Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 1, 2026

PencilTip provides one‑on‑one college‑preparation tutoring and professional‑development training for educators, led by Dr. Karen Smith‑Ott. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have — with particular care for the personal information of students, who are often minors.

1. Information we collect

We collect only what we need to provide and secure the service:

• Account information — your name and email address from your Google or Apple sign‑in, and whether you are a parent, student, or teacher.
• Student profiles — a student's first name, grade level, and areas of focus (e.g. SAT, ACT, AICE, essays), and a date of birth used to determine whether parental consent is required.
• Learning materials you or we upload — such as essays, drafts, mock papers, plans, and instructor notes, delivered privately within your account.
• Subscription and billing status — managed by our payment processor. We do not receive or store your full payment‑card number; that is handled directly by Stripe.
• Course activity (educator side) — enrollments, module completion, progress, and certificates.
• Technical and usage information — IP address, device/browser information, and security and access logs.

2. How we use information

• To provide tutoring, deliver materials, schedule sessions, and run the educator courses and certificates.
• To create and secure your account and process subscriptions.
• To communicate with you about your account, sessions, and important service notices.
• To maintain security, prevent abuse, and keep an audit record of access to student materials.
• To comply with our legal obligations.

We do not use student work or personal information to advertise to you, and we do not sell it.

3. Children and parental consent

PencilTip is intended for use with the involvement of a parent or guardian where the student is a minor.

• We do not knowingly create accounts for children under 13.
• For students aged 13–17, an account requires verifiable consent from a parent or guardian before paid features or private file sharing are enabled.
• A parent or guardian may review their student's information, withdraw consent, or request deletion at any time by contacting us.

If you believe a child has provided us information without appropriate consent, contact us and we will delete it.

4. How we share information

We share personal information only with the service providers that make PencilTip work, each acting on our behalf under their own security and privacy commitments:

• Google and Apple — sign‑in (authentication).
• Stripe — subscription payments and billing.
• Backblaze B2 — encrypted, private storage of uploaded files.
• Cloudflare — DNS, content delivery, and security.
• Our hosting provider, which runs the application server.

We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect the rights and safety of our users, or in connection with a business transfer. We do not sell your personal information.

5. Storage, security & retention

• Information is encrypted in transit and at rest. Uploaded files are kept in private storage and delivered only through short‑lived, access‑controlled links.
• We keep encrypted backups, stored separately, so your data can be recovered.
• We retain information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the service, then delete or de‑identify it within a reasonable period, unless a longer period is required by law.

6. Your rights and choices

You may request to access, correct, export, or delete your personal information, and (for a student under 18) a parent or guardian may exercise these on the student's behalf. To make a request, email [email protected]. We will respond within a reasonable time and may need to verify your identity.

7. Cookies

We use a single essential cookie to keep you signed in. It is not used for advertising or cross‑site tracking. If you block it, you will not be able to log in.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the service evolves. We will revise the “Last updated” date above and, for material changes, provide a more prominent notice.

9. Contact us

Questions or requests about this policy or your information:
Email [email protected] · Phone (216) 632‑0457
PencilTip — Sarasota, Longboat Key, Osprey & Venice, Florida.

See also our Terms of Service.