Privacy policy

This privacy policy explains what information RipsWorld (“we”, “us”) collects when you use the RipsWorld website (the “site”), how we use it, how long we keep it, and the choices you have. RipsWorld is an information and comparison site. We do not sell card packs, hold account balances or process payments for any pack-opening site. The “Updated” date at the top of this page shows when this policy last changed.

What is the short version?

You don’t need an account to use RipsWorld, and we don’t ask for your name or email unless you write to us.
We use Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics to measure visits and our ads, and these set cookies. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we turn off Google’s advertising cookies.
When you click a link to a pack-opening site, we log the click. We store a one-way hash of your IP address, never the IP address itself.
We delete the browser and referring-page details from click records after 90 days, and we replace individual click records with daily totals after about 18 months.
We don’t sell your personal information.

What information do we collect?

Information you give us

If you email us, we receive your email address, your name if you include it, and whatever you write. We use it only to reply and to follow up on your message, such as correcting a fact on the site.

Information collected when you click an outbound link

Links to pack-opening sites go through an address on our site that contains /go/. When you click one, we log the click so we can measure which pages are useful and so the site or its affiliate network can report sign-ups back to us. Each click record can include:

a random click ID that we create for that click
the site you clicked through to, the offer, and the page, list, position and placement the link was on
your device type (such as mobile or desktop) and your browser’s user agent string
your approximate location at country and state or region level, provided by our content delivery network
the page you came from, without its query string
campaign parameters, if the address you arrived from had them, such as utm tags or ad click IDs
a keyed one-way hash of your IP address
flags that mark a click as a likely duplicate or as automated traffic
the date and time of the click

We do not store your raw IP address in our click records. The hash is made with a secret key and is designed so that your IP address cannot be read back from it. We use it only to spot duplicate clicks and automated traffic. To limit automated traffic, we also keep short-lived counters based on a hashed address, and these expire within a few minutes.

Information from the Best Match quiz

When you use the Best Match quiz, we save your answers and the sites we matched you with under a random ID, not your name or any account. We also save the campaign details your visit came from, such as utm tags or an ad click ID, the website that sent you to us at the start of your visit (its name only), the first page you landed on and when you arrived, and the same technical details we keep for link clicks: your device type and your browser’s user agent string, your approximate country and state or region, whether your browser sent a Global Privacy Control signal, a keyed one-way hash of your IP address, and a flag that marks the answers as likely automated traffic. If you then click one of your matches, that click record carries the same random ID. Your browser’s user agent string is deleted after 90 days, the same as for click records. We don’t ask for your name or email. We keep these records for about 18 months, the same as our click records, then delete them.

Information from affiliate partners

If you sign up or make a purchase on a pack-opening site after clicking our link, the site or its affiliate network may send us a notice (a “postback”) containing the click ID, the type of event (registration, first deposit or deposit), a transaction reference and the commission amount. We keep only those fields. We do not receive your name, email address, payment details or account information from these partners.

Information stored in your browser

If you arrive from a link that includes campaign parameters, such as utm tags or ad click IDs, our site stores those parameters in your browser’s session storage for the length of your visit, so they can be added to any outbound link you click. Session storage is not a cookie, is not sent to us with every request, stays on our site only, and is cleared when you close the tab.

Analytics and advertising measurement

We use Google Tag Manager to load Google’s measurement tools, such as Google Analytics and Google Ads conversion tracking. They help us see how many people visit, which pages they read, which links they click and which of our ads brought them here. Tag Manager starts after the page has loaded, when you first scroll, tap or press a key, or a few seconds after the page loads.

These tools set cookies and collect information about your visit, such as the pages you view, the links you click (including which pack-opening site you click through to), the page you came from, your device and browser, your approximate location, and ad click IDs. Google receives your IP address to provide the service. Google processes this information under its own privacy policy, and how Google uses information from sites that use its services explains more. You can block Google Analytics with Google’s opt-out browser add-on or by blocking cookies in your browser.

Aggregate display counts

When one of our ranking lists is on screen, your browser tells us which rows were visible. We store only daily totals by page, list, position and site. We don’t store anything about you with these counts.

Your state, for availability notes

Some pack-opening sites are not available in every state. To show a “not available in your state” note, your browser asks our site for your approximate country and state, which our content delivery network provides. We use it on the fly and don’t store it for this feature.

Server and security logs

Like most websites, our hosting provider and content delivery network automatically process technical information, such as IP addresses, request times and browser details, to deliver pages and protect the site from attacks. These logs are kept by those providers for limited periods under their own policies.

Do we use cookies?

Yes. The Google tools that Google Tag Manager loads set analytics cookies, which count visits and measure how the site is used, and advertising cookies, which measure which of our ads led to a visit or a click. They can last up to about two years unless you delete them. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we tell Google not to use advertising cookies or share ad data for your visit, and analytics cookies still work.

Our content delivery network may also set a strictly necessary security cookie to protect the site from automated traffic. Staff who log in to manage the site receive login cookies. You can delete or block cookies in your browser settings, and the site still works without them.

When you leave our site for a pack-opening site, that site and its affiliate network may set their own cookies. Their privacy policies apply to what they collect.

How do we use information?

to operate, secure and improve the site
to measure which pages and links are useful to visitors, and which of our ads work
to attribute sign-ups to our links and reconcile commissions with affiliate partners
to detect duplicate clicks, bots and fraud
to show a note when a listed site is not available in your state
to reply to your emails
to comply with legal obligations

We don’t build our own profiles of visitors.

Who do we share information with?

Pack-opening sites and affiliate networks: when you click an outbound link, we pass the click ID and, where their tracking requires it, the page, position and source of the link and your approximate state. We do not pass your name, email address, IP address or its hash.
Google: through the Google Analytics and advertising measurement tools described above.
Service providers: companies that host the site, deliver it and handle email for us, under their own confidentiality and security obligations.
Legal and safety: when required by law, or to protect our rights, our users or the public.
Business transfers: if RipsWorld is sold or merged, information may transfer to the new owner under this policy.

We do not sell your personal information for money. Under some US state privacy laws, letting Google’s advertising cookies collect information on our site can count as “sharing” it for targeted advertising. You can opt out by turning on Global Privacy Control in your browser (see below) or by blocking cookies.

How long do we keep information?

We delete the browser user agent and referring page from click records after 90 days.
We keep individual click records for about 18 months. After that, we combine them into daily totals by site, page and link source, and delete the individual records.
We keep conversion records from affiliate partners for as long as we need them for accounting and tax purposes.
We keep emails only as long as we need them to handle your message and any follow-up.

How do we protect information?

We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), restrict admin access to staff who need it, and avoid collecting information we don’t need, such as raw IP addresses in click records. No method of storage or transmission is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children’s privacy

RipsWorld is intended for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has sent us information, contact us and we will delete it.

What are your rights?

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to ask what personal information we hold about you, to get a copy of it, to correct it, to delete it, or to opt out of certain uses. To make a request, email us at the address below and tell us what you’d like us to do. We will respond within the time required by the law that applies to you, and we will not treat you differently for exercising your rights.

Our click records use a hashed IP address and a random click ID rather than your name or email, so in most cases we can’t link them to you. If we can’t find information about you, we’ll tell you.

We honor the Global Privacy Control signal as a request to opt out of sale and sharing: when your browser sends it, we turn off Google’s advertising cookies and ad data sharing for your visit. We don’t respond to “Do Not Track” signals, because there is no common standard for them.

Links to other sites

Our pages link to pack-opening sites and to the sources we cite. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Read their privacy policies before you share information with them.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we change the “Updated” date at the top of this page, and we describe significant changes on this page.

How can you contact us about privacy?

Email contact@ripsworld.com with any question or request about this policy. Our terms of use cover the other rules for using the site.