Privacy Policy
Last updated July 12, 2026.
This policy explains what information BLK-Mart collects, how we use it, and your choices. BLK-Mart is a directory of Black-owned businesses with an associated marketplace.
Information we collect
Account information. To create a free account you sign in with Google or a one-time email link — we don't collect or store passwords. We store your email address, and your name and profile image if your sign-in method provides one (e.g., from your Google profile).
Content you post. Comments, star ratings, recommendations, and business submissions (add or removal requests) you make, along with the account they're tied to. Comments display your account name publicly next to the comment.
Business directory data. Most listings come from public sources — certified Black-owned business directories and federal small-business registries — which we import in bulk. Some come from user submissions. We don't collect personal information about business owners beyond what's in these public or submitted records (business name, category, description, location, contact details). Where an address appears to be a home address rather than a storefront, we withhold the exact address from the public listing to protect the owner's privacy.
Marketplace and order data. If you buy or sell through the marketplace, we store order details — items, quantities, prices, the buyer and seller involved, and reference IDs from our payment processor, Stripe. We do not collect or store your card number, card verification code, or bank account details — those are entered directly on Stripe's hosted checkout and held by Stripe. For sellers, we store Stripe's account ID and status flags (e.g. whether onboarding is complete); Stripe collects and holds sellers' bank account and identity-verification information directly — we never receive it.
Technical data. Standard web server logs (IP address, browser type, pages requested) for security and troubleshooting.
How we use this information
To operate your account and sign-in, display directory listings and your public content, process marketplace orders and seller payouts, moderate submissions and comments, respond to support requests, and secure the site against abuse. We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
Who we share information with
We share what's necessary to run the service with the vendors that provide it: Stripe (payment processing and seller payouts), Google (sign-in, if you use it), and our email delivery provider (magic-link sign-in emails, order notifications). We may also disclose information if required by law or to protect the security of the site and its users. We don't share your data with advertisers directly — see Cookies and advertising below for how third-party ad networks may independently use cookies.
What's public
Business listings, your comments (with your account name attached), your star ratings (aggregated, not attributed to you individually), and the fact that you recommended a business are visible to anyone browsing the site. Your email address, order history, and submission history are private to your account and to admins reviewing submissions.
Cookies and advertising
We use cookies to keep you signed in and to remember marketplace cart contents on your device. We do not currently run any advertising on BLK-Mart. If we begin displaying ads served by Google AdSense or similar networks in the future, those vendors may use cookies to serve ads based on your visits to this and other sites, and this policy will be updated to reflect that before it happens. You'll be able to opt out of personalized advertising at any time by visiting Google Ads Settings.
Data retention and deletion
We keep your account data while your account is active. Completed marketplace orders are retained after account deletion as business and tax records. To request deletion of your account and associated personal data, or a copy of the data we hold about you, email legal@blk-mart.com from the address on your account. We'll act on the request within a reasonable time, except where we need to retain something for legal, security, or completed-order record-keeping reasons.
Children's privacy
BLK-Mart is not directed at children, and we don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 13.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the site changes. We'll update the date above when we do, and for material changes we'll make a reasonable effort to give notice on the site.
Contact
Questions about this policy, or privacy requests, can be sent to legal@blk-mart.com.