Legal & Community

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 8, 2026 · Effective for all Wello members and site visitors

Contents

Wello is a community, not a product. We collect only what we need to run the platform safely, we never sell your data, and we aim to be straightforward about everything we do with information you share with us.

Section 1

What We Collect

The minimum needed to run Wello

1.1 Information You Provide

Name

Your real first and last name, used on your profile and in exchanges (other members see your first name and last initial)

Email address

Used to sign in to your account and to send you notifications and account emails

Phone number

Used to verify your identity at signup via Prelude and to prevent duplicate accounts — never shown to other members

Neighborhood & zip code

The area you associate with, for finding and showing nearby requests — not your street address

Profile details

Optional profile photo, bio, languages spoken, skills — whatever you choose to share

Exchange content

Task titles, descriptions, in-app messages, exchange notes you write, and any photos you attach to posts or notes

Reports & dispute submissions

Reports you file and written accounts you provide during moderation

Agreement records

Timestamps of your acceptance of the terms, liability waiver, and 18+ age confirmation at signup

Waitlist & contact form

If you check availability for your zip code or contact us before joining, we store that zip code, your message, and — if you provide it — your email

1.2 Information Generated by Platform Use

  • Credit balance and transaction history — a ledger of credits earned and spent across exchanges
  • Exchange history — records of exchanges you've requested, offered to help with, or completed
  • Moderation actions — reports you've filed or that have been filed about you, and their outcomes
  • Session and device data — browser type, OS, and timestamps used for security and abuse prevention
  • Product analytics (planned) — we do not run analytics today; when we adopt an analytics tool (see Section 4), we will collect feature-usage events to improve the platform and update this policy before enabling it

1.3 What We Don't Collect

Wello does not collect:

  • Your precise GPS location — neighborhood is self-reported; we do not track your device location
  • Government-issued ID or financial information — Wello has no payment system
  • Behavioral data for advertising — we do not build ad profiles
  • Third-party social media data — no sign-in-with-Google, no data imports from other platforms

Section 2

How We Use Your Data

Running the platform and keeping it safe

Running your account

Your name, phone number, and neighborhood are used to identify you to other members and power your experience on the platform.

Facilitating exchanges

Task details, messages, and exchange history are used to connect you with neighbors and to maintain the credit ledger that tracks what flows between members.

Safety and moderation

Reports, exchange records, and message history may be reviewed by Wello's moderation team when investigating a safety concern or credit dispute.

Platform integrity

Session and device data are used to detect duplicate accounts, abuse, and unauthorized access. We do not use this data for advertising or profiling.

Communicating with you

We use your phone number and email to send in-app notifications (task updates, messages, confirmation prompts). We may also send you community updates, new feature announcements, and occasional neighborhood highlights by email. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time.

Improving the platform

When we adopt a product-analytics tool, it will help us understand how features are used so we can make Wello better. Analytics data will not be used for advertising or shared with third parties for their own purposes, and we will update this policy before enabling it.

Wello does not:

  • Sell member data to advertisers or third parties
  • Use member data to train commercial AI models
  • Use your data to personalize ads anywhere on the internet
  • Share your data for purposes unrelated to running Wello

Section 3

Who Can See Your Data

Visibility by audience

The public homepage feed

Anyone who visits Wello's homepage — including people who are not Wello members — can see your open posts (title, category, credit value, description, and neighborhood), your first name and last initial, your profile photo, and the languages you've listed

Any Wello member

Your profile: first name and last initial, photo, neighborhood, bio, skills, languages, badges, when you joined, your open posts, your exchange history count, and revealed exchange notes neighbors have written about you (including any photos attached to them)

A member you exchange with

The exchange details you both agreed to, in-app messages between you, and — once revealed — the note you write about each other after completion

Wello's moderation team

Full exchange records and messages when investigating a dispute or safety report you are party to

Wello staff

All of the above, plus account and device data, for platform operations and legal compliance

Third parties

Only the service providers in Section 4, and only to run the platform for us — otherwise nothing, except as required by law, court order, or when you explicitly consent

3.1 Law Enforcement Disclosure

Wello will disclose member data to law enforcement only when legally required (valid subpoena, court order, or warrant) or when we believe disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent physical harm to a member. We will notify affected members of such disclosures to the extent permitted by law.

3.2 Written Notes From Neighbors

Other members may write notes about you after an exchange, optionally with photos. Notes are blind and mutual: what you write is hidden until both sides have submitted, and revealed notes appear on your profile where other members can read them. The following rules apply:

  • Notes are final once submitted — they cannot be edited or deleted by their author, which is what keeps them honest
  • If a note someone wrote about you feels inaccurate, harmful, or violates our guidelines, you may flag it for review — Wello's moderation team will assess and may remove it
  • You cannot directly delete notes others have written about you
  • Note text is scanned by simple automated keyword analysis to gauge positive sentiment, which feeds community recognition like skill badges — no numeric rating is shown on your profile

Section 4

Third-Party Services

Who we work with and why

Wello uses a small number of trusted third-party providers to operate the platform. Each is bound by a data processing agreement and may only use your data to perform services for us.

Supabase

Database, authentication, storage, and data processing

Data shared: All platform data at rest and in transit

Netlify

Hosting and serving the Wello web app

Data shared: Standard web request logs, including your IP address and browser type

Prelude

Phone number verification at signup

Data shared: Your phone number

Resend

Sending notification and account emails

Data shared: Your email address, first name, and the content of the notification (e.g. a post title)

CARTO / OpenStreetMap (map tiles)

Rendering the neighborhood map

Data shared: When you open the map, your browser requests tiles directly from CARTO, which receives your IP address and the map area you're viewing — no Wello account data

PostHog (planned)

Product analytics — not yet in use; listed here so you know what's coming before we enable it

Data shared: Once enabled: session events, feature interactions, device and browser type

We do not use advertising networks, data brokers, or social login providers. If we add new third-party services in the future, we will update this section and notify members of material changes.

4.1 Cookies, Local Storage & Do Not Track

Wello uses cookies and browser local storage only to run the platform:

  • Authentication cookies keep you signed in (set by our Supabase-based auth system)
  • Local storage remembers your language preference and, during signup, your in-progress signup details

We do not use advertising, analytics, or cross-site tracking cookies. Because Wello does not track visitors across other websites, we do not respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals — everyone gets the same non-tracking treatment.


Section 5

Storage & Security

How we protect your information

5.1 Where Data Lives

Wello data is stored on servers located in the United States. We use industry-standard cloud infrastructure with encryption at rest and in transit. We do not store data in jurisdictions with materially weaker data protection standards.

5.2 Access Controls

  • Administrative functions are restricted to designated admin accounts, and database access controls limit what member data each account can read
  • Access to production data is limited to the small Wello team and used only for operations, moderation, and support
  • The moderation team reviews member data only in connection with a dispute or report

5.3 No System Is Perfect

We take reasonable precautions but cannot guarantee absolute security. If a data breach affects your personal information, we will notify affected members in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay, as California law requires (California Civil Code § 1798.82) — our goal is within 72 hours of confirming the breach.

To report a security concern, contact us at contact@wello.world.


Section 6

Retention & Deletion

How long we keep your data

6.1 Active Accounts

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. Exchange records and credit history are retained to maintain the integrity of the community ledger — including for moderation and dispute purposes.

6.2 Messages

In-app messages between members are stored as part of your exchange history to support dispute resolution and moderation. Messages are retained for as long as your account is active and are not automatically deleted after an exchange is completed; they are deleted only when your account is deleted, per Section 6.3, or where required for an open dispute or safety investigation to be resolved.

6.3 Account Deletion

You may request full account deletion at any time by emailing contact@wello.world. Wello does not currently offer a self-service deletion option in profile settings — all deletion requests are handled by our team via email. Upon deletion:

  • Your profile is removed from public view immediately
  • Your name is replaced with "Former Member" in exchange histories visible to others
  • Your personal data (name, phone number, messages) is deleted within 30 days
  • Anonymized exchange records (credit amounts, dates, categories) may be retained indefinitely for platform analytics
  • Data may be retained longer if required by an active legal hold or law enforcement request

6.4 Inactive Accounts

Wello does not currently deactivate or delete accounts on the basis of inactivity. An account remains active indefinitely unless you request deletion (Section 6.3).


Section 7

Age Requirements

Wello is for adults only

7.1 Minimum Age

Wello is for adults 18 years of age and older. Minors may not create accounts or use the platform.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has created an account, please contact us at contact@wello.world and we will delete the account and associated data promptly.

7.2 Age Confirmation at Signup

During signup, all users are required to confirm via checkbox that they are 18 years of age or older. We record a timestamp of this confirmation.

Note on age verification:

Wello currently relies on self-certification at signup. We do not verify age through government-issued ID. If you have concerns about a minor using the platform, please contact us immediately at contact@wello.world.


Section 8

Your Rights

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and beyond

California residents have specific rights under the CCPA (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.100 et seq.). Wello honors these rights for all members, regardless of state.

Right to know

You may request a summary of what personal data Wello holds about you, where it came from, and how it has been used or shared.

Right to access

You may request a copy of your personal data in a portable format (JSON or CSV).

Right to delete

You may request deletion of your personal data, subject to the exceptions described in Section 6.3.

Right to correct

You may update inaccurate personal information directly in your profile settings at any time.

Right to opt out of marketing

You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email we send, or by contacting us at contact@wello.world. Opting out of marketing does not affect service-related communications.

Right to opt out of sale

Wello does not sell personal data. There is nothing to opt out of.

Right to non-discrimination

Exercising any of these rights will not affect your access to Wello or the service you receive.

8.1 How to Exercise Your Rights

To submit a rights request, email contact@wello.world with the subject line "Privacy Request" and a description of what you'd like.

Note on self-service tools:

Wello does not currently offer a data export or account deletion option within profile settings. For now, all access, portability, and deletion requests — including full account deletion — must be submitted by emailing contact@wello.world.

We will respond to verified requests within 30 days. If we need more time (up to the 45-day extension California law allows), we will notify you with the reason for the extension.


Section 9

Contact & Updates

Questions and how this policy changes

9.1 Privacy Contact

For privacy questions, data requests, or security concerns:

Privacy requests

contact@wello.world

Security reports

contact@wello.world

9.2 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the platform evolves. For material changes — new data categories, new sharing practices, or reduced member rights — we will notify you via in-app notification and email at least 14 days before the change takes effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

9.3 Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of California. Disputes arising from this policy are subject to the arbitration clause in Wello's Terms of Service.

Wello — Built on Reciprocity