Privacy Policy
Effective October 15, 2026
Pass the Pad never sells personal information, and guests' details go only to the organization whose sign-in screen they used.
Who we are
Pass the Pad is operated by Pass the Pad, at passthepad.com. We make sign-in screens that organizations ("clients") run on tablets at their events, and we keep their sign-in lists and mailing lists in sync.
We play two roles, and this policy covers both:
- For clients, we decide how we handle their account information, such as the organizer's name and login.
- For guests who sign in on a client's tablet or by scanning a client's QR code, the client decides what to collect and how to use it. We store and process those details on the client's behalf and follow the client's instructions. The client's own privacy policy also applies, and questions about how a club or nonprofit uses your details are best sent to them first.
This policy does not cover the client's own websites or newsletters, or Mailchimp and other services a client connects to Pass the Pad. Each of those has its own policy.
Information we collect
We collect only what a client's sign-in screen asks for, plus what we need to run the service.
| From | What we collect | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Guests signing in | First name, last name, email address | To record who attended for the client |
| Guests signing in | Whether you ticked the mailing-list box, with the date, time, event and the exact wording you agreed to | To prove consent, and to add you to the client's list only if you asked |
| Guests signing in | Whether you signed in on a tablet or your own phone | So the client can see how guests sign in |
| Guests signing in on their own phone | A scrambled code made from your network address, which can't be turned back into the address | To stop automated spam by limiting how many sign-ins one phone can send in a few minutes |
| Clients | Organizer names, email addresses, passwords (stored scrambled, never readable) and team roles | To run the account and let the right people in |
| Clients | Screen settings, logos, event names and dates | To show the client's branded sign-in screen |
| Clients | Mailchimp API keys | To send opted-in guests to the client's list; stored encrypted |
| Tablets | A device ID created when a tablet is paired, IP address, browser type, battery level and upload status | To keep tablets connected, warn organizers about problems and prevent abuse |
We do not collect payment details from guests, use guests' details for advertising, or track guests across other websites.
How we use it
We use guests' details only to provide the sign-in service to the client who ran the event.
- Attendance records. The client sees who signed in at each event, how many people came, and who is new or returning.
- Mailing lists. If you tick the mailing-list box, we send your name and email to the email tool the client connected, such as Mailchimp, tagged with the event name. Depending on the client's settings, that tool may first send you an email asking you to confirm. If you leave the box unticked, you are not added. If you have unsubscribed from that list, signing in again does not re-subscribe you.
- Name suggestions. If the client turns this feature on, typing the first letters of your name on the client's tablet may show names of people who signed in at that client's earlier events, so returning guests can tap their name instead of retyping it. Only first and last names are shown, never email addresses, and only on that client's own tablets. Names are never suggested on the phone sign-in page. Clients can turn this off.
- Email suggestions. The email-ending buttons and the "Did you mean…?" check use common email providers and the providers most used by that client's guests. They never show anyone's address.
- Running the service. We use client and device information to log in organizers, keep tablets connected, fix problems and prevent misuse.
We do not use guests' details for our own marketing, and we do not combine one client's guest list with another's.
Who we share it with
We do not sell personal information or share it for targeted advertising. We share it only with:
| Who | What they receive | When |
|---|---|---|
| The client whose sign-in screen you used | Everything you entered at their events | Always; it is their sign-in list |
| The email tool the client connected (for example Mailchimp) | Your name, email and the event name as a tag | Only if you ticked the mailing-list box |
| Our hosting provider, DreamHost | All stored data, on servers in the United States | To run the service; they may not use it for anything else |
| Authorities | What the law requires | Only when required by law or to protect someone's safety |
| A buyer of Pass the Pad | Data under this same policy | If the business is sold or merged; we will tell clients first |
Pass the Pad does not take payments or send marketing email today. Before we add either, we will update this policy to name the providers involved.
Once a client sends your details to their own email tool, that tool's privacy policy and the client's own practices apply.
How long we keep it
We keep guests' details for as long as the client keeps their account, unless the client or the guest asks us to delete them sooner.
| Data | How long |
|---|---|
| Guest sign-ins on our servers | While the client's account is open; deleted within 90 days after it closes |
| Sign-ins stored on a client's tablet | Until our server confirms it has them, plus a 30-day backup copy on the tablet |
| Client account information | While the account is open, then up to 90 days |
| Server logs with IP addresses | Kept by our hosting provider for a short time to run and secure the service, then deleted |
How we protect it
- All connections to passthepad.com are encrypted (HTTPS).
- Mailchimp API keys are stored encrypted, and passwords are stored scrambled, never as plain text.
- Each client's data is kept separate, and only that client's team can see it.
- The organizer tools on a tablet are locked behind a PIN, so guests cannot see earlier sign-ins.
- Phone sign-in links are signed, so they can't be changed to point at a different event.
- Only the Pass the Pad staff who need access for support or maintenance have it.
No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affects your information, we will tell the affected clients, and the guests where the law requires, without unreasonable delay.
Your choices and rights
You can ask to see, correct or delete your information at any time, and you never have to join a mailing list to sign in.
- Leave the mailing list. Use the unsubscribe link in any email from the client. If you unsubscribe through Mailchimp, you stay unsubscribed even if you sign in again.
- See, correct or delete your details. Ask the client who ran the event, or email us at privacy@passthepad.com. If you write to us about a client's list, we will pass your request to that client and help them carry it out.
- Clients can export any event or their whole contact list, and delete any guest, from the dashboard.
California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected about them and how it is used, to have it deleted or corrected, and to opt out of its sale or sharing. We do not sell or share personal information for advertising, so there is nothing to opt out of. We will not treat you differently for using these rights. We answer requests within 45 days and may ask you to confirm your identity first, for example by replying from the email address you signed in with. An authorized agent can make a request for you with your written permission.
If you live outside California, contact us anyway: we apply the same rights for everyone.
Children
Pass the Pad is not meant for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information. Clients agree not to ask children under 13 to sign in themselves; a parent or guardian can sign in for a family. If we learn that a child under 13 entered their details, we delete them.
Cookies and storage on your device
- Tablets store sign-ins waiting to upload, a 30-day backup copy and the client's name list for suggestions, so the screen keeps working without internet.
- If you sign in on your own phone, the page remembers your name and email on that phone only, so you can sign in with one tap next time. Clear your browser's site data to remove it.
- The organizer dashboard uses one login cookie.
We use no advertising cookies or third-party trackers. Our sites do not respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals, because we do not track people across sites in the first place.
Changes to this policy
When we change this policy, we post the new version here with a new effective date. If a change affects how guests' details are used, we email clients at least 30 days before it takes effect.
Contact us
Pass the Padprivacy@passthepad.com