Privacy Policy - PepperCo Research

PEPPERCO RESEARCH — PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: August 15, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how PepperCo Research (“PepperCo,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects information obtained from users of our website (peppercoresearch.com, the “Site”). By using the Site, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Information You Provide

– Account information: When you create a research account, we collect your name, email address, password (hashed), and any research context you provide during the optional research intake questionnaire.

– Order information: When you place an order, we collect your shipping address, billing address, phone number, and order history.

– Payment information: We do not store credit card data. Payment is processed through WAAVE Technologies, our PCI DSS-compliant payment processor. We receive a transaction confirmation and last four digits of the card used, but no full card numbers, CVV codes, or expiration dates are stored on our servers.

– Communication: If you contact us via email, chat, or our contact forms, we collect the information you provide including your name, email, and message content.

– Reviews and UGC: If you submit a product review or other user-generated content, we collect the content you submit along with your account identifier.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

– Age verification data: When you pass the 21+ age verification gate, we record your acknowledgment server-side with a 30-day expiry. We hash your IP address and user-agent identifier to maintain this record without storing personally identifiable age data.

– Usage data: We collect information about how you interact with the Site, including pages visited, time on page, referral source, and click patterns. This data is collected through analytics tools and is used in aggregate, not to identify individual users.

– Device and browser information: We collect your browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and language preferences to optimize the Site experience.

– Cookies and similar technologies: We use cookies and local storage to maintain your session, remember your age verification status, and analyze Site traffic. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some features of the Site may not function properly.

1.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from our payment processor (WAAVE Technologies) regarding transaction status and fraud screening. We do not receive or store your full payment credentials from third parties.

2. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

2.1 Order Fulfillment

We use your account and order information to process orders, arrange shipping, provide order status updates, and maintain order records for audit and compliance purposes.

2.2 Compliance & Legal Protection

We use your information to enforce our Research Use Disclaimer, verify research-account eligibility, maintain records of research-use agreements, and comply with applicable laws and regulations. Your age verification acknowledgment and research-use agreement are stored as part of our compliance documentation.

2.3 Communication

We may use your email address to send you order confirmations, shipping notifications, account-related communications, and — if you have opted in — informational content about research topics. You may unsubscribe from non-essential communications at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting privacy@peppercoresearch.com.

2.4 Site Improvement

We use aggregate usage data and analytics to understand how users interact with the Site, identify trends, improve site performance, and enhance the user experience. This data is not used to identify individual users.

2.5 Security & Fraud Prevention

We use your information to detect, prevent, and address fraud, unauthorized access, and other security issues. This includes monitoring for suspicious account activity and cooperating with payment processors’ fraud screening.

3. HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

3.1 Service Providers

We share your information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf:

– WAAVE Technologies: Payment processing and fraud screening. WAAVE receives your transaction data and payment credentials but operates under their own privacy and security policies.

– Shipping carriers: Your name, shipping address, and order information is shared with our shipping carrier(s) for delivery purposes.

– Analytics providers: Aggregate, de-identified usage data is shared with analytics platforms to help us understand Site performance.

– Email service provider: Your email address and opt-in status is shared with our email service provider for transactional and marketing communications (if you have opted in).

3.2 Legal Compliance

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or government regulation, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, comply with legal processes, enforce our Terms of Service, or respond to regulatory inquiries related to research-use compliance.

3.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on the Site before your information is transferred under different privacy terms.

3.4 No Sale of Personal Data

PepperCo does not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not participate in data broker activities. Your information is shared only as described in this Privacy Policy.

4. DATA RETENTION

– Account data: Your research account and order history are retained for the duration of your account and for a minimum of 7 years after account closure to maintain compliance records.

– Age verification data: Age verification acknowledgments are retained for 30 days and then automatically expired.

– Payment data: We do not store full payment credentials. Transaction records (date, amount, last four digits) are retained for 7 years for tax and compliance purposes.

– Reviews and UGC: User-generated content is retained for the life of the product listing and may be archived for compliance audit purposes.

– Analytics data: Aggregate analytics data is retained for 24 months, after which it is automatically purged.

You may request deletion of your account data at any time by contacting privacy@peppercoresearch.com. Please note that certain records, including order history and compliance documentation, may be retained as required by law even after account deletion.

5. DATA SECURITY

5.1 Technical Safeguards

– All data in transit is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher.

– Passwords are hashed using industry-standard algorithms (bcrypt). We never store plaintext passwords.

– Payment data is tokenized and processed through WAAVE’s PCI DSS-compliant infrastructure. No card data is stored on PepperCo servers.

– Access to user data is restricted to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis.

5.2 Operational Safeguards

– Our Site is hosted on Kinsta, a managed WordPress hosting provider with enterprise-grade security.

– We conduct regular security reviews and vulnerability assessments.

– We maintain incident response procedures for potential data breaches.

5.3 Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify affected users within 72 hours of discovery, in accordance with applicable state and federal breach notification laws.

6. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

6.1 Access & Portability

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. You may also request that your data be provided in a portable, machine-readable format.

6.2 Correction

You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.

6.3 Deletion

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements for order history, compliance documentation, and tax records.

6.4 Opt-Out

You may opt out of marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting privacy@peppercoresearch.com. You may also opt out of analytics tracking by adjusting your browser cookie settings.

6.5 Restriction

You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, such as while we verify a data correction request.

6.6 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact privacy@peppercoresearch.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days. We may require verification of your identity before processing your request.

7. CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

– The right to know what personal information is collected about you.

– The right to know whether your personal information is sold or shared.

– The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information.

– The right to limit the use of sensitive personal information.

– The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.

PepperCo does not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA. To exercise your California privacy rights, contact privacy@peppercoresearch.com.

8. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY

The Site is not directed to individuals under 21 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 21. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a person under 21, we will delete that information. If you believe we have collected information from a minor, contact privacy@peppercoresearch.com.

9. COOKIES & TRACKING

9.1 Essential Cookies

Essential cookies are required for the Site to function properly. These include session cookies, age verification status, and cart contents. Essential cookies cannot be disabled without breaking core Site functionality.

9.2 Analytics Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the Site. These cookies collect aggregate, de-identified data about usage patterns. You may disable analytics cookies without affecting Site functionality.

9.3 Marketing Cookies

If you opt in to marketing communications, we may use marketing cookies to track email engagement and personalize content. Marketing cookies are only set after you have provided explicit consent.

9.4 Cookie Management

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies will prevent you from accessing the Site, as age verification and session management require cookies.

10. THIRD-PARTY LINKS

The Site may contain links to third-party websites, including published research databases, scientific journals, and regulatory resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted at the top of this page with an updated “Last updated” date. Continued use of the Site after a change indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

12. CONTACT

Questions about this Privacy Policy or your privacy rights can be sent to:

PepperCo Research

Email: privacy@peppercoresearch.com

Domain: peppercoresearch.com

RESEARCH USE ONLY — Products sold on this site are intended exclusively for in vitro laboratory research. Not for human or animal consumption. Not FDA-approved. Customers must be 21+.