Privacy Policy

When you browse, contact us, or order, we may collect:

• Contact & order details — your name, email, shipping address, and (if you provide it) phone number.
• The media you upload — the photos, and any video, audio or album you provide for your piece and its memory feature.
• Order & support history — what you bought, proofing notes, and messages you send us.
• Payment information — handled by our secure checkout provider. We never see or store your full card number.
• Basic device & usage data — like pages visited and approximate region, via cookies and standard analytics, to keep the store working and improve it.

We use your information to:

• Create, proof, produce and ship your order;
• Power the memory feature — so a tap of your NFC tag (or your Memory Card) plays back the moment you saved;
• Provide customer support and send order updates (e.g. "proof ready", shipping confirmation);
• With your consent, send occasional news about new pieces — you can unsubscribe anytime;
• Keep the site secure, prevent fraud, and meet our legal and tax obligations.

The media you upload is used only to fulfil and support your order and to run the memory feature. We do not sell it or use it for advertising.

For Thread Painting orders, we generate a graphical proof mockup using a third-party AI image service — your photo is processed to create that preview so you can approve the look before we hand-stitch the real piece.

We keep your memory media so your piece keeps working over time and so we can reprint or support it if needed. You can ask us to send you a copy of, or delete, your media at any time (see "Your rights" below).

We share data only with the service providers that make your order possible, and only the data each one needs:

• Shopify — runs our store, secure checkout, and order records.
• Cloudflare — hosts our site and stores your uploaded files (encrypted in transit and at rest).
• Resend — sends our transactional emails (order and proof updates).
• Geoapify — powers address auto-complete; it only receives the address fragment you type, never your full profile.
• AI proof services — for Thread Painting mockups only, as described above.
• Shipping carriers — receive your name and address to deliver your parcel.

We may also disclose information if required by law. We never sell your personal information.

We use essential cookies (for your cart and checkout) and basic analytics to understand how the store is used. The memory pages your NFC tag opens do not require an account or login and do not set marketing cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

Payments are processed through our secure checkout. Your card details are handled directly by the payment processor under their own security standards — we receive confirmation of payment, not your card number.

We keep order and memory data for as long as your piece is in service and as long as we need it to support you, plus any period required for tax and legal record-keeping (in Canada, business records are generally retained for about six years). You can request deletion sooner, subject to those obligations.

You can ask us to access, correct, delete or export your personal data, and withdraw consent for marketing emails at any time. To make a request, email support@varnakalar.com — we'll respond within a reasonable time. You may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you have a concern we can't resolve.

Some of our providers (for example, hosting and email) may process data on servers outside Canada, including in the United States. Where that happens, your information remains protected by this policy and the providers' own safeguards.

Our store isn't directed at children, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we'll remove it.

We may update this policy as our store evolves. When we do, we'll revise the "last updated" date above. Material changes will be noted on this page.