What we collect, and what we don't.

Benchmark Locator is a tool for land surveyors, not an advertising business. This page states plainly what the app and its account system actually do with your information — not a template, matched against the code that runs it.

Last updated: September 16, 2026 · Effective: September 16, 2026

The short version

We collect your email address to sign you in and to run your subscription, if you have one. We use your device's location, if you grant permission, to find the section you're standing in — it is never sent anywhere except to answer that one question, and it is never stored on our servers. If you email yourself a CSV, that address is used once, to send that one message, and is not kept. We do not run analytics, do not use advertising trackers, and do not sell data to anyone.

Account information

What: Your email address, and, if you subscribe, a Stripe customer ID and subscription status.
Why: Signing in is a one-time link or a 6-digit code emailed to you — there is no password to store or leak. Pro entitlement is looked up against this record.
What we don't store: Payment card details. Stripe handles checkout directly; card numbers never reach our servers.
How long: Until you delete your account from the Account page, which also cancels any active subscription.

Location

What: Your device's coordinates, only if you tap "locate me" or otherwise grant location permission.
Why: To find the PLSS section you're in and center the map there.
Where it goes: Sent to our server once, to answer "which section is this," and discarded — never written to a database, never associated with your account or your search history.

Sending yourself data

What: An email address you type in, when you choose to email a CSV to yourself or someone else.
Why: To deliver that one file.
What we don't do: Keep it. It is not written to any database — it exists only for the length of that one outgoing email.

Bug reports

If you use the in-app bug reporter, your message and a little technical context (which section you were viewing, your browser, whether you were offline) are emailed to us. Your device's exact location is never included, even if you were using the app's location features at the time.

Who else sees any of this

Stripe: Processes payment for a Pro subscription. Card details go directly to Stripe and never touch our servers. See Stripe's privacy policy.
Amazon SES: Delivers our outgoing email — sign-in links, codes, and the files you send yourself.
Amazon Web Services: Hosts the app, the API, and the database. All infrastructure runs in the United States.

We do not sell, rent, or trade any personal information, to anyone, for any reason.

What stays on your device

The sections and marks you've viewed are cached on your device so the map still works with no signal. That cache is local — it is never uploaded, and clearing your browser's site data or uninstalling the app removes it completely.

Your choices

Delete your account: From the Account page at any time. This removes your account record and cancels any active subscription.
Location permission: Can be denied or revoked at any time in your device or browser settings; the map still works, you just tap a section instead of being located automatically.
Questions: Email phil@benchmarklocator.com.

Children

Benchmark Locator is a professional tool for land surveyors and is not directed at, or knowingly used to collect information from, children under 13.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes in a way that matters, we'll update the date at the top of this page. Continuing to use the app after a change means you accept the update.