Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how LeavingCardMessages (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit leavingcardmessages.co.uk (“the Website”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Please read this policy carefully. By using this Website you confirm that you have read and understood how we handle your data.

  1. WHO WE ARE

LeavingCardMessages operates the website leavingcardmessages.co.uk, a free AI-powered card message generator for personal and professional occasions.

Data Controller: LeavingCardMessages
Contact Email: contact@leavingcardmessages.co.uk
Website: leavingcardmessages.co.uk

If you have any questions about how we handle your data, please contact us at the email address above.

  1. WHAT DATA WE COLLECT

2.1 Data you provide to the tool

When you use the card message generator, you may enter details such as:

  • The type of occasion (e.g. leaving, birthday, sympathy)
  • Your relationship to the recipient
  • A preferred tone or message length
  • Optional personal details (e.g. a shared memory, nickname, or inside joke)

This information is sent directly to the Anthropic Claude API to generate your messages. It is not stored on our servers once your session ends and is not linked to your identity.

We strongly recommend that you do not enter sensitive personal data such as full names, addresses, financial information, or confidential details into the tool.

2.2 Data collected automatically

When you visit the Website, we and our third-party partners may automatically collect:

  • Your IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type and operating system
  • Pages visited and time spent on the Website
  • Referring website or search term
  • Date and time of your visit

This data is collected via cookies and similar tracking technologies as described in Section 5.

2.3 Data you provide by contacting us

If you contact us by email, we will collect your email address and any information you include in your message. This is used solely to respond to your enquiry.

  1. HOW WE USE YOUR DATA

We use the data we collect for the following purposes:

3.1 To provide the service
Your tool inputs are processed in real time to generate card messages via the Anthropic Claude API. This processing is necessary to deliver the service you have requested.

Legal basis: Performance of a contract / Legitimate interests

3.2 To analyse and improve the Website
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the Website, which card types are most popular, and how we can improve the tool and content.

Legal basis: Legitimate interests

3.3 To serve advertisements
We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on the Website. Google and its advertising partners may use cookies to serve personalised ads based on your browsing history and interests.

Legal basis: Consent (obtained via our cookie banner)

3.4 To respond to enquiries
If you contact us by email, we use your data to respond to your message.

Legal basis: Legitimate interests

  1. WHO WE SHARE YOUR DATA WITH

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We may share data with the following trusted third-party service providers:

4.1 Anthropic (Claude API)
Your tool inputs are sent to Anthropic’s API to generate card messages. Anthropic processes this data as a data processor on our behalf. Data is transferred to the USA under appropriate safeguards. Anthropic’s privacy policy is available at anthropic.com/privacy.

4.2 Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to collect anonymous usage statistics. Google may process data in the USA. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

4.3 Google AdSense
We use Google AdSense to serve advertisements. Google and its partners use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this or other websites. You can manage your ad personalisation settings at g.co/adsettings or opt out of interest-based advertising at aboutads.info.

4.4 Fasthosts
Our Website is hosted by Fasthosts Internet Ltd, a UK-based hosting provider. Your data may be processed on their servers in the course of hosting our Website.

4.5 Legal requirements
We may disclose your data where required to do so by law, or in response to valid requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements.

  1. COOKIES

5.1 What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently and to provide information to website owners.

5.2 Cookies we use

ESSENTIAL COOKIES
These cookies are necessary for the Website to function and cannot be switched off. They include:

  • cookie_consent — remembers your cookie consent preference (expires after 1 year)

These cookies do not collect any personally identifiable information.

ANALYTICS COOKIES (Google Analytics)
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. They include:

  • _ga — distinguishes users (expires after 2 years)
  • ga* — maintains session state (expires after 2 years)
  • _gid — distinguishes users (expires after 24 hours)

These cookies are only set if you accept cookies via our cookie consent banner.

ADVERTISING COOKIES (Google AdSense)
These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you and your interests. They may also be used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and to help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. They include cookies set by Google and its advertising partners.

These cookies are only set if you accept cookies via our cookie consent banner.

5.3 Managing cookies
You can control and manage cookies in the following ways:

  • Via our cookie consent banner when you first visit the Website
  • Through your browser settings — most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies
  • Via Google’s Ad Settings at g.co/adsettings
  • Via the Your Online Choices tool at youronlinechoices.com

Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of this Website.

  1. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

Some of our third-party service providers are based outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States of America. Where we transfer your data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR, including Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions where applicable.

  1. DATA RETENTION

We retain your data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy:

  • Tool inputs: not retained beyond your session
  • Analytics data: retained by Google in accordance with their data retention settings (default 26 months)
  • Email correspondence: retained for up to 12 months
  • Cookie consent records: retained for 12 months
  1. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER UK GDPR

As a UK resident, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right of access — You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

Right to rectification — You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data we hold about you.

Right to erasure — You have the right to request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances.

Right to restrict processing — You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your data in certain circumstances.

Right to data portability — You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.

Right to object — You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our legal basis.

Right to withdraw consent — Where we process your data based on consent (such as advertising cookies), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

Rights related to automated decision-making — You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@leavingcardmessages.co.uk. We will respond to your request within one month. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

  1. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY

This Website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe that a child under 13 has provided personal data through this Website, please contact us immediately at contact@leavingcardmessages.co.uk and we will take steps to delete such information.

  1. LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites. This Privacy Policy applies only to our Website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal data.

  1. GOOGLE ADSENSE AND THE CALIFORNIA CONSUMER PRIVACY ACT

While our Website is primarily intended for UK users, we acknowledge that visitors may access the Website from other jurisdictions. Google AdSense on our Website may be subject to additional privacy requirements in certain regions. For more information about how Google uses data, please visit policies.google.com/privacy.

  1. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, regulatory, or operational reasons. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the Website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

  1. HOW TO COMPLAIN

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please contact us in the first instance at contact@leavingcardmessages.co.uk and we will do our best to resolve your concern.

If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection supervisory authority:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Website: ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

  1. CONTACT US

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

Email: contact@leavingcardmessages.co.uk
Website: leavingcardmessages.co.uk

We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within 48 hours.

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