Privacy Policy — Plain 38
Effective date: June 30, 2026
Who we are
Plain 38 ("Plain 38," "we," "us," or "our") is a veterans' benefits research tool operated as Plain 38, a sole proprietorship based in Texas, United States.
You can reach us at support@plain38.com with any privacy questions or requests.
This policy explains what we collect, what we do not collect, who processes your data, and the choices you have.
Our core privacy commitment
Plain 38 is built to be a private place to research your own benefits. As a baseline:
- We do not store the questions you search or the decision letters you paste on our servers.
- We do not sell your personal information to anyone, ever.
- We do not share your information with claim consultants, "claim sharks," referral partners, advertisers, or data brokers.
The sections below explain this in full, including the one important nuance every honest privacy policy must state: to answer your question, your text is briefly sent to third-party AI services that generate the response, even though we do not keep it.
What we collect
1. Account information (only if you create an account). When you sign up, we collect your email address and a securely hashed password (we never see or store your actual password). This is handled by our authentication and database provider. We store your email so we can sign you in and contact you about your account.
2. Subscription and payment information (only if you subscribe). Paid subscriptions are processed by Stripe. Stripe collects and handles your payment card details directly — Plain 38 never sees or stores your full card number. We store limited subscription status (for example, whether your subscription is active, your plan type, and renewal date) so we know to give you unlimited access.
3. Usage records (for fair-use limits). To enforce daily free-tier limits, we keep a minimal usage log: a record that a "search" or "decode" action occurred, tied either to your account or to a random device identifier, with a timestamp. These records do not contain the content of your searches or letters — only that an action happened and when.
4. Device identifier (for logged-out users). If you use Plain 38 without an account, we store a random identifier in your browser (via local storage) to count your daily free searches. It is not tied to your identity and contains no personal information.
5. Basic technical data. Like most websites, our hosting and infrastructure providers automatically process limited technical information (such as IP address and browser type) to deliver and secure the service.
What we deliberately do not store
- Your search questions. They are processed to generate an answer and are not saved to our servers.
- The decision letters you paste into the decoder. Before any AI processing, we attempt to scrub personal identifiers from the text on our server, and we do not store the letter.
- Your recent-search history. This lives only in your own browser (local storage) on your device. Clearing your browser data removes it. It never reaches our servers.
How your search and letter text is processed
To produce an answer, Plain 38 sends your question — and, for the decoder, the (personal-identifier-scrubbed) letter text — to third-party AI providers that generate the response in real time. This includes a provider that produces the plain-English explanation and a provider that converts your question into a form we can search with.
This transmission is necessary to answer you. We do not store this text, but these providers process it on their systems and apply their own data-handling and retention practices. We send only what is needed to answer your question, and for the decoder we scrub personal identifiers first.
Service providers (sub-processors)
We rely on these providers to operate Plain 38. They process data only to provide their service to us:
| Provider | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Hosting & infrastructure provider | Running the website, domain, and backend |
| Database & authentication provider | Accounts, sign-in, and data storage |
| Third-party AI providers | Generating explanations and processing searches |
| Stripe | Payment processing |
Cookies and local storage
Plain 38 uses browser local storage to keep you signed in, store your device identifier for free-tier limits, and remember your recent searches on your device only. We aim to avoid non-essential tracking cookies.
Your choices and rights
- Access or delete your data. You can request a copy of the account data we hold, or ask us to delete your account and associated data, by emailing support@plain38.com.
- Cancel anytime. You can cancel your subscription (see the Terms of Service).
- Clear local data. Clearing your browser data removes your device identifier and recent searches stored on your device.
If you are in California (CCPA/CPRA): you have rights to know, delete, and correct your personal information, and to not be discriminated against for exercising them. We do not sell or "share" personal information as those terms are defined.
Plain 38 is intended for U.S. veterans researching U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, and is operated from the United States. If you access Plain 38 from outside the United States, you understand that your information is processed in the United States and by the providers listed above. We are not designed for, or directed at, users outside the United States.
Children's privacy
Plain 38 is intended for adults (and is oriented toward veterans). It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
Data security
We use reputable third-party providers (including Stripe for payment processing) and rely on their security measures, including encryption in transit and hashed passwords. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as Plain 38 evolves. We will post the updated version here with a new effective date. Material changes will be highlighted where practical.
Contact
Questions or requests: support@plain38.com
Plain 38 is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and does not provide legal advice. In crisis? Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.