Last updated October 19, 2026

Privacy at Barter Together

Barter Together is a small, invite-only time bank for friends and neighbors. I built it so we could help each other, not to collect anyone's data. This page explains what the app keeps, who can see it, and how to take it with you when you go. The rules for using Barter Together are in the Terms of Service. If anything here is unclear, write to me at hello@bartertogether.org.

The short version: I only keep what the app needs to work. Nothing is sold, there are no ads, and nothing tracks you around the internet. Your phone number and email stay private until you choose to share them.

What the app keeps

• From Google when you sign in: your name, email address and profile photo. That's all; the app never sees your Google password or anything else in your account.
• If you join with email instead: your name, email address and a password. Your password is stored scrambled, so nobody can read it, me included.
• Your profile: your name, photo, neighborhood, a short bio, what you're happy to help with and could use help with, and whether you prefer in person or virtual.
• Your contact details: a contact email (required) and a mobile number (optional).
• What you post: offers and requests, their descriptions, and any photos you add.
• Your trades and messages: conversations, emoji reactions, proposed and accepted trades, hours logged and confirmed, and your hours balance.
• Thanks and ratings: thank-you notes you write and receive, and the 1 to 5 star ratings people give helpers.
• Reports, if they happen: proof photos a helper sends, no-show reports and replies, and "Report a problem" notes.
• Notifications: if you turn them on, a delivery address for your phone or computer so the app can reach it. It doesn't include your location.
• Who invited you, since every member is vouched for by someone already here.

What the app doesn't do: no ads, no analytics, no tracking cookies. The only cookie keeps you signed in. Your phone remembers a few small preferences, such as cards you've closed, but those never leave your device.

Who can see what

• Every member can see your name, photo, neighborhood, bio, skills, posts and their photos, who invited you, how many hours you've given, the thank-you notes people have written you, and your average rating once you've helped with three or more trades.
• Only the person you're trading with sees your contact email, once you've both accepted a trade. Your phone number is never shared automatically; it's only shared if you tap "Share my number."
• Only the two people in a conversation see its messages and reactions in the app.
• Only you see your hours balance and full activity history, and the individual star ratings you've given. Nobody sees who rated them what, only an average.
• Me, as the person who runs Barter Together. Everything is stored in a database I manage through Supabase, so I technically have access to all of it. In the app, I can see members' contact details, hours balances, trade history and no-show records, so I can help sort things out and keep the community safe. I don't read your conversations. When someone sends me proof of a trade, reports a no-show, or reports a problem, I can see the recent messages between the two people involved, so I can understand what happened and be fair to both sides.

Who helps run the app

A few companies provide the tools Barter Together runs on. They handle your information only to provide that service:

• Supabase stores the app's information and photos, and handles sign-in.
• Vercel hosts the app.
• Google provides "Sign in with Google."
• Apple, Google and Mozilla deliver push notifications to your phone or computer, if you turn them on.
• Resend sends email: alerts about your trades and messages, and sign-up and password emails.

I never sell or rent your information, and I don't share it with anyone else unless the law requires it.

Leaving

You can leave any time from your profile ("Leave Barter Together"). When you do:

• Deleted right away: your name, photo, bio, neighborhood, contact details, skills, posts, photos, invite link and hours balance. Any open trades are cancelled, with a note to the other person.
• What stays, so your neighbors' records make sense: conversations and trade history stay with the people you traded with, and show you as "Former member." That includes messages you sent. Thank-you notes you wrote stay too, signed "Former member," and ratings you gave still count in averages without your name.
• Your sign-in record stays on file (your Google account or email address), so the app recognizes you if you come back (you'd need a new invite). If you'd like that record deleted too, or a copy of your information, email me at hello@bartertogether.org and I'll take care of it.

Everything else

• Age: Barter Together is for adults 18 and over.
• Security: your information sits behind sign-in, and the app only lets each person see what's described above. No system is perfect, though, so please don't put anything in a message you'd be devastated to see shared.
• Changes: if this page changes in a way that matters, I'll let members know in the app before it takes effect.
• Questions: hello@bartertogether.org