Privacy & Terms

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 28, 2026

The short version

No accounts, no passwords, no tracking cookies. Your device gets a random anonymous ID, and that ID is your "account". If you buy Pro, we additionally store the email address you give Stripe at checkout, so we can help you recover your purchase and reach you about important changes. A newsletter is strictly opt-in and separate. We never sell or share your data with advertisers.

No accounts, one anonymous device ID

When you use alerts, report a sighting, or buy Pro, your browser generates a random identifier (a UUID) stored on your device. It contains nothing personal and cannot be linked to you unless you make a purchase. Clearing your browser data deletes it.

What we collect, and why

Browsing. Nothing personal. We use Vercel Web Analytics, which is cookieless: it counts page views and anonymous events (like "a checkout was started") without cookies, cross-site tracking, or personal identifiers. That is why we don't need a cookie banner.

Alerts and notifications. If you enable push alerts, we store your push subscription (a delivery address issued by your browser) and your alert preferences (locations, thresholds) under your device ID. Turning notifications off removes the subscription.

Locations. The locations you track are stored with your alert preferences. If you save a custom aurora spot, we store the coordinates and name you chose. If you use "use my location", the position is processed to find your forecast; we don't keep a history of your movements.

Sighting reports. If you tap "I'm seeing the aurora", we store the report with your position rounded to roughly 10 km, the sky conditions at that moment, and your device ID (to limit reports per night). We use these to check our forecast against reality.

Purchases and your email address. When you buy Pro, Stripe collects your email address for the receipt. We store that email together with your purchase record. We use it for exactly two things: helping you recover your purchase if you lose access, and contacting you about important changes to the service or your purchase. Nothing else. We also store your Stripe customer and subscription IDs, and a restore code (stored only in scrambled form; the readable code exists only on your own device).

Newsletter (separate, opt-in only). Having given Stripe your email does not subscribe you to anything. Aurora updates by email happen only if you explicitly tick the newsletter box, and you can untick it anytime in Settings. Every newsletter email will contain an unsubscribe link. We record when you gave or withdrew consent.

Payment processing

Payments are handled by Stripe, acting as merchant of record. Your card number never touches our servers, and we cannot see it. Stripe's own privacy policy applies to the payment itself: stripe.com/privacy.

Where your data lives, and for how long

Data is stored in our database (Upstash Redis, provisioned through Vercel) and transmitted encrypted. Purchase records are kept for as long as your Pro access exists, plus any period required for accounting. Sighting reports are kept for forecast validation. Push subscriptions are removed when you disable notifications or when delivery permanently fails.

Deleting your data

Email support@northernlightsforecast.app from your purchase email address and we will delete your customer record: email, newsletter consent, restore code, and Pro entitlements. Note that deletion removes your ability to recover the purchase. Device-local data (your device ID, saved settings) is deleted by clearing your browser's site data.

Third-party services

Stripe: payment processing, as merchant of record.
Vercel: hosting and cookieless analytics.
Upstash: database.
NOAA SWPC and Open-Meteo: your browser fetches live space-weather and cloud data from these public services to build your forecast; those requests include your IP address, as every web request does.
If you opt into the newsletter, delivery will be handled by an email service provider, used only for that purpose.

Changes

We will update this page when our data practices change, and note the date above. For material changes affecting purchase data, we will use the email on your purchase.

Contact

support@northernlightsforecast.app
North60 Consulting, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Terms for Pro

Plans

The Aurora Week Pass is a one-time purchase of USD 4.99 granting Pro features for 7 days from the moment of purchase. It does not renew and there is nothing to cancel. Buying another pass while one is still running adds 7 days to the time remaining. Pro Annual is a subscription at USD 19.99 per year. Pro Lifetime is a one-time purchase of USD 34.99 for the lifetime of the product. Prices include applicable taxes handled by Stripe as merchant of record.

Renewal and cancellation

The Week Pass never renews: access simply ends after 7 days and no further charge is made. The annual plan renews automatically each year through Stripe. You can cancel anytime by emailing support@northernlightsforecast.app from your purchase email address; your Pro stays active until the end of the paid period, and no further charges occur.

How Pro access works

Pro is tied to your device, not an account. At purchase you receive a restore code that moves Pro to a new device: a subscription covers up to 3 active devices, lifetime covers up to 3 devices total. Keep the code safe; it is shown at purchase and in Settings on the device you bought with. If you lose both the device and the code, contact us from your purchase email and we will help you recover access.

Access codes

Promotional access codes grant Pro for a fixed period on a limited number of devices and can be deactivated if misused.

Refunds

The forecast is a forecast

Aurora displays depend on nature. We work hard on accuracy and calibrate against real sightings, but we cannot guarantee you will see the northern lights, and Pro fees are for the tooling, not for outcomes.