TCG Watchtower is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data.
What We Collect
When you interact with TCG Watchtower, we may collect the following types of information:
- Discord Account Data: When you join our Discord server, we receive your Discord username, user ID, and profile information as permitted by Discord's platform.
- Usage Data: We collect information about how you interact with our services, including alert preferences, store selections, and command usage within our Discord bot.
- Communication Data: If you contact us directly, we may retain records of that communication.
- Website Analytics: We use Google Analytics and Vercel Web Analytics to see which pages get visited and how the site performs. They record things like the pages you view, your browser and device type, the site that sent you and your general location (country or city, not your street address). Google Analytics sets cookies to tell repeat visits apart. See Cookies and browser storage.
- Technical Data: Like most websites, our hosting provider receives your IP address when your browser loads a page. We also use it for a short time to limit how often sign-in links and error reports can be sent, so the site can't be spammed. Those limits expire within a day.
We do not collect payment information, passwords, or sensitive personal data beyond what is described above and in the portfolio section below.
If You Use the Portfolio Tracker
You can use the portfolio without an account. In that case your collection is saved only in your own browser and we never see it.
If you sign in with Discord, Google or email, we store:
- Your account ID, username and avatar from Discord or Google, so we know which collection is yours. With Google we also get the name on your Google account. If you sign in with email, we give you a username and send you a one-time sign-in link that expires after 15 minutes, instead of using a password. You can change your username in Profile.
- Your email address, if you sign in with Google (Google gives it to us), sign in with email, or add one yourself in Profile (we send a link to confirm it first). A confirmed address can be used to sign in to your account by email. We use it for account emails, and for price alerts once you set them up. We only send news and new set emails if you tick the box for them, and every one of those has an unsubscribe link. We keep a record of when and where you said yes or no to those emails so we can show we had your permission. You can change or remove your email in Profile at any time.
- Pro waitlist. If you join the Pro waitlist, we note that on your account so we can email you when Pro launches.
- Your collection: the cards and sealed products you add, with the quantities, conditions, grades, purchase prices and dates you enter. Badges and levels on your profile are worked out from your collection.
- Your visibility choices. If you turn on the leaderboard, your username, avatar, collection value, item count, daily change and most valuable cards are shown publicly. If you turn on your public profile, anyone with the link can see your username, avatar, collection value, item and set counts, top cards, badges, level, the games you collect and your set progress. Both are off until you turn them on, and you can turn them off at any time.
- Activity. When you open the portfolio while signed in, we note that you were active that day, so we can count how many people use it and whether they come back. These daily records delete themselves after 100 days. We also keep the date you first signed in. Both are removed if you delete your data.
- Error reports. If something breaks on the page or a save fails, we log the error message, the screen you were on, your browser type and your username so we can fix it. These are kept for the most recent 500 errors only.
Card scanning: when you scan a card, the photo is sent to our card recognition provider, Scrydex, to identify it. We don't keep the photo.
Where it's stored: collections and emails are stored with our hosting providers (Vercel and Upstash). Emails are sent through Resend. A nightly backup is kept in Cloudflare R2 so we can recover from mistakes, and each backup is deleted after 30 days. These providers run servers in the United States, so if you live elsewhere your data is processed there.
What We Keep in Your Browser
- Sign-in cookie (tcgw_session). Keeps you signed in for up to 30 days. It is only set when you sign in and is removed when you sign out.
- Browser storage (local storage). Holds your collection if you aren't signed in, your wishlist, unsaved changes waiting to sync, and small settings like your last sign-in method and whether you ticked the email box. It never leaves your browser unless you sign in and save.
- Analytics cookies. Google Analytics sets cookies (named _ga) to count visits. Vercel Web Analytics doesn't use cookies. You can block analytics cookies in your browser settings or with Google's opt-out add-on, and the site still works.
We don't use advertising cookies or tracking pixels, and we don't share your data with ad networks.
Delete It Yourself, Any Time
In the portfolio, go to Profile, then Settings, then Delete my data under Your data. This removes your collection, public profile, leaderboard entry, username link and saved email right away and signs you out. You can export a CSV or JSON copy first from the same place.
Copies in our nightly backups roll off within 30 days. If you want them removed sooner, or you can't log in, ask us in the Discord and we'll do it for you.
If you never logged in, clearing your browser's site data removes your collection.
Use of Data
We use the information we collect solely to operate and improve TCG Watchtower services:
- Delivering restock alerts and notifications to your Discord account
- Saving your collection and showing its prices, if you use the portfolio tracker
- Sending account emails, and news emails only if you opted in
- Personalising alert preferences based on your selected stores and products
- Monitoring and improving the performance of the site and our alert systems
- Responding to support requests and community feedback
- Enforcing our community guidelines and Terms of Service
We rely on your consent for news emails and analytics, and on running the service you asked for (your account and collection) for everything else.
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data, including your email address, with third-party advertisers.
Third-Party Platforms
Our primary service operates through Discord. By joining TCG Watchtower's Discord server or using our bot, you are also subject to Discord's Privacy Policy. We have no control over Discord's data practices.
The services that handle data for us are Vercel (hosting and Web Analytics), Upstash (database), Cloudflare R2 (images and backups), Resend (email), Scrydex (card scanning), Google (sign-in and Analytics) and Discord (sign-in). They only get what they need to do their job.
Our website may contain links to retailer websites (Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc.). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any external sites.
How We Protect Your Data
We retain your data only as long as necessary to provide our services. Alert preferences and bot configuration data are stored securely and deleted upon request or when you leave our Discord server. Portfolio data is kept until you delete it, and backups for 30 days after that.
We implement reasonable security measures to protect your data from unauthorised access. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Your Rights & Choices
You have the right to:
- Request access to the personal data we hold about you, or get a copy of your collection yourself with the CSV or JSON export
- Correct your data. You can edit your collection, username and email yourself
- Delete your portfolio data at any time (see how), or ask us to delete anything else
- Opt out of non-essential data collection, including news emails (use the unsubscribe link in any email or the switch in Profile) and analytics cookies (see how)
- Leave our Discord server at any time, which ends active data collection
Depending on where you live (for example the EU, UK or California), you may have further rights under local law. Contact us and we'll help. We don't sell personal data.
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@tcgwatchtower.com or contact us in our Discord. We respond to every privacy request within 30 days.
Age Requirements
TCG Watchtower is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
All users must comply with Discord's minimum age requirements (13+ in most regions).
Policy Updates
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify our Discord community of any significant changes. Continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Get in Touch
For privacy questions or data requests, email privacy@tcgwatchtower.com. A real person reads every message.
You can also reach us in our Discord: discord.gg/cZxJV9YRyb
Our Terms of Service cover how the site, the portfolio and Pro work.