California Disclosures and Privacy Policy

This California Privacy Policy applies to California residents using the services of CloseWise, Inc. (“CloseWise,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), including our website (www.closewise.com) and platform. If you’re not a California resident, this policy does not apply to you. It supplements our general Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, ensuring compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including updates from the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). Terms defined in the CCPA have the same meaning here.

 Who This Applies To

This policy is for California residents who interact with CloseWise as users (e.g., Subscribing Customers, Signers, Participants, Notaries, or Attorneys) scheduling services or using paid options like websites and premium subscriptions, as detailed on our pricing page (www.closewise.com/pricing).

 Data We Gather

We collect “personal information” under CCPA—data that identifies, relates to, or could reasonably link to you or your household. This does not include publicly available government records, de-identified or aggregated data, or information exempt under laws like the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) or Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA).

What We Collect:  

– Identifiers: Name, email address, postal address, account ID, phone number.  

– Commercial Information: Transaction history (e.g., service appointments scheduled), purchases of paid services (e.g., websites, subscriptions).  

– Internet or Network Activity: Browsing history, search queries, platform interactions (e.g., login times, clicks).  

– Sensitive Personal Information: Payment card numbers or financial account details (for processing fees via Flex-VendorPay or paid services), government-issued ID numbers (e.g., driver’s license for verification).  

– Professional or Employment-Related Information: Notary commissions, attorney licenses, employment details (for Notaries/Attorneys).  

– Geolocation Data: Optional, only if you opt-in for location-based features (e.g., finding nearby notaries).  

We do not collect Protected Characteristics (e.g., race, religion), Biometric Information (e.g., fingerprints), or Sensory Data unless required for specific services and explicitly consented to.

How We Get It:  

– Directly from you via account registration, service requests, or payment setup.  

– Indirectly through your platform activity (e.g., cookies tracking usage).  

– From third parties like payment processors (e.g., Stripe), identity verification services, or Subscribing Customers providing your info for transactions.

 Our Use of Your Data

We use your personal information for:  

– Managing accounts (e.g., creating profiles, verifying logins).  

– Facilitating services (e.g., scheduling appointments, processing payments via Flex-VendorPay).  

– Offering customer support (e.g., responding to inquiries).  

– Marketing (e.g., sending emails about new features or paid options like websites).  

– Enhancing security (e.g., fraud detection, identity verification).  

– Conducting analytics to improve our platform and services.  

– Maintaining and upgrading paid services (e.g., website hosting).  

– Meeting legal or regulatory obligations (e.g., tax reporting).  

We won’t collect additional categories or use your info for materially different purposes without prior notice.

 Retention Periods

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes above, guided by legal, regulatory, and business needs:  

– Transaction records (e.g., service appointments) for 5 years to resolve disputes and comply with industry standards.  

– Payment details (e.g., card numbers) for 1 year after transactions per payment processor requirements.  

– Account and usage data (e.g., login history) for 1 year, unless needed for security or legal holds.  

Retention periods may adjust based on updated laws or policies, reflected in our Privacy Policy.

 Sharing and Disclosures

We may share your personal information with service providers, contractors, or third parties under contracts requiring confidentiality and limited use per CCPA. Recipients include:  

– Payment Processors (e.g., Stripe): Identifiers, Commercial Info, Sensitive Personal Info for fee processing.  

– Identity Verification Services: Identifiers, Sensitive Personal Info, Professional Info for “CloseWise Verified” checks.  

– Marketing Providers: Identifiers, Internet Activity for promotional emails or ads.  

– Analytics Providers: Identifiers, Internet Activity for platform insights.  

– Legal Advisors: All categories if needed for compliance or disputes.  

– Government Entities: All categories if legally required (e.g., court orders).  

– Public Listings via notarynearme.com: Identifiers (e.g., name, profile photos) and Professional or Employment-Related Information (e.g., service descriptions) with the public on our affiliated directory, notarynearme.com, for visibility and marketing purposes, upon your opt-in. This applies to free members and subscribers who purchase public listings. You can opt out by requesting removal via support@closewise.com, subject to verification per our Terms of Use Section 3.  

No Sales: We do not sell your personal information, including that of minors under 16, without affirmative authorization.  

Sharing for Ads: We may share Identifiers and Internet Activity with ad networks for cross-context behavioral advertising via cookies. See opt-out options below.

 Your CCPA Rights

California residents have the following rights under CCPA:  

Right to Know: Request details about our collection, use, and sharing of your personal info, including categories, sources, purposes, third parties, and specific pieces (twice per year).  

Right to Delete: Request deletion of your collected personal info, subject to exceptions (e.g., completing transactions, security, legal obligations).  

Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal info we hold.  

Right to Limit Sensitive Use: Direct us to limit Sensitive Personal Info (e.g., payment details) to necessary uses like processing transactions or fraud prevention—we already comply with this.  

Right to Opt-Out: Opt out of sales (not applicable) or sharing for behavioral ads.  

Right to Non-Discrimination: We won’t deny services, alter pricing, or reduce quality for exercising these rights, unless CCPA permits.

 Exercising Your Rights

How to Submit Requests: For Right to Know, Delete, or Correct:  

– Email: support@closewise.com 

Only you, your authorized agent, or you on behalf of your minor child can submit. Provide enough detail to verify your identity and specify your request. For specific pieces (Right to Know), include a declaration under penalty of perjury that it’s about you.

Authorized Agents: Email support@closewise.com with:  

– Proof of authority (written permission or power of attorney).  

– Agent’s ID (valid government-issued, not expired) and address proof (e.g., utility bill).  

– Consumer’s identity details (three of: name, address, DOB, email, phone, last 4 of SSN or account number).  

We’ll verify identity/authority before responding, using request data only for verification.

Response Process: We’ll acknowledge within 10 business days and respond within 45 days (extendable to 90 with notice). Responses via mail or email, your choice. No fee unless requests are excessive or unfounded, with cost estimates provided if applicable.

 Policy Changes and Contact

We may update this policy at our discretion, notifying you via email or a homepage notice for material changes. Last updated: April 2, 2025.  

Contact us with questions or to exercise rights:  .  

– Email: support@closewise.com