Legal
Privacy policy
We collect as little personal data as we can. This policy explains what we do collect, why, and your rights under UK data protection law.
Who we are
SearchCards.co ("SearchCards", "we", "us") is operated by independent Pokémon card enthusiasts in the United Kingdom. We are the controller of the personal data described here. For any privacy question or request, email support@searchcards.co.
What we collect and why
Contact form and emails
When you use our contact form or email us, we receive your name, email address, the topic, any page link and your message. We use these only to reply to you and to fix any problem you report. Our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in answering enquiries. Form messages are stored by our hosting provider, Netlify, and emails in our Microsoft 365 mailbox. We delete them once they're no longer needed, normally within 12 months.
Card scanning
If you scan a card with your camera, the photo is sent to our servers and to an AI service (Anthropic, via Netlify) to identify the card. We don't store the photo or use it for anything else. Please don't photograph anything other than the card.
My Cards and Wishlist
Your collection, wishlist and any images you add are saved only in your own browser's local storage. They never reach our servers and we can't see them. Clearing your browser's site data deletes them, so export a backup regularly.
Card Checker
When you look up a grading certification number, we fetch the public certificate details from the grading company and may cache them to speed up later lookups. Certificate numbers aren't linked to you.
Analytics and server logs
Our host, Netlify, records standard server logs (such as IP address, browser type and the pages requested) to keep the site secure and working, and provides us with privacy-friendly performance statistics. We don't use advertising trackers or sell personal data.
Cookies and local storage
SearchCards doesn't set advertising or tracking cookies. We use your browser's local storage only for features you choose to use, such as My Cards, which is strictly necessary for those features under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
Some links go to eBay through the eBay Partner Network. When you click them, eBay may set its own cookies to record that you came from SearchCards. Those cookies are controlled by eBay under its own privacy policy. See our affiliate disclosure.
Who we share data with
We only share personal data with service providers that help us run the site:
- Netlify – website hosting, form handling and server logs.
- Microsoft – our email (Microsoft 365).
- Anthropic – identifying cards from scanned photos.
- eBay – only if you follow a link to eBay.
Some of these providers process data outside the UK, including in the United States. Where they do, transfers are protected by UK adequacy regulations or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum. We'll also share data if the law requires it.
Your rights
Under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to access, correct or delete your personal data, to restrict or object to how we use it, and to data portability. To use any of these rights, email support@searchcards.co. We'll reply within one month.
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk. We'd appreciate the chance to help first, though.
Children
SearchCards is a general audience site and isn't designed to collect personal data from children. If you're under 13, please ask a parent or guardian before contacting us.
Changes to this policy
We'll update this page if our practices change and show the date of the latest version at the top.
See also: About SearchCards · Contact us