Effective Date: May 9, 2026 · Last updated: May 9, 2026
Plain English summary: ChargeGuard processes minimal data strictly for fraud detection. We do not sell your data, share it with advertisers, or use it for any purpose beyond protecting your store. Your customers' emails are never stored in plain text.
ChargeGuard ("we", "us", "our") provides a fraud detection API for WooCommerce stores. When you install our plugin, your store sends us checkout signals to assess fraud risk in real time.
For privacy questions: support@chargeguard.io
ChargeGuard processes two categories of data:
A. Store Owner Data (you)
| Data | Purpose | Sold? |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | Account registration & communication | Never |
| Store URL | API key validation | Never |
| API usage logs | Service operation & abuse prevention | Never |
B. Your Customers' Checkout Signals (processed, not stored in plain text)
| Signal | How It's Handled | Sold? |
|---|---|---|
| IP address | Used for risk scoring, not linked to identity | Never |
| Email address | Hashed (SHA-256) before processing — original never stored | Never |
| Order total | Used as a fraud signal (unusually low amounts = bot indicator) | Never |
| Device fingerprint | Randomly generated per-session identifier, not tied to real identity | Never |
| BIN (first 6 digits of card) | Used to check card country vs. customer location — no full card data ever processed | Never |
We use collected data exclusively to:
We do not use your data or your customers' data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose unrelated to fraud detection.
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Checkout risk signals (IP, hashed email, device ID) | 90 days, then permanently deleted |
| Store owner email & account data | Duration of account + 30 days after deletion request |
| API access logs | 30 days for security monitoring |
ChargeGuard uses the following third-party services to operate:
No data is shared with these providers beyond what is necessary to operate the Service.
You have the following rights regarding your data:
To exercise any of these rights, email support@chargeguard.io. We will respond within 30 days.
We implement industry-standard security measures including:
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered store owners by email at least 14 days before material changes take effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent version.
For privacy questions or to exercise your rights:
support@chargeguard.io