PRIVACY POLICY
Last Updated: August 24, 2026
121 Letters (“121 Letters,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information entrusted to us.
This Privacy Policy explains how 121 Letters collects, uses, stores, discloses, and protects personal information when you visit our website, create an account, purchase or use a membership, participate in our pen pal matching service, send or receive correspondence through our mail-forwarding service, or otherwise interact with us (collectively, the “Service”).
By using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us, information generated through your use of the Service, and information necessary to operate the Service.
Information You Provide
Depending on how you interact with 121 Letters, we may collect:
First and last name
Mailing address
Email address
Age or age group
Information necessary to verify eligibility
Membership and subscription information
Pen pal matching questionnaire responses
General location information
Preferences regarding how frequently you would like to correspond
General interests and other preferences you voluntarily provide for matching purposes
Communication preferences
Customer service communications
Information you provide when contacting us
Information necessary to administer your membership
We do not intentionally request sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers, financial account information, medical information, precise geolocation, or other highly sensitive information for the purpose of matching members.
Members should not voluntarily provide sensitive personal information to 121 Letters or to another member through correspondence unless they are comfortable doing so.
Payment Information
Payments are processed through third-party payment providers. 121 Letters does not ordinarily receive or store full payment card numbers.
Payment providers may collect and process payment information in accordance with their own privacy policies and terms.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit the 121 Letters website, certain information may be collected automatically by the website platform or hosting technology, such as:
IP address
Browser type
Device type
Operating system
Pages viewed
Referring website
Date and time of visits
General website usage information
121 Letters may use this information for website functionality, security, troubleshooting, and understanding how visitors use the website.
We do not currently use third-party advertising pixels or behavioral advertising tools.
2. How We Use Information
We may use personal information for purposes including:
Creating and administering memberships
Processing membership purchases and payments
Matching members with pen pals
Maintaining member accounts
Communicating with members about the Service
Sending transactional and service-related communications
Sending marketing communications where permitted
Receiving, processing, and forwarding correspondence
Maintaining mailing records necessary to operate the Service
Addressing returned or undeliverable mail
Providing customer support
Managing rematches and member participation
Enforcing our Terms & Conditions and other policies
Investigating suspected fraud, abuse, harassment, or policy violations
Protecting the safety and security of members, personnel, and the Service
Preventing misuse of the Service
Improving the Service and member experience
Maintaining business and financial records
Complying with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, and governmental requests
Establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims
Performing other legitimate business purposes reasonably related to operating 121 Letters
We will not use information for purposes materially different from those described in this Privacy Policy without providing additional notice where required by applicable law.
3. Pen Pal Matching Information
121 Letters uses information provided through the matching questionnaire to identify potentially compatible pen pals.
Matching information may include general age group, general location, correspondence frequency preferences, interests, hobbies, and other general preferences provided for matching purposes.
Matching is performed manually by 121 Letters.
121 Letters does not guarantee that a match will be compatible or that a member will have a particular experience with another member.
Members should provide only information they are comfortable having considered for matching purposes.
4. Mailing Address Privacy
Protecting members' residential mailing addresses is a core part of the 121 Letters Service.
121 Letters uses member mailing addresses as reasonably necessary to:
Provide the mail-forwarding Service;
Maintain and administer member accounts;
Process and forward correspondence;
Address returned or undeliverable mail;
Communicate with members when necessary;
Prevent fraud or abuse;
Comply with legal obligations; and
Perform other legitimate business functions described in this Privacy Policy.
121 Letters does not intentionally provide a member's residential mailing address to that member's pen pal through the ordinary operation of the Service.
However, no privacy system can eliminate every possibility of disclosure. Members may voluntarily disclose their own address or other personal information in correspondence, and 121 Letters cannot control information that a member voluntarily provides to another person.
Members are responsible for deciding what personal information they choose to disclose in their correspondence.
5. How We Handle Physical Correspondence
Because mail forwarding is a core part of the Service, 121 Letters necessarily receives and physically handles members' correspondence.
When correspondence is received, 121 Letters may open the outer mailing envelope for the limited operational purpose of processing the mail, including removing and discarding the sender's return-address information before forwarding the correspondence.
As part of ordinary processing, 121 Letters does not intentionally open or read the folded letter or other enclosed correspondence.
121 Letters does not photograph, scan, copy, or digitally store the contents of members' letters.
Limited Inspection
Although we do not routinely read correspondence, correspondence may be opened or inspected when reasonably necessary to:
Process, route, sort, or forward mail;
Verify compliance with our Terms & Conditions;
Identify prohibited or restricted items;
Investigate suspected fraud or abuse;
Investigate reports of threats, harassment, or safety concerns;
Protect members, personnel, or the business;
Address mail that cannot otherwise be properly processed;
Comply with applicable law, legal process, postal requirements, or governmental requests; or
Address an operational or security issue.
If correspondence is opened or inspected for one of these purposes, 121 Letters will seek to limit the review to what is reasonably necessary for the applicable purpose.
Authorized personnel handling correspondence are expected to maintain the confidentiality of member information and not intentionally read correspondence beyond what is reasonably necessary to perform their duties.
6. Personnel and Mail-Handling Access
121 Letters is currently operated directly by its owner.
121 Letters may authorize a trusted and appropriately trained individual to assist with mail processing or other Service operations.
Authorized personnel will be provided access only to information reasonably necessary to perform their assigned duties.
121 Letters may also rely on third-party postal, shipping, technology, payment, hosting, email, or other service providers as described in this Privacy Policy.
Once correspondence enters the ordinary postal system, it may also be handled by postal employees, contractors, or other parties involved in delivery.
7. Original Mailing Envelopes
The original outer envelope containing a member's correspondence may contain the sender's return address or other identifying information.
As part of the 121 Letters forwarding process, the original outer envelope is opened and the return-address information is removed.
The original outer envelope is then discarded and is not retained as part of the member's correspondence record.
121 Letters does not retain a digital copy, photograph, or scan of the original outer envelope.
8. Correspondence Content
121 Letters does not collect or digitally store the contents of members' letters.
However, correspondence is physical information that comes into our possession while providing the Service.
Members should understand that:
Correspondence may contain personal information voluntarily provided by the sender;
121 Letters cannot control what members choose to disclose to one another;
121 Letters cannot guarantee that another member will keep information received through correspondence confidential; and
Information voluntarily shared between members is not necessarily protected by 121 Letters' privacy practices once it has been disclosed to another member.
Members should avoid including information in correspondence that they would not want the recipient to possess.
9. Sharing Personal Information
121 Letters does not sell personal information.
121 Letters may disclose personal information to third parties when reasonably necessary to operate the Service, comply with law, or protect the rights, safety, and security of 121 Letters and its members.
These third parties may include:
Website hosting and technology providers;
Squarespace;
Google Workspace and related Google services;
Payment processors;
Email and communications providers;
Postal and shipping providers;
Technology and software service providers;
Professional advisors, such as attorneys, accountants, or other consultants;
Government agencies, law enforcement, postal authorities, or other governmental entities when required or permitted by law; and
A successor, purchaser, or other entity involved in a merger, acquisition, restructuring, financing, sale of assets, or similar business transaction.
Service providers may receive only the information reasonably necessary to perform the services they provide to 121 Letters, subject to their applicable contractual, legal, and privacy obligations.
121 Letters may also disclose information when we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to:
Comply with applicable law or legal process;
Respond to a valid governmental request;
Protect the rights, property, or safety of 121 Letters;
Protect members or other individuals;
Investigate fraud, abuse, or security concerns;
Enforce our Terms & Conditions or other agreements; or
Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
10. Marketing Communications
121 Letters may use your email address to send:
Membership-related communications;
Transactional and administrative communications;
Service announcements;
Letter-writing resources;
Newsletters;
Promotional communications;
Information about 121 Letters products, services, or activities; and
Other communications permitted by applicable law.
You may unsubscribe from promotional or marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe mechanism included in the communication or by contacting 121 Letters.
Even if you unsubscribe from marketing communications, you may continue to receive necessary transactional, account, security, or service-related communications.
11. Member Statistics and Public Information
121 Letters may use aggregated or generalized information about the membership community for legitimate business and marketing purposes.
For example, we may publicly state:
The approximate or total number of members;
That members are located across particular states or regions;
That members participate from multiple countries; or
Other aggregated information about the community.
We will not publicly identify individual members or intentionally publish a member's name, home address, email address, correspondence, or other personally identifying information for marketing purposes without the member's permission.
12. Data Retention
121 Letters retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to operate the Service, maintain appropriate business and financial records, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, prevent fraud or abuse, and protect the business.
Our general retention practices are:
Active Members
Information necessary to operate an active membership is retained for as long as the member maintains an account or otherwise uses the Service.
Former Members
After a membership ends, 121 Letters may retain account and transaction information for a reasonable period as necessary for legitimate business, legal, accounting, fraud-prevention, dispute-resolution, and recordkeeping purposes.
121 Letters may generally retain former-member account information for up to two (2) years after the end of the member's relationship with 121 Letters, unless a longer period is reasonably necessary for legal, accounting, fraud-prevention, dispute-resolution, or other legitimate business purposes.
Mailing Addresses
A former member's mailing address will be removed from active operational records when it is no longer reasonably necessary to provide the Service or address an ongoing business, legal, or operational matter.
Correspondence
121 Letters does not routinely retain digital copies, photographs, scans, or electronic records of the contents of member correspondence.
Original outer envelopes are discarded as part of the forwarding process.
Legal and Financial Records
Certain information may be retained longer when necessary to comply with legal, tax, accounting, regulatory, insurance, or other recordkeeping requirements or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
When personal information is no longer reasonably necessary for these purposes, 121 Letters may delete, destroy, or anonymize it.
13. Data Security
121 Letters uses reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
These safeguards may include:
Limiting access to personal information to individuals who reasonably need it;
Using account and access controls;
Maintaining information through established third-party service providers;
Securing physical mail and member information;
Discarding information that is no longer reasonably necessary; and
Taking reasonable steps to protect systems and accounts used to operate the Service.
No method of electronic transmission, electronic storage, physical storage, or mail handling is completely secure.
Accordingly, 121 Letters cannot guarantee that personal information or correspondence will never be accessed, disclosed, lost, damaged, intercepted, or compromised.
If 121 Letters becomes aware of a security incident involving personal information, we will take reasonable steps to investigate, contain, and respond to the incident and provide notices required by applicable law.
14. Cookies and Website Technologies
The 121 Letters website may use cookies and similar technologies necessary for website functionality, security, preferences, and analytics.
121 Letters does not currently use third-party advertising pixels or behavioral advertising technologies.
Our website provider, including Squarespace, may use cookies or similar technologies as part of providing website hosting, functionality, analytics, security, or related services.
You may be able to manage certain cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain website functionality.
15. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live and applicable law, you may have rights concerning your personal information.
These rights may include, where applicable:
Requesting access to personal information we maintain about you;
Requesting correction of inaccurate information;
Requesting deletion of personal information;
Requesting information about how your personal information is collected or used;
Requesting information about certain disclosures of personal information;
Opting out of certain communications or data practices where applicable; and
Appealing certain privacy decisions where required by law.
Not every right is available to every individual or in every jurisdiction, and certain legal exceptions may apply.
For example, 121 Letters may need to retain certain information to comply with legal obligations, complete transactions, resolve disputes, prevent fraud, maintain business records, or exercise or defend legal claims.
To submit a privacy request, contact us using the information provided in the “Contact Us” section below.
We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests in order to protect your information and prevent unauthorized access.
16. International Members and International Data Transfers
121 Letters may accept members from countries outside the United States depending on operational, postal, legal, and regulatory considerations.
If you use the Service from outside the United States, you understand that your personal information may be collected, stored, accessed, and processed in the United States and other locations where 121 Letters or its service providers operate.
Privacy laws in the United States and other countries may differ from the laws of your country.
Where required by applicable law, 121 Letters will provide additional disclosures, rights, or safeguards applicable to international members.
International mail may also be subject to the laws, customs requirements, postal regulations, and privacy requirements of the countries involved.
121 Letters may restrict or discontinue service to particular countries or regions when necessary because of legal, regulatory, postal, sanctions, privacy, safety, or operational considerations.
17. Children's Privacy
The Service is intended for individuals who are at least 18 years old unless 121 Letters expressly introduces a separate program for minors with appropriate parental or guardian requirements.
121 Letters does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through a general-audience Service.
If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13 without legally required parental consent, we will take reasonable steps to delete the information as required by applicable law.
If you believe a child has provided personal information to 121 Letters, please contact us.
18. Third-Party Websites and Services
The 121 Letters website or communications may contain links to websites, services, or resources operated by third parties.
121 Letters is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, content, or policies of third-party websites or services.
You should review the privacy policies of third parties before providing them with personal information.
19. Business Transfers
If 121 Letters is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, sale of the business, bankruptcy, or similar transaction, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
Any successor entity may continue to use personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy or a substantially similar privacy policy, subject to applicable law.
20. Changes to This Privacy Policy
121 Letters may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our business practices, the Service, technology, applicable law, or other circumstances.
When appropriate, we may provide notice of material changes through the website, email, or another reasonable method.
The “Last Updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy indicates when the policy was most recently revised.
Your continued use of the Service after an updated Privacy Policy becomes effective constitutes acknowledgment of the updated policy to the extent permitted by applicable law.
21. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to submit a privacy-related request, contact:
121 Letters
P.O. Box 992
Powell, Ohio 43065
hello@121letters.com
121letters.com
22. Relationship to the Terms & Conditions
This Privacy Policy should be read together with the 121 Letters Terms & Conditions.
If there is a conflict between this Privacy Policy and the Terms & Conditions regarding the operation of the Service, the provisions of the Terms & Conditions will govern to the extent permitted by applicable law, except where applicable privacy law requires otherwise.