Privacy Policy

1Who we are

SM Gas Inc. (“SM Gas,” “we,” “us” or “our”) operates fuel and convenience store locations across Indiana and Michigan, together with this website and our customer text messaging programs. This Privacy Policy applies to all of them.

By using our website, joining the SM VIP Club, or providing your phone number to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.

2Information we collect

Information you give us

• Contact details. Your name, mobile phone number, email address and postal code when you sign up for the SM VIP Club, complete a form on our site, or contact us.
• Consent records. The date, time, IP address, web page or form used, and the exact consent wording shown to you when you opted in to text messages.
• Messages you send us. The content of texts, emails, forms and support requests you send, so we can respond and keep a record.
• Employment applications. Information you submit when applying for a role with SM Gas.

Information collected automatically

• Device and usage data. IP address, browser type, device type, referring page, pages viewed and time spent, collected through cookies and similar technologies.
• Message delivery data. Whether a text was delivered, and whether you replied with a keyword such as STOP or HELP.

Information collected in store

Transaction records for purchases, loyalty activity tied to your VIP Club membership, and security camera footage recorded on our premises. Payment card details are processed by our payment processors and are not stored by SM Gas.

3How we use your information

• To send the text messages you specifically consented to receive, and only those.
• To operate the SM VIP Club, apply member pricing and track rewards.
• To respond to questions, complaints and support requests.
• To improve our stores, website and product mix, using aggregated and de-identified data wherever possible.
• To detect and prevent fraud, theft and misuse of our systems.
• To meet our legal, tax, regulatory and record-keeping obligations, including proof of messaging consent.

4Mobile information and SMS consent

Your mobile phone number and your text messaging consent are treated as a separate, protected category of information. They are not merged into our general marketing data and they are not passed along to anyone outside the operation of the messaging program itself.

Separate consent for separate programs

SM Gas operates two distinct text messaging programs, and consent to one is never treated as consent to the other:

How consent works

• Consent boxes are never pre-checked. You must tick them yourself.
• Consent to receive text messages is never a condition of any purchase, sign-up or entry.
• You may opt in to one program and decline the other, and we will honor that separation.
• We keep a record of your consent, including timestamp and the exact wording you agreed to.

Withdrawing consent

You can revoke consent at any time and by any reasonable method. Replying STOP, END, QUIT, CANCEL or UNSUBSCRIBE to any message will do it, and so will a plain-language reply, a phone call, an email, or a request made to staff at any SM location. We will process your request across every list your number appears on within ten business days of receiving it. Full details are in our Terms & Conditions.

5We do not sell your information

SM Gas does not sell, rent, lease or trade your personal information. We do not buy or sell consumer leads, and we do not participate in lead generation or data brokerage arrangements of any kind.

We do not share your personal information with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing purposes. If that ever changes, we will obtain your consent first and update this policy before doing so.

6When we share information

We share information only in the limited circumstances set out below, and only to the extent needed.

• Service providers. Vendors who operate systems on our behalf, such as our messaging platform, website host, payment processors and analytics providers. They may use the information only to perform services for SM Gas, under contract, and may not use it for their own purposes.
• Mobile carriers. Carriers handle the delivery of messages you have asked to receive. This is message transmission, not marketing sharing.
• Legal requirements. Where we are required to disclose information by law, subpoena, court order, or to protect the safety, rights or property of customers, staff or SM Gas.
• Business transfers. In connection with a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, in which case the receiving party remains bound by this policy. Mobile opt-in data and consent are excluded from any such transfer for marketing use.

7Cookies and analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to keep the site working correctly, remember your preferences and understand how the site is used. Analytics providers may set cookies to report aggregated traffic patterns to us.

Most browsers let you refuse or delete cookies through their settings. Doing so may affect how parts of the site function. We do not use cookies to build advertising profiles that identify you personally, and we do not link website analytics data to your mobile opt-in record.

8How long we keep information

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected, or as long as the law requires. Messaging consent records are retained for at least four years after consent is given or revoked, so that we can demonstrate compliance if asked. Transaction records are kept as required for tax and accounting purposes. Security footage is retained on a short rolling cycle and then overwritten.

9How we protect information

We use administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against loss, misuse and unauthorized access, including access controls that limit who inside SM Gas can view customer contact data. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10Your privacy rights and choices

Regardless of where you live, you may ask us to do any of the following:

• Access. Tell you what personal information we hold about you.
• Correct. Fix information that is inaccurate or out of date.
• Delete. Remove your information, except where we are required to keep it, such as consent and transaction records.
• Opt out. Stop marketing texts, marketing email, or both, without affecting service-related communications you have separately consented to.

To make a request, contact us using the details in section 14. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

11Children’s privacy

Our website, VIP Club and text messaging programs are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, and we do not knowingly enroll anyone under 18 in our text messaging programs. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

12Third-party links and services

Our website may link to sites we do not control, such as suppliers, payment providers or job boards. This policy does not apply to those sites, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices. Review their policies before providing information.

13Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of the page. Material changes affecting how we use your mobile information will be communicated to you before they take effect. Continued use of our website or messaging programs after an update means you accept the revised policy.

14How to contact us

For any privacy question or request, or to ask what information we hold about you, reach us here:

You can also speak to the manager at any SM Gas location and they will route your request to the right person.