing, including any photo and the description you write, appears on our public Lost Pets page. Your name, email, phone number and address are never shown publicly.

Who we share it with

Service providers who help us run PetChipHub: website hosting, email delivery, and Stripe for payments. They may use the information only to provide services to us.
A pet's keeper, when you send them a message through us. They'll see your name, email address and message, so they can reply.
Authorities, where we're required to by law or to protect someone's safety.

We do not sell or rent your personal information.

How long we keep it

We keep your registration details while your account is active, so the registration can do its job. Registrations that are started but never paid aren't active and may be removed. If you remove a pet or delete your account, the records are archived and no longer appear in lookups. You can ask us to permanently erase them (see below). Server logs are kept for a limited period for security.

Security

We use HTTPS encryption, hashed passwords and access controls to protect your information. No online service can be completely secure, so please use a strong, unique password.

Your choices and rights

Access and correction: view and update most of your details yourself in My Account.
Deletion: remove a pet or delete your account in My Account, or email us to ask for your data to be permanently erased.
Cookies: choose whether to allow analytics cookies using the cookie settings link in the footer.
Depending on where you live (for example California), you may have additional rights to know about, delete or correct your personal information. We'll honor these requests as the law requires.

To make a request, email support@petchiphub.com from the address on your account.

Children

PetChipHub isn't directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their personal information.

Links to other websites

Our pages may link to other websites, such as other microchip lookup tools. Their privacy practices are their own.

Changes

We'll update the "last updated" date when this policy changes. Significant changes will be highlighted on this page.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email support@petchiphub.com.