Privacy Policy

Effective Date: September 3, 2026
Last Updated: September 11, 2026
Website: https://themerchantmanual.com (“The Merchant Manual”, “I”, “me”, or “my”)
Contact: admin@themerchantmanual.com

At The Merchant Manual, I respect your privacy and am committed to protecting any personal information you share with me. This Privacy Policy outlines what information I collect, how I use it, and your rights regarding your data.

1. Information I Collect

A. Information You Voluntarily Provide

  • Email Subscriptions: When you subscribe to my newsletter or create a reader account, I collect your email address.
  • Direct Communications: If you contact me via email, I collect your email address and any information you provide in your message (such as questions about merchant statements).

B. Automatically Collected Information (Analytics)

When you browse my website, I use privacy-focused analytics tools to collect non-personally identifiable technical information, including:

  • Browser type and operating system
  • Referring website or search engine
  • Pages viewed, time spent on pages, and navigation paths
  • General geographic location (country or state level, not precise GPS)
  • Anonymized IP addresses (I do not track or store raw, identifiable IP addresses)

C. Cookies

I use minimal, essential cookies required for basic site navigation and display preferences (such as light or dark mode). I do not use intrusive third-party cross-site advertising tracking cookies.

2. How I Use Your Information

I use the information I collect strictly to:

  • Deliver educational guides, updates, and newsletters you have subscribed to.
  • Monitor site traffic and improve the quality and performance of my content.
  • Respond to your inquiries, feedback, or support questions.
  • Protect against spam, unauthorized access, or security threats.

I will never sell, rent, or trade your personal email address or data to third-party data brokers or marketing agencies.

3. Affiliate Links & Third-Party Disclosure

The Merchant Manual participates in various affiliate and referral programs. Some links on my website are affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link and sign up for a service (such as a payment processor, virtual terminal, or hardware provider), I may earn a referral commission at no additional cost to you.

I only recommend services and hardware that I believe provide genuine value and transparency to business owners. Third-party websites you visit via my links have their own independent privacy policies.

4. Third-Party Service Providers

I may share limited data with trusted third-party service providers that help me operate my publication:

  • Hosting & Infrastructure: Cloud compute and server infrastructure (Oracle Cloud).
  • Email Delivery: Transactional and newsletter email delivery services to deliver subscription emails.
  • Analytics: Privacy-first event streaming infrastructure.

5. Your Data Rights & Unsubscribing

  • Opt-Out / Unsubscribe: You can unsubscribe from my email newsletter at any time by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any email I send you.
  • Data Deletion: If you would like your reader account or email permanently deleted from my records, email me at admin@themerchantmanual.com and I will delete it promptly.

6. Updates to This Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in practices, legal requirements, or site features. Any updates will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date.

7. Contact Me

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact me at:
Email: admin@themerchantmanual.com