Privacy policy

Effective October 16, 2026

The Opening Bid is an independently operated publication by Charles Lehigh. In these policies, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Charles Lehigh operating The Opening Bid. For support, billing questions, or privacy requests, use our Contact the editor form and include an email address where we can reply.

Information we collect

We collect information you provide when you create an account, subscribe, save articles, or contact us. This includes your email address, account identifiers, newsletter consent and preferences, saved articles, subscription status, and messages. If you sign up through a campaign link, we may record its source and campaign labels.

We record aggregate page-view counts. Our hosting, authentication, email, and payment providers may process technical information such as IP addresses, browser information, request logs, and delivery records to operate and secure their services. We use hashed identifiers to limit repeated requests and prevent abuse.

How we use information

We use information to provide sign-in and account access, deliver requested services, manage subscriptions, send newsletters when you opt in and delivery is available, respond to questions, understand readership, and prevent fraud or abuse. Signing in alone does not subscribe you to marketing emails.

Service providers and disclosures

We use Supabase for authentication and database services, Vercel for hosting, Resend for email delivery, and Stripe for payment processing and billing. These providers process information needed to provide their services. Payment-card details are collected by Stripe; we do not store full card numbers or security codes in our application database. Provider processing may occur in the United States or other countries where they operate.

We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We may disclose information when required by law or when reasonably necessary to protect rights, investigate abuse, or secure the service.

Cookies and email

We use essential cookies to maintain your signed-in session. Our application does not include advertising pixels or cross-site advertising trackers. Email services process delivery and unsubscribe information; email engagement data may also be processed depending on the email provider settings. Third-party sites linked from articles have their own privacy practices.

Your choices

You can stop marketing emails through the unsubscribe link in a newsletter or through My Account. Unsubscribing from emails does not cancel a paid membership. Necessary account, security, or billing messages may still be sent.

Use Contact the editor to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information. Include your account email, but do not send passwords or card details. We may need to verify your identity before acting. We will handle requests in accordance with applicable law; some records may need to be retained for legal, security, or billing purposes.

Retention and security

We retain information for as long as reasonably needed to provide your account and services, resolve support or billing issues, maintain unsubscribe preferences, prevent abuse, and meet legal obligations. Retention depends on the record and purpose; closing an account does not necessarily erase billing records or provider backups immediately. We use access controls and other safeguards, but no system can guarantee absolute security.

Children and policy updates

The service is not directed to children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information, contact the editor so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

We may update this policy as our services or practices change. We will post the updated policy and effective date here and provide additional notice or obtain consent when required by law.