This policy is published as the working framework for The Standard and has not yet been reviewed by counsel. It describes how member data is intended to be handled and is not legal advice. Please have it reviewed and finalised before membership is offered commercially.
This policy explains how The Standard handles personal information collected through your membership and your use of the member environment. It should be read alongside the Membership Terms.
1. What we collect
Account information: your name, email address and the credentials used to sign in. Verification records confirming that your email address belongs to you.
Membership information: the tier you hold, your billing cadence, your subscription status and your points ledger.
Content you create: your garden and its customisation, personal tasks, goals, notes, calendar entries, service and concierge requests, and anything you publish in the Social Grove.
Payment information: the outcome of a transaction, the amount, the date, and a reference issued by our payment provider. We never receive or store your full card number or your card security code.
Technical information necessary to operate the service securely, such as session data and records of significant account changes.
2. How we use it
To provide the membership: authenticating you, applying your entitlements, crediting points, and validating garden growth.
To perform the services you request through Garden Manner and the concierge desk.
To operate the Social Grove safely, including moderation and enforcement of our community rules.
To meet our accounting, tax and legal obligations.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising on behalf of third parties.
3. Visibility and social defaults
Your personal notes, tasks, goals, calendar entries, billing details, service requests, concierge requests and direct messages are private to you. Other members cannot reach them by changing a link or a request.
Discoverability in the Social Grove is a choice you make. If you do not opt in, you are not listed as a member to search.
Your garden is private by default. If you share it, only the parts you choose are shared.
Reports you file about another member are visible only to those handling the report.
4. Payment data
Card payments are processed by our payment provider. Card details are entered with the provider and are never routed through, or stored by, The Standard.
We receive the outcome of a payment and a provider reference so that we can reconcile your membership and your points ledger. We verify payment events on our side before granting paid access.
5. Service providers
We share the minimum necessary information with providers who help us run the programme — hosting, payment processing, email delivery and identity verification. They act on our instructions and are bound to protect what they receive.
6. How long we keep it
Account and content records are kept while your membership is active and for a short period afterwards so that your account can be restored if you return.
Financial records and points ledger entries are retained for the period required by accounting and tax law. They are held in restricted form and are not used for any other purpose.
Where you ask us to delete your account, we remove the personal content described in the Membership Terms and retain only what we are required to keep.
7. Your choices
You can view and update your profile information from your account settings, and change your notification and discoverability preferences at any time.
You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you, and you can request deletion of your account.
You can unsubscribe from non-essential email. We will still send messages that are necessary to the service, such as payment failure notices and security messages.
8. Security
Access to member data is restricted per record and enforced on the server, not merely hidden in the interface. Administrative actions require an authorised role and are recorded in an audit trail.
We validate the important writes made by the application, protect against duplicate payment events, and keep secrets and configuration out of the client.
9. Children
The Standard is a membership for adults. It is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect information from anyone under eighteen.
10. Contact
Questions about this policy, or a request relating to your information, can be sent through the Contact page. We will respond to the email address on your account.