MarketMates Technologies Inc. (“MarketMates,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) operates a three-sided marketplace platform connecting farmers market operators, vendors, and shoppers across Canada. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. By using MarketMates, you consent to the practices described here.
Information We Collect
Account Information
When you create a MarketMates account we collect your full name, email address, and selected account role (Operator, Vendor, or Shopper). If you complete an operator or vendor profile, we also collect your business name, business description, location (city and province), website URL, and profile photos.
Market and Vendor Data
Operators provide information about their farmers markets, including market name, address, operating schedule, amenities, and public-facing descriptions. Vendors provide business information, product listings (names, descriptions, prices, photos), operating certifications, and other details required by markets they apply to.
Payment Information
MarketMates processes payments through Stripe. We never store your credit card numbers, bank account details, or full payment card information on our servers. Stripe collects and processes payment data under their own privacy policy. When vendors connect a Stripe account for payouts, Stripe handles identity verification and financial data. We receive only limited transaction metadata (amounts, dates, status) from Stripe.
Documents and Files
Vendors may upload compliance documents (e.g., insurance certificates, food handler permits, business licences) when applying to markets. These files are stored securely and only accessible to the market operator reviewing the application and the vendor who submitted them.
Usage Data
We automatically collect information about how you interact with MarketMates, including pages visited, features used, search queries, browser type, device type, and referring URLs. We use this data in aggregate to improve the platform.
Communications
We collect the content of messages you send through the platform (e.g., application notes, support requests) as well as your email notification preferences.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Create and maintain your account and profile
- Facilitate vendor applications and market operator reviews
- Process payments and payouts through Stripe
- Send transactional emails (account confirmation, application status updates, pre-order confirmations)
- Send platform announcements and product updates (you may opt out at any time)
- Display your public market or vendor profile to shoppers
- Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents
- Comply with applicable Canadian laws and regulations
- Improve and develop the MarketMates platform
- Respond to your support requests and questions
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data to serve third-party advertising.
Marketing Communications
MarketMates sends two categories of email:
Transactional (always sent)
- Account confirmation and password resets
- Vendor application status updates
- Booth fee notifications
- Pre-order confirmations and receipts
- Security and account-access alerts
Marketing (consent required)
- Onboarding tips and welcome sequences (Days 1, 3, 7)
- New feature announcements
- Seasonal highlights and market tips
Express Consent (CASL)
We send marketing emails only to users who have given express consent in compliance with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Consent is collected via a clearly labelled optional checkbox presented at account signup. Shoppers who create accounts through a magic-link follow prompt are presented with the same optional checkbox before the link is sent.
We record the timestamp and source of each consent. Marketing emails to users who signed up before June 2025 (before the express-consent system was introduced) are suppressed — these users will not receive onboarding or marketing sequences unless they re-engage and provide consent.
Withdrawing Consent
You may withdraw marketing consent at any time by:
- Clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in any marketing email
- Updating your preferences in account Settings → Notifications
- Emailing privacy@marketmates.ca
Unsubscribe requests are processed within 10 business days. Withdrawing marketing consent does not affect transactional emails, which are necessary to operate the service.
Data Residency
Your data stays in Canada
All MarketMates user data stored in Supabase is hosted in AWS ca-central-1 (Montreal, Quebec). This includes your account information, market and vendor profiles, uploaded files, and application data.
Some data may be processed temporarily outside Canada when delivered through Vercel’s global edge network or Resend’s email infrastructure. In all cases, our service providers are contractually bound to process your data only as directed by us and consistent with this policy.
Payment data processed by Stripe is subject to Stripe’s own data residency and security practices. Stripe maintains PCI DSS Level 1 certification.
Your Rights Under PIPEDA
Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) gives you the following rights regarding your personal information:
Right of Access
You may request a copy of the personal information MarketMates holds about you. We will respond within 30 days of a verifiable request.
Right to Correction
If your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request that we correct it. Most account information can be updated directly in your account settings.
Right to Deletion
You may request deletion of your account and associated personal data. See "Requesting Account Deletion" below for the process.
Withdrawal of Consent
You may withdraw consent for non-essential processing (such as marketing emails) at any time through your account notification settings or by emailing privacy@marketmates.ca. Note that withdrawing consent for essential processing (e.g., processing your vendor application) may affect your ability to use certain features.
Right to Lodge a Complaint
If you believe we have not handled your personal information in accordance with PIPEDA, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@marketmates.ca. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.
Quebec Law 25 Compliance
Quebec’s Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (Law 25 / Bill 64) introduces additional obligations for businesses handling personal information of Quebec residents. MarketMates is committed to compliance.
Privacy Officer
MarketMates has designated a Privacy Officer responsible for overseeing compliance with Law 25 and PIPEDA. You may reach our Privacy Officer at:
privacy@marketmates.ca
Privacy Impact Assessments
We conduct Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) before launching new features or systems that involve significant processing of personal information.
Breach Notification
In the event of a privacy breach involving personal information of Quebec residents that creates a risk of serious harm, we will notify the Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI) and affected individuals within the timeframes required by Law 25. We maintain an internal privacy breach register as required by law.
Automated Decision-Making
MarketMates does not currently make decisions about individuals using solely automated means. Where technology assists (e.g., search rankings), human review is available.
Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide the MarketMates service and comply with legal obligations. Specific retention periods:
After your account is deleted, anonymized aggregate data (e.g., market statistics) may be retained in a form that does not identify you.
Requesting Account Deletion
You can delete your MarketMates account and personal data at any time. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.
Delete from your account settings
The fastest way is to delete your account directly from Settings → Account → Delete Account in your dashboard. You’ll be asked to type “DELETE” to confirm the irreversible action.
Request deletion by email
If you no longer have access to your account, email privacy@marketmates.ca from the address associated with your account. We will process your request within 30 days.
Upon deletion, we will remove your profile, uploaded files, and personal account data from our systems. Certain records may be retained as required by Canadian law (see Data Retention above). Payment transaction records required by the Income Tax Act are retained for 7 years in anonymized form.
Before deleting your account
Operators: deleting your account will remove your market listings and all associated vendor applications. Vendors: your product listings and market application history will be permanently removed. Neither action can be reversed.
Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:
MarketMates Technologies Inc.
Privacy inquiries: privacy@marketmates.ca
General inquiries: hello@marketmates.ca
We will respond to privacy inquiries within 30 days. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or, for Quebec residents, the Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI).
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. We will notify registered users by email of material changes. Continued use of MarketMates after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. See also: Terms of Service.