Privacy Policy

Last updated: 1 May 2025 · Effective: 1 May 2025

    Summary in plain English: Spell-Tester is a tool for parents to help their children practise spelling. We collect only what is needed to run the service. We do not sell your data. We do not send you marketing emails. Your children do not have accounts — everything is managed by a parent.
  

1. Who we are

Spell-Tester 听写练习 ("Spell-Tester", "we", "us", "our") is an educational spelling practice application. It is operated as an independent product. For questions about this policy, contact us at lorrainelai@gmail.com.

2. What information we collect

2.1 Account information (parent)

Username: a name you choose, stored on your device (not on our servers in the current free version).
PIN: a numeric or alphanumeric PIN of your choice, stored locally on your device. We do not transmit or store your PIN on our servers.
Email address (Premium subscribers only): used to manage your subscription and for account recovery. Collected via our payment provider, Stripe.

2.2 Child profile information

Child's name or nickname: chosen by the parent for identification within the app. This is stored locally on your device (free plan) or on our servers (Premium plan). We do not collect any other personally identifiable information about children.

2.3 Spelling list content

Photos of spelling sheets you upload are sent directly to Google Gemini (our AI provider) for processing and are not retained by us after the response is received.
Text typed in is sent to Google Gemini for word-lookup processing and is not retained by us.
The extracted word lists (words, pinyin, meanings, example sentences) are stored on your device (free plan) or on our servers (Premium plan).

2.4 Practice history

Quiz results (scores, words marked right or wrong, timestamps) are stored locally on your device (free plan) or on our servers (Premium plan). This data is used solely to show progress to the parent.

2.5 Payment information

If you subscribe to a Premium plan, payment is processed by Stripe. We do not see or store your credit card number. Stripe provides us with your email address and subscription status only. Stripe's privacy policy is available at stripe.com/privacy.

2.6 Usage data

Our server logs standard HTTP request information (IP address, browser type, page requested, timestamp) for security and debugging purposes. These logs are retained for a maximum of 30 days and are not used for profiling or marketing.

3. How we use your information

To provide the spelling practice service, including AI-powered word-list generation.
To display practice history and progress to the parent.
To manage your subscription and process payments (Premium).
To respond to support enquiries sent to our email address.
To maintain the security and integrity of the service.

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose unrelated to operating Spell-Tester.

4. Children's privacy

    Spell-Tester is designed to be used by parents on behalf of their children. Children do not create accounts, do not log in, and do not interact with our servers directly. All data related to a child (name, word lists, scores) is entered and managed by a parent.
  

We comply with applicable children's data protection laws, including:

Singapore PDPA: we collect only the minimum data necessary and provide parents full control to delete all data at any time.
US COPPA: children under 13 do not have their own accounts. The parent account model ensures verifiable parental control over all data.
EU GDPR: the parent acts as the data subject for any information entered about their child.

If you believe a child has somehow submitted personal information without parental consent, please contact us immediately at lorrainelai@gmail.com and we will delete it promptly.

5. Third-party services

Google Gemini (AI word processing)

Photos and text you submit for word-list creation are sent to Google's Gemini AI API. Google's use of this data is governed by the Google Generative AI Terms of Service and Google Privacy Policy. We use API access (not the consumer product), which means Google does not use your data to train their models by default.

Stripe (payments)

Premium subscription payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. Stripe collects and processes your payment details under their own privacy policy. We receive only your email address and subscription status from Stripe.

6. Data storage and security

Free plan: all data is stored in your browser's local storage. It never leaves your device (except when you submit a photo or text for AI processing).
Premium plan: account and list data is stored on secure servers hosted on Replit infrastructure in the United States, protected by industry-standard encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest.

No storage system is 100% secure. We take reasonable precautions but cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your rights and choices

Depending on your location, you may have rights to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Correct inaccurate data.
Delete your account and all associated data. Free plan users can clear all data by clearing their browser's local storage. Premium users can request deletion at lorrainelai@gmail.com.
Port your data (export your word lists and history).
Object to any processing not strictly necessary to provide the service.

To exercise any of these rights, email lorrainelai@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Data retention

Free plan: data lives in your browser's local storage until you clear it.
Premium plan: data is retained for as long as your account is active, plus 90 days after cancellation to allow for reactivation. After 90 days, account data is permanently deleted.
Server logs: retained for 30 days.
Payment records: retained for 7 years as required by financial regulations.

9. International data transfers

Our servers and service providers (Google, Stripe) are primarily based in the United States. By using Spell-Tester, you acknowledge that your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your own, including the United States. We ensure such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the service evolves. We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For material changes, we will notify Premium subscribers by email. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact us

For any privacy-related questions or requests:
Email: lorrainelai@gmail.com
Response time: within 30 days.