Privacy Policy

01 Introduction

Sugar & Gold ("we," "us," or "our") is operated by Sugar & Gold Circle Inc., a company registered in Newark, New Jersey, and operates a members' introduction platform that connects women with verified, financially established men for companionship arrangements. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, create a profile, or use any of our services, including our mobile applications where applicable.

Because our platform involves identity verification, financial screening of male members, and the exchange of sensitive personal preferences, we handle categories of information that go beyond a typical consumer website. We have written this policy to be thorough rather than brief, so that you understand exactly what happens with your information at each stage of using Sugar & Gold.

By creating a profile, submitting verification documents, or otherwise using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use the platform.

02 Information we collect

We collect information in three main ways: information you provide directly, information collected automatically, and information obtained from third parties involved in verification and payment processing.

Information you provide directly

• Basic identifying details such as first name, surname, chosen username, email address, phone number, and date of birth
• Preference information, including your desired class of companion, preferred country, state or region, and city
• Free text descriptions you write about how you wish to be treated, including expectations, boundaries, and dealbreakers
• Photographs you upload for your profile
• Communications you send to our support team, including messages submitted through our Report a Concern page
• Any information you voluntarily provide when contacting us via WhatsApp or email

Information collected automatically

• Device information such as browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
• Log data including IP address, access times, pages viewed, and referring URLs
• Approximate location derived from your IP address, used to show general distance rather than exact position

03 Identity and verification data

Because trust and safety are central to how Sugar & Gold operates, we require every member to complete an identity verification process before their profile becomes active. This involves two categories of sensitive data.

Government issued identification

We require a photo of a valid, government issued identification document, such as a passport, driver's license, or national identity card. This is used solely to confirm your identity and to confirm that you are 18 years of age or older. We do not display your ID document to other members under any circumstances.

Selfie verification

We require a live selfie photograph to confirm that the person creating the profile matches the identification document provided, and to help prevent impersonation and fraudulent accounts.

04 How we use your information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To create, maintain, and secure your member account
• To verify your identity and confirm you meet our minimum age requirement
• To evaluate your stated preferences and generate a shortlist of compatible members that fits the description you provided
• To send you your shortlist and related updates by email
• To process one time membership payments for your selected tier
• To respond to support requests, concerns, or reports you submit
• To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, impersonation, and violations of our Community Guidelines
• To comply with legal obligations, including responding to lawful requests from public authorities
• To improve our matching process, platform performance, and overall member experience

05 How matching and introductions work

Unlike typical dating apps, Sugar & Gold does not use an open browsing feed. Instead, the preferences and description you submit during signup are used by our team and matching process to compile a shortlist of members who fit what you are looking for. This shortlist is sent directly to the email address you provide.

When you choose a specific member from your shortlist, that member is notified and given the opportunity to accept or decline. If both parties agree, we facilitate an exchange of direct contact information, such as phone numbers, so that you can continue the conversation outside of the platform. From that point forward, communication between you and the member you selected is no longer processed or monitored through Sugar & Gold.

06 When we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in the following limited circumstances.

With other members

Once you select a member from your shortlist and that member accepts, we share direct contact details, such as a phone number, between the two of you so you can communicate outside the platform. We do not share your verification documents, payment details, or private written descriptions with other members.

With service providers

We work with third party vendors who help us operate the platform, including identity verification providers, cloud hosting providers, email delivery services, and payment processors. These providers are contractually required to protect your information and use it only for the services they provide to us.

For legal reasons

We may disclose information if required to do so by law, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, protect the safety of our members, investigate fraud, or respond to a valid request from a government authority.

Business transfers

If Sugar & Gold is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify members if such a transfer results in a materially different treatment of their personal information.

07 Payment information

When you purchase a membership tier, your payment card details are collected and processed by our third party payment processor. Sugar & Gold does not store your full card number, expiration date, or security code on our own servers. Our payment processor maintains its own security standards, which are designed to meet applicable card industry security requirements.

We retain a record of your transaction history, including the tier purchased, the amount charged, and the date of payment, for accounting, tax, and dispute resolution purposes.

08 Cookies and tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you logged in, remember your preferences, and understand how our platform is used so that we can improve it. These may include:

• Essential cookies, required for core site functionality such as maintaining your session
• Analytics cookies, which help us understand aggregate usage patterns
• Preference cookies, which remember choices such as previously entered form details

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of the platform.

09 Data retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account remains active, and for a reasonable period afterward to comply with legal, accounting, and fraud prevention obligations. Verification documents are retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which they were collected, after which they are securely deleted or anonymized in accordance with our internal retention schedule.

If you request deletion of your account, we will remove or anonymize your personal information within a reasonable timeframe, except where retention is required by law or necessary to resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, or prevent fraud.

10 How we protect your data

We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include restricted internal access to verification documents, encrypted data transmission, and regular review of our security practices.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of your information. If we become aware of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

11 Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, which may include the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and operational exceptions
• Object to or restrict certain types of processing
• Request a copy of your information in a portable format
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in the Contact Us section below. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

12 International data transfers

Sugar & Gold operates across multiple countries. As a result, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in a country other than the one in which you reside. Where required, we take steps to ensure that such transfers are conducted in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

13 Age requirements

Sugar & Gold is strictly limited to individuals who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. Identity verification is a mandatory part of our signup process specifically to enforce this requirement. If we become aware that we have collected information from someone under 18, we will take steps to delete that information and terminate the associated account promptly.

14 Third party links and services

Our platform may contain links to third party websites or services, such as WhatsApp or payment providers, that are not operated by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third party services, and we encourage you to review their own privacy policies before providing them with information.

15 Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

16 Contact us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please reach out through our Report a Concern page, or contact our team directly through the WhatsApp link provided on our platform.