Privacy Policy

Who we are

Blue Crab Guild LLC ("Blue Crab Guild", "we", "us", or "our") operates the Blue Crab Guild member platform and website. Our registered address is [REGISTERED ADDRESS]. You can reach us at support@bluecrabguild.com.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices and rights you have. It applies to our website and to the member portal we provide to Maryland restaurants.

Information we collect

We collect the minimum needed to run the portal. The categories of information we handle are:

• Information you give us: your name and contact details (owner or main contact name, email address, and phone number); restaurant details (legal and DBA name, Maryland county, and employee counts); account details (email address, name, display name, and role); business identifiers you provide, such as an Employer Identification Number (EIN); and POS or setup notes you share with us.
• Information from your point-of-sale (POS) provider: when you connect a POS, we receive read-only sales, payment, and tip records for your locations, matched to your employees. We connect only with your authorization using a read-only OAuth connection, and you can revoke it at any time.
• Information we create: a normalized tip register, §45B tip-credit calculations, reports, and audit records derived from the sources above.
• Information collected automatically: technical information such as IP address, request timestamps, and a correlation ID, plus essential cookies needed to sign you in and keep your session secure.

How we use information

• Provide the Service: run the tip-compliance pipeline, calculate the §45B FICA tip credit, prepare the credit pack and related outputs, and connect to the POS providers you authorize.
• Operate and secure the platform: authenticate users, enforce access controls, prevent fraud and abuse, and maintain audit logs.
• Communicate with you: respond to your requests, send service and account notices, and deliver deadline reminders you have enabled.
• Bill for the Service: calculate and invoice the service fee described in our Terms of Service.
• Improve our services: understand usage in aggregate and prioritize the roadmap through the member suggestions board.
• Comply with law: meet our tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.

When we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described here and with vendors who need it to run the Service.

• Service providers: hosting for the platform (including our cloud or VPS provider), identity and session management, email delivery, and error and uptime monitoring, each under contract and limited to what they need to perform their work.
• White-label providers: when a feature you use is delivered by a partner, such as a POS provider you choose to connect, that partner's own terms and privacy policy also apply to the data you send them.
• Regulators and professional advisers: when required by law, to respond to lawful requests from tax authorities or regulators, or with our accountants, auditors, and legal counsel.
• Aggregated public data: our public-facing dashboard shows aggregate, de-identified metrics across members only. It never identifies you or your employees.
• Business changes: if we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, information may transfer as part of that transaction, subject to this Policy.

Security

We protect the platform with encryption in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256). Sensitive identifiers such as Employer Identification Numbers and POS authorization tokens are encrypted at the field level. Access is controlled by role-based permissions on the server, and access to member data is recorded in an append-only audit log kept for seven years.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If we become aware of a breach that affects your personal information, we will notify affected members and regulators as required by law, within 72 hours where MODPA requires it.

How long we keep information

• Payroll records and audit logs: seven years, consistent with payroll record-keeping norms.
• Tip records and §45B credit calculations: as required for the tax and audit periods above.
• Suggestions and reactions: while you are a member, plus one year.
• Lead-form submissions: only as long as needed to evaluate demand and contact you. You may ask us to delete yours at any time.
• Account data: until you delete your account or ask us to delete it, unless we are required to keep it for the retention periods above.

Your rights

Maryland's Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA) gives Maryland residents rights over their personal information, including the right to access, correct, and delete it, and to obtain a copy. Because we store the minimum needed to run the portal, most member data can be exported or deleted directly through the platform.

To exercise these rights, use Account Settings in the member portal to request an export or deletion, or email support@bluecrabguild.com. We will respond within 45 days, as MODPA requires. We may ask for reasonable verification before acting on a request.

Deleting your account removes your profile and memberships and deletes the associated identity record. We may retain records we are legally required to keep, such as tax and audit records, but will limit their use to those obligations.

Cookies

We use a small number of essential cookies only. They sign you in, keep your session secure, and remember demo and onboarding state. We do not currently use advertising or third-party analytics cookies. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to provide the Service, they are set without a separate consent banner. You can block or delete cookies in your browser, but parts of the platform may stop working.

Children

The Service is for businesses and is not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy as our services and the law change. We will post the new version here and update the last-updated date. If we make material changes, we will notify members by email or in the portal.

Contact us

Questions about this Policy or your personal information? Email support@bluecrabguild.com or write to Blue Crab Guild LLC, [REGISTERED ADDRESS].