Privacy Policy

Effective October 1, 2026

Starbound Letters ("Starbound", "we", "us") makes and mails handmade letters, cards and paper art. To do that we need a small amount of personal information about you — and, because our pieces are sent to someone else, about the person receiving them. This policy explains what we collect, why, and the choices you have.

What we collect

• Your details: name, email address, billing address and phone number, and the payment information needed to complete your purchase. Card numbers are handled by our payment processor and are never stored by us.
• Recipient details: the name and mailing address of the person your letter or card is going to, and the personalization you enter — a signature, a personal note, a child's name and "special details" for a Santa Letter, or your own words for a custom piece.
• Photos you upload: for Pet Portrait Cards, the pet photo you provide.
• Account and preferences: if you create an account, your login details and order history; if you sign up for our emails, your email address.
• Technical information: the usual data your browser sends when you visit a website — IP address, browser type, pages viewed — collected through cookies and similar technologies described below.

How we use it

• To make, personalize, sign, seal and mail your order, and to contact you about it.
• To process payment, prevent fraud and keep records we are legally required to keep.
• To answer your messages and handle replacements or refunds.
• To send seasonal news and offers — only if you have signed up. Every email has an unsubscribe link.
• To understand how the site is used and keep it working well.

Recipient details and personalization text are used only to create and deliver the piece you ordered. We never contact your recipient for marketing, and we never share their details with anyone except the postal carrier.

Who we share it with

We don't sell personal information. We share it only with the companies that help us run the store, and only what they need:

• Shopify, which hosts our store, processes checkout and stores order data. Shopify's own privacy policy applies to that processing.
• Payment processors (such as Shopify Payments or PayPal) to take your payment.
• Postal carriers (such as USPS or DHL) to deliver the order, who receive the recipient's name and address.
• Email and analytics providers that help us send messages you have asked for and measure how the site is used.

We may also disclose information when the law requires it or to protect our rights, our customers or the public.

Cookies

Our store uses cookies that are necessary to run the cart, checkout and your account, and — if enabled — analytics or marketing cookies that help us understand how the site is used. Your wishlist is stored in your own browser and never leaves it. You can control cookies in your browser settings; blocking the necessary ones may prevent checkout from working.

How long we keep it

Order information, including recipient details and personalization, is kept for as long as we need it to fulfil the order, handle any replacement or refund, and meet our tax and accounting obligations. Uploaded pet photos are deleted once the card has been produced and the return window has passed. Marketing email addresses are kept until you unsubscribe.

Children

Our store is intended for adults. Santa Letters are ordered by adults, who provide a child's first name and a few details for the letter; we use that information only to write and mail the letter and do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children.

Your choices and rights

You can ask us at any time to see the personal information we hold about you, to correct it, or to delete it (unless we must keep it for a legal reason), and you can unsubscribe from marketing emails with one click. Depending on where you live you may have additional rights under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act; we honour these on request. To exercise any of them, use the contact page.

Security

Checkout runs over an encrypted connection and payment details go directly to the payment processor. We restrict access to order information to the people who need it to make and mail your order.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy we will post the new version here with a new effective date.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Use the contact page and we will reply within one business day.