Privacy Policy

PMHNP Helper ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website pmhnphelper.com (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you visit or use the Service. It is designed to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (collectively, "CCPA"), the California Online Privacy Protection Act ("CalOPPA"), and applicable federal privacy laws.

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. Information we collect

A. Information you provide directly

• Account information: When you create an account, we collect your name and email address through our authentication provider, Clerk. This information is necessary to provide you with access to the Service.
• Payment information: When you purchase a subscription or one-time access, payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe. We do not store your credit card number, bank account details, or other payment credentials on our servers. We retain only a Stripe customer ID to manage your subscription.
• Communications: If you contact us with questions or feedback, we may collect your name, email address, and the contents of your message.

B. Information collected automatically

• Usage data: We collect information about how you interact with the Service, including pages visited, features used (e.g., quiz attempts, case completions), and general usage patterns.
• Device and browser information: We may collect your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, screen resolution, and referring URL. We may also derive your approximate location (state or region level) from your IP address for aggregate analytics purposes, such as understanding which regions our users come from. This is not precise geolocation and is not used to identify you personally.
• Cookies and similar technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to maintain your session, remember your preferences, and collect analytics data. See Section 6 below for details.

C. Information from third parties

We may receive limited information from our third-party service providers (such as Clerk and Stripe) as necessary to provide and improve the Service. We do not purchase personal information from data brokers.

2. Categories of personal information collected (CCPA)

The following table describes the categories of personal information we have collected from consumers within the preceding 12 months, the sources, the business purposes, and the categories of third parties with whom each category is shared.

We do not collect sensitive personal information as defined under the CCPA, such as Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, precise geolocation, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, biometric data, health information, or sexual orientation.

3. How we use your information

We use the personal information we collect for the following business and commercial purposes:

• Providing the Service: Creating and managing your account, delivering content, tracking study progress, and processing payments.
• Improving the Service: Analyzing usage patterns to enhance features, fix bugs, and develop new content.
• Communications: Sending transactional messages (billing receipts, account notifications, service updates). We do not send marketing emails unless you have opted in, and you may unsubscribe at any time.
• Security and fraud prevention: Detecting, preventing, and responding to security incidents, fraud, and abuse.
• Legal compliance: Complying with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

4. How we share your information

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. We may disclose your information to the following categories of third parties, solely for the business purposes described above:

• Service providers:
  • Clerk — authentication and user management (Clerk Privacy Policy)
  • Stripe — payment processing and subscription management (Stripe Privacy Policy)
  • Vercel — website hosting and analytics (Vercel Privacy Policy)
  • Google Analytics — website usage analytics (Google Privacy Policy)
• Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, in response to a valid subpoena, court order, or government request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of PMHNP Helper, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on the Service before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

5. Sale and sharing of personal information

We do not sell your personal information. We have not sold personal information in the preceding 12 months. We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined under the CCPA. Because we do not sell or share personal information, we do not offer a "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" opt-out mechanism; however, if this practice changes, we will update this policy and provide the required opt-out.

6. Cookies and tracking technologies

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Required for authentication and session management (set by Clerk). These cannot be disabled without breaking the Service.
• Analytics cookies: Used by Google Analytics and Vercel Analytics to collect aggregated usage data. Google Analytics uses cookies such as _ga and _gid to distinguish unique users and sessions.

Managing cookies: Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you disable essential cookies, some parts of the Service may not function properly.

Google Analytics opt-out: You may opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

7. Your privacy rights under California law (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the CCPA:

• Right to know: You may request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the business purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to delete: You may request that we delete the personal information we have collected about you, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal obligations, completing a transaction, security).
• Right to correct: You may request that we correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.
• Right to opt-out of sale or sharing: We do not sell or share your personal information. If this changes, we will provide an opt-out mechanism.
• Right to limit use of sensitive personal information: We do not collect sensitive personal information beyond what is necessary to provide the Service.
• Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. We will not deny you goods or services, charge you different prices, provide a different level of service, or suggest that you will receive a different price or quality of service.

How to submit a request

To exercise any of the rights described above, you may submit a verifiable consumer request by emailing us at privacy@pmhnphelper.com. To verify your identity, we will ask you to confirm information associated with your account (such as your email address).

Response timing: We will acknowledge receipt of your request within 10 business days and provide a substantive response within 45 calendar days. If we need additional time (up to 45 more days), we will notify you of the reason and extension period in writing.

Authorized agents: You may designate an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf. We may require the agent to provide proof of your signed authorization and may verify your identity directly.

8. California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)

In accordance with CalOPPA:

• This Privacy Policy is conspicuously linked from our homepage and is accessible from every page of the Service via the footer.
• Our Privacy Policy link includes the word "Privacy" and is easy to find.
• You will be notified of any material changes to this Privacy Policy on this page, and the "Last updated" date at the top will be revised.
• You can change your personal information by logging into your account or by contacting us at privacy@pmhnphelper.com.

Do Not Track signals

California law requires us to disclose how we respond to web browser "Do Not Track" (DNT) signals. At this time, there is no universally accepted standard for how to respond to DNT signals. We do not currently respond to DNT signals. However, you may opt out of Google Analytics tracking as described in Section 6 above.

9. Data retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:

• Account data: Retained for as long as your account is active.
• After deletion request: We will delete or de-identify your personal data within 30 days of a verified deletion request, except where retention is required by law (e.g., billing records for tax or accounting purposes).
• Analytics data: Aggregated analytics data that does not identify you may be retained indefinitely for service improvement.

10. Data security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL), secure authentication through Clerk, and limiting access to personal information to those who need it to operate the Service. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Children's privacy (COPPA)

The Service is designed for adult healthcare professionals and students preparing for professional certification exams. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at privacy@pmhnphelper.com.

12. Third-party links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

13. International users

The Service is operated in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country of residence. By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States.

14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email or through a prominent notice on the Service prior to the change becoming effective. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

15. Contact us

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

• Email: privacy@pmhnphelper.com
• Website: pmhnphelper.com

For CCPA-specific requests, please include "CCPA Request" in the subject line of your email to help us route your inquiry appropriately.