Privacy & data rights

Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 26, 2026

Payment Economics Institute ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you visit payment-economics.org or use our services.

Who We Are

The data controller for payment-economics.org is Payment Economics Institute, an assumed name of Clear Paths Growth LLC, a Vermont limited liability company. We publish the Payment Economics Journal, operate the certification platform, and provide advisory and research services related to the Payment Economics discipline.

Contact for privacy matters:
Payment Economics Institute
Email: advisory@payment-economics.org
Burlington, Vermont, United States

What Data We Collect

We collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity Data: First name, last name
Contact Data: Email address
Profile Data: Your selected path (professional, association, or technology), assessment responses, resource access history
Technical Data: IP address, browser type, time zone, operating system (collected automatically via standard web technologies)
Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on site

How We Collect Your Data

We collect data through:

Direct interactions: When you fill out forms, create an account, subscribe to the Journal, complete an assessment, or contact us
Payment Portfolio Readiness Assessment: When you submit the assessment, we collect your work email, company, responses, and result. The site sends this information to PEI through our transactional email provider. Journal enrollment remains optional and requires a separate selection.
Automated technologies: Our hosting provider processes standard request and security data when the site is used. Google Analytics and LinkedIn audience measurement collect usage data only when you select them in Cookie choices.

How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide access to the Payment Economics Network and resource library
To send you relevant resources based on your selected path
To send marketing communications (only with your explicit consent)
To improve our website and services
To respond to your inquiries
To comply with legal obligations

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), UK, and other jurisdictions with similar laws, we process your data under the following legal bases:

Consent: For marketing communications and non-essential cookies
Contract: To provide services you have requested
Legitimate interests: To operate, secure, and improve our services where those interests do not override your rights
Legal obligation: To comply with applicable laws

Marketing Communications

We will only send you marketing communications if you have given explicit consent. You can withdraw consent at any time by:

Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email
Emailing us at advisory@payment-economics.org

Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal.

Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with:

Service providers (data processors): Including Supabase (authentication and database, hosted in the United States), Resend (Journal subscriber management and email delivery), HubSpot (CRM), and Netlify (hosting), who act as data processors on our behalf under contractual data processing agreements. Each processor is bound by obligations to process personal data only on our documented instructions and to implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures.
Legal authorities: If required by law or to protect our rights

International Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States. Where we transfer data outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy. Specifically:

Account and profile data: Until you request deletion or close your account
Marketing consent records: 3 years from last interaction or until consent is withdrawn
Optional analytics data: Up to 14 months, subject to the selected provider's settings
Hosting and security logs: According to our hosting provider's operational retention periods

Your Rights

Under GDPR and similar laws, you have the right to:

Access: Request a copy of your personal data
Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
Erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
Restriction: Request restriction of processing
Portability: Request transfer of your data in a machine-readable format
Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at advisory@payment-economics.org. We will respond within 30 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe your rights have been violated.

Cookies

We use the following categories of cookies:

Essential cookies: Required for authentication and site security (Supabase session management). These cannot be declined without breaking site functionality.
Functional cookies: Store your display preferences such as light/dark mode. These persist across sessions.
Website analytics: Google Analytics loads only when you select it in Cookie choices.
LinkedIn audience measurement: The LinkedIn Insight Tag loads only when you select it separately in Cookie choices.

We self-host site typography and do not load font files from third-party providers. You can change or withdraw either optional choice at any time through Cookie choices in the site footer.

Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

Data Deletion Requests

To request deletion of your personal data, email advisory@payment-economics.org with the subject line "Data Deletion Request" and the email address associated with your account. We will confirm deletion within 30 days. Note that deleting your data will remove your account and any certification records associated with it.

Third-Party Service Providers

We use the following third-party processors who may handle your personal data on our behalf:

Google Analytics (GA4): Optional website analytics
LinkedIn: Optional audience measurement and distribution of the Journal on LinkedIn
HubSpot: Customer relationship management for account and inquiry records, plus subscriber synchronization when you select it. When you create an account, PEI sends your email address, name, and the account registration page to HubSpot to maintain the operational relationship you requested. Your password is processed by Supabase and is never sent to HubSpot. Creating an account does not enroll you in the Journal or other marketing communications; those require a separate optional consent.
Stripe: Payment processing for certifications and purchases
Netlify: Website hosting and serverless functions
Resend: Journal subscriber management, marketing email delivery, and transactional email delivery. When you subscribe to the Journal or submit the Payment Portfolio Readiness Assessment, the information required for that request is transmitted to Resend. Resend acts as a data processor under our instructions.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

Contact Us

For any questions about this privacy policy or our data practices:

Payment Economics Institute
Email: advisory@payment-economics.org
Burlington, Vermont, United States