How Mercado handles personal information.

Mercado is a marketplace that helps people discover food through content, connect with sellers and creators, place orders, and manage related payments and support.

Information We Collect

Mercado collects information needed to operate a food marketplace and social discovery experience.

• Account and profile information, such as your name, phone number, username, profile details, and account preferences.
• Content you create or upload, such as menu items, photos, videos, reviews, comments, seller profile information, and other posts.
• Order and transaction information, such as items ordered, pickup details, order history, and payment-related metadata.
• Location and device information, such as approximate or precise location when you allow it, push notification tokens, app activity, and device identifiers used to keep the service secure and functional.
• Support and communication records, including messages you send to Mercado for support, trust and safety, or account issues.

How We Use Information

We use information we collect to run, improve, and protect Mercado.

• Create and manage accounts, authenticate users, and personalize the app experience.
• Show nearby sellers, menus, posts, and other marketplace content.
• Process orders, coordinate payments, and support vendor payouts.
• Send important service communications such as login codes, order updates, and support responses.
• Detect fraud, enforce our policies, investigate abuse, and comply with legal obligations.

How Information Is Shared

We only share information as needed to operate Mercado and support transactions.

• With customers, sellers, creators, or other users when the interaction requires it, such as displaying profile information, posts, menus, or order details relevant to a transaction.
• With service providers that help us host Mercado, process payments, send notifications, prevent fraud, and support customer service.
• With payment partners such as Stripe, which processes payment information and may collect identity, tax, or bank information for payouts and regulatory compliance.
• When required by law, legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of Mercado, our users, or the public.

Payments and Financial Information

Payments on Mercado are processed by third-party payment providers. Mercado does not store full payment card numbers.

• Customer payments are processed through Stripe or other authorized payment partners.
• Vendors who receive payouts may be asked to provide bank, tax, or identity verification information directly to Stripe or another payout provider.
• Mercado may store limited payment metadata, such as transaction status, payout status, and the last four digits or payment method type when provided by the payment processor.

Data Retention

We keep information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide Mercado, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and maintain business records.

• Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.
• Some transaction, payout, fraud prevention, and legal compliance records may be kept for longer periods as required by law or operational necessity.

Your Choices

You can make choices about how your information is used.

• You can review or update certain profile information from within the app.
• You can control location permissions and push notifications through your device settings.
• You can request account assistance or deletion by contacting support@mercadohq.com.

Children’s Privacy

Mercado is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

• If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to Mercado, contact us and we will review the report and take appropriate action.

Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information. No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure.