Privacy Policy | CompareNow

1. Who we are

This Privacy Policy is issued by the operator of CompareNow (“CompareNow”, “we”, “us”), the website at https://comparenow.in. For the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDP Act”), we are the Data Fiduciary for personal data processed to run this service.

Privacy requests: privacy@comparenow.in. General queries: hello@comparenow.in.

2. What this policy covers

It applies when you:

browse or search CompareNow as a guest;
create an account, sign in, or manage alerts;
use compare, categories, blog or newsletter features;
contact us by email.

It does not cover stores you click through to (Amazon, Flipkart and others). Those sites have their own privacy policies. Once you leave CompareNow, their rules apply to anything you type at checkout.

3. Information we collect

3.1 Information you give us

Account data — name or display name, email address, password (stored as a hash), and any profile fields you save.
Alert preferences — products or searches you track, and how you want to be notified.
Messages — emails or forms you send us, including any product links you include.
Newsletter — email address if you subscribe.

3.2 Information we collect automatically

Usage — pages viewed, searches, filters, compare selections, and clicks on store / affiliate links (so we can measure which offers were useful and attribute commissions).
Device and log data — IP address, approximate location derived from IP, browser type, language, referring URL, and timestamps. We keep logs to secure the site and debug errors.
Cookies — see section 7.

3.3 Information we do not ask for

We do not need your PAN, Aadhaar, bank account, UPI ID or card number to use CompareNow. Do not send those to us. We never collect payment credentials for store purchases because checkout happens on the merchant site.

4. How we use information

to show search results, product pages, compare tables and categories;
to keep you signed in and remember theme or similar preferences;
to send price-drop or product alerts you asked for;
to send service email (password reset, security notices) and, if you opted in, newsletter mail;
to measure traffic, fix bugs, prevent abuse and improve ranking quality;
to attribute affiliate clicks when you leave for a store;
to respond to support and legal requests;
to comply with Indian law, including the DPDP Act and IT Act, 2000.

We do not sell your personal data to data brokers.

5. Legal basis under the DPDP Act

We process personal data only for lawful purposes, typically:

Consent — account creation, optional alerts, newsletter, non-essential cookies where we ask.
Legitimate use for our service — serving the page you requested, security logs, fraud prevention, and fulfilling a contract-like relationship when you use an account.
Legal obligation — retaining records we are required to keep, or responding to a lawful government request.

You may withdraw consent for optional processing (alerts, newsletter, marketing cookies) at any time. Core logs needed to run and secure the site may continue.

We share personal data only as needed:

Hosting and infrastructure — the company that hosts comparenow.in and related servers, backups and email delivery.
Analytics — if we use a privacy-respecting or standard web analytics tool, it may receive truncated IP and page-view data.
Affiliate networks and stores — when you click a store link we may pass a click identifier so a commission can be paid if you buy. We do not send your CompareNow password or full profile to the store.
Professional advisers and authorities — if required by law, to protect users, or to defend a legal claim.
Business transfer — if CompareNow is merged or sold, personal data may move with the service under this policy or a successor policy we will notify.

Store employees cannot see your CompareNow password. We cannot see what you type on Amazon or Flipkart after you leave.

7. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and local storage for:

Essential — login session, CSRF security, load balancing.
Preferences — light / dark theme and similar UI choices stored in your browser.
Analytics / performance — understanding which pages fail or are popular, in aggregate.
Affiliate attribution — remembering that a click started on CompareNow, for a limited time.

You can block cookies in your browser. The site may then lose sign-in or theme memory. Third-party store sites will set their own cookies after you click through — we do not control those.

8. How long we keep data

Account — until you delete it, plus a short period needed to close backups and logs.
Alerts — until you turn them off or the product is removed.
Server logs — typically weeks to a few months, unless needed for security investigation.
Affiliate click records — as long as a network requires for commission disputes, then aggregated or deleted.
Support email — as long as the thread remains useful, then deleted or archived.

Price and catalogue data on products is not personal data and may be kept indefinitely as part of the service.

9. Security

We use HTTPS, hashed passwords, access controls on the admin area, and least-privilege access to production systems. No website is perfectly secure. If we become aware of a breach that is likely to affect you, we will notify you and the Data Protection Board of India as required by the DPDP Act.

10. Children

CompareNow is a general audience shopping-research site. We do not knowingly create accounts for children under 18. If you believe a minor has given us personal data, email privacy@comparenow.in and we will delete it.

11. Your rights

Subject to the DPDP Act and any exceptions, you may:

Access the personal data we hold about you;
Correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
Erase data that is no longer needed for the purpose you gave it, unless we must keep it by law;
Withdraw consent for optional processing (alerts, newsletter);
Nominate another person to exercise rights in the event of your death or incapacity, where the law allows;
Grievance redressal — complain to our Grievance Officer, and escalate to the Data Protection Board of India if unresolved.

To exercise these rights, email privacy@comparenow.in from the address on your account (if any) and describe what you need. We may ask for information to verify it is you. We will respond within the timelines in the DPDP Act (generally about one month, unless the law allows more time).

12. Storage and transfers

Our primary hosting is intended for use by people in India. Some processors (email, analytics, CDN or error tracking) may store copies outside India. Where that happens, we take reasonable steps so the transfer stays lawful under the DPDP Act and any government restrictions on cross-border flow.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this page when the product or the law changes. The “Last updated” date at the top will change. Material changes will be highlighted on this page or, if you have an account, notified by email when that is practical. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised policy for later visits.

14. Contact and grievance officer

Privacy and data requests: privacy@comparenow.in
General: hello@comparenow.in

Grievance Officer (IT Act / DPDP contact)
CompareNow — Grievance Officer
Email: privacy@comparenow.in
Website: https://comparenow.in

We aim to acknowledge privacy complaints within 48 hours and resolve them as quickly as we reasonably can. If you are not satisfied, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India once it is accepting complaints for the relevant provision.