Privacy Policy

Who we are

Prep-ARE is an independent online study platform for architecture candidates preparing for the ARE 5.0. We are not affiliated with NCARB, the AIA, or any licensing authority. When this policy says "we," "us," or "our," it refers to Prep-ARE and its operators.

If you have any questions about this policy, you can reach us at hello@prep-are.com.

Information we collect

We collect only what we need to provide the service. Here is what that includes:

• Account information: Your email address and password when you create an account. We never see your password in plain text — it is securely hashed by our authentication provider, Supabase.
• Payment information: Your payment is processed entirely by Stripe. We never see, store, or have access to your full card number, CVV, or banking details. Stripe provides us only with a customer ID and subscription status.
• Usage and progress data: Quiz scores, mock exam results, completion timestamps, and division progress. This data powers your dashboard and helps you track your study progress.
• Technical data: Basic information such as your browser type, device type, and IP address, collected automatically through standard web server logs. We use this to maintain security and improve performance.

We do not collect your name, phone number, physical address, or any demographic information unless you voluntarily provide it to us in a support inquiry.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To create and manage your account and provide access to the platform
• To process your subscription payments through Stripe
• To display your quiz and exam progress on your dashboard
• To send transactional emails — account confirmation, password reset, and subscription receipts
• To respond to support requests or questions you send us
• To detect and prevent fraud or unauthorized account access
• To improve the platform based on aggregated, anonymized usage patterns

We do not use your information for advertising, behavioral tracking, or any purpose not listed above.

What we do not do

We want to be explicit about this:

• We do not sell your personal data to any third party, ever
• We do not share your information with advertisers or marketing platforms
• We do not use third-party advertising trackers or retargeting pixels on our platform
• We do not build profiles on you for commercial purposes
• We do not send unsolicited marketing emails — you will only hear from us about your account or the service

Third-party services

We use a small number of trusted third-party services to operate the platform. Each is governed by their own privacy policy:

• Supabase — authentication and database. Stores your email, hashed password, and progress data securely. supabase.com/privacy
• Stripe — payment processing. Handles all payment data. We never see your card details. stripe.com/privacy
• Netlify — website hosting and serverless functions. Processes web requests and serves the platform. netlify.com/privacy

We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any other third-party tracking or analytics services.

Data retention

We retain your account data and progress for as long as your account is active. If you cancel your subscription, your account and progress data are retained for 90 days in case you wish to resubscribe. After 90 days, your data may be permanently deleted.

If you would like your data deleted sooner, you can request this at any time by emailing hello@prep-are.com. We will process deletion requests within 14 business days.

Cookies

We use only essential cookies — small data files that keep you logged in to your account and maintain your session. We do not use advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or any non-essential cookies.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but doing so will prevent you from staying logged in to Prep-ARE.

Security

We take security seriously. Your data is protected by industry-standard measures including HTTPS encryption on all pages, secure password hashing, row-level security on our database, and access controls that prevent unauthorized data access.

No system is 100% secure. If you discover a security vulnerability, please contact us immediately at hello@prep-are.com rather than disclosing it publicly.

Your rights

You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data at any time. Specifically, you can:

• Reset your quiz and exam progress directly from your dashboard at any time
• Request a copy of all data we hold about you by emailing us
• Request correction of any inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your account and all associated data
• Withdraw consent for data processing by cancelling your account

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@prep-are.com. We will respond within 14 business days.

Children's privacy

Prep-ARE is intended for adults pursuing professional architectural licensure. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If we become aware that a minor has created an account, we will delete their data promptly.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will notify you by email. Your continued use of Prep-ARE after any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.