Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2026

The German Datenschutzerklärung is authoritative under Swiss law (nDSG).

1. Controller

The controller responsible for processing personal data on this website is:

Pillar 5 GmbH
4052 Basel
Basel-Stadt, Switzerland
Email: gian@pillar-5.com
Privacy contact: gian@pillar-5.com

2. Scope

This policy applies to pillar-5.com (including redirects from pillar5.ch) and personal data processed in connection with:

Website visits (server logs, technical cookies)
Storage of your language preference in the browser
Storage of your color-mode preference in the browser
Use of the contact form and subsequent email correspondence
Payment for bookable services (1:1 3D modelling training and the Basic website package) through Stripe
Scheduling the paid 1-to-1 session or the website scoping call via Cal.com

No analytics, marketing, or profiling services are used.

3. Legal bases (nDSG)

Processing is permitted where justified by an overriding private or public interest or by law (Arts. 30 and 31 nDSG). The specific bases for each activity are set out below.

4. Contact form

When you use the contact form, we process:

Name, to handle your inquiry
Email address, to reply
Message content

Purpose: Receiving and responding to inquiries.
Legal basis: Art. 31 para. 2 lit. a nDSG (processing in direct connection with initiating or performing pre-contractual steps at your request).
Voluntary: Providing data is voluntary; without name, email, and message we cannot process your inquiry.
Retention: 12 months after correspondence ends, unless a longer statutory retention period applies.

5. Form processor (Web3Forms)

We use Web3Forms (operated by Web3Creative, India) as a processor under Art. 9 nDSG to transmit contact form submissions.

Data: Name, email, message; IP address and email hash for spam filtering where applicable
Purpose: Delivering form content to us
Location: Amazon Web Services (AWS), US-East, USA
Sub-processors: AWS; CleanTalk and Akismet (spam filtering, if active)
Retention at Web3Forms: up to 30 days (free) or 1 year (Pro); server logs up to 2 months (per Web3Forms documentation)
Legal basis: Art. 31 para. 2 lit. a nDSG

We maintain a data processing agreement with Web3Forms where available.

6. Payments (Stripe)

For payment of bookable services (1:1 3D modelling training and the Basic website package) and for invoices to clients, we use Stripe (Stripe, Inc. / Stripe Payments Europe).

Data: Name and email (shown on the invoice), amount, currency, payment status, invoice details; card data is collected on the Stripe-hosted Checkout or invoice page and is not stored on pillar-5.com. For website Basic and existing hosting subscriptions, Stripe stores the payment method for the yearly hosting charge. For website Basic the first hosting charge is taken 12 months after payment, then yearly
Purpose: Accepting payments, issuing receipts and invoices, bookkeeping, and charging yearly hosting (for website Basic first 12 months after payment)
Legal basis: Art. 31 para. 2 lit. a nDSG (performance of a contract or pre-contractual steps at your request) and statutory retention duties
Retention: Payment and invoice records generally 10 years (Swiss business records)

Stripe acts as an independent provider for card data (PCI DSS). For customer data we send (name, email, invoice details), Stripe is a processor under Art. 9 nDSG. Stripe's processing: stripe.com/privacy.

7. Session scheduling (Cal.com)

After successful payment, scheduling is on Cal.com (Cal.com, Inc.) where a slot is provided. For 1:1 3D modelling training we send you to the matching booking page (1 hour or 2 hours, Augusto Fuchs's calendar). For website Basic we send you to the scoping call (Gian Seyitcan Senpinar's calendar). We put the same link on the Stripe invoice.

Data: Email address and name, to prefill the booking form; further details you enter on Cal.com
Purpose: Booking the paid 1:1 slot or the Basic scoping call
Legal basis: Art. 31 para. 2 lit. a nDSG (performance of a contract)
Role: Cal.com acts as an independent provider for scheduling

Cal.com's processing: cal.com/privacy.

8. Email correspondence

Replies to your inquiry by email are processed for communication with you. Legal basis: Art. 31 para. 2 lit. a nDSG. Retention as in section 4.

9. Hosting and server logs

When you visit the site, logs may include IP address, date/time, URL, browser type, referrer, and HTTP status.

Hosting: Cloudflare, Inc. (Cloudflare Pages / CDN)
Location: USA and global edge network
Purpose: Operation, security, and stability
Legal basis: Art. 31 para. 1 nDSG (overriding private interest)
Retention: generally up to 30 days for Cloudflare logs

10. Browser storage (localStorage and sessionStorage)

When you switch language, we store your choice under pillar5-lang (de, en, or fr) in localStorage so it persists on return visits. When you switch color mode, we store your choice under pillar5-theme (light or dark) in localStorage so it persists on return visits. After a successful 1-to-1 or website-package payment, we may store the calendar booking link for the current browser tab under pillar5-cal-booking in sessionStorage so you can return from Cal.com without losing the link. That entry may include the email used at checkout (for prefilling Cal.com) and is cleared when you close the tab. No tracking data is stored; nothing is sent to third parties from this browser storage.

Legal basis: Art. 31 para. 1 nDSG. You may delete the entry in your browser settings at any time.

11. Cookies

No analytics or marketing cookies are used.

Cloudflare may set technically necessary cookies (e.g. __cf_bm, cf_clearance) for security and delivery. These are not used for advertising or profiling.

Legal basis: Art. 31 para. 1 nDSG. No separate cookie consent banner is required for this configuration; information is provided here.

12. Fonts

Fonts (Source Serif 4, Source Sans 3) are self-hosted on pillar-5.com. No personal data is sent to Google Fonts or other third-party font CDNs.

13. Recipients

Recipients may include Cloudflare, Inc.; Web3Forms / Web3Creative; AWS (on Web3Forms' behalf); CleanTalk / Akismet (spam filtering, if active); Stripe, Inc. / Stripe Payments Europe (payments and invoices); Cal.com, Inc. (session scheduling). No sale of personal data or sharing for marketing.

14. International transfers

Data may be processed outside Switzerland, especially in the USA.

Cloudflare: certified under the Swiss-US Data Privacy Framework (Art. 16 para. 1 nDSG).
Web3Forms / AWS: safeguards under Art. 16 para. 2 lit. d nDSG (standard contractual clauses) and/or Art. 17 nDSG (pre-contractual steps to handle your inquiry).
Web3Creative (India): Where access from India is possible, the transfer is covered by the safeguards agreed in the data processing agreement.
Stripe (USA/EU): Stripe is certified under the Swiss-US Data Privacy Framework where applicable. Additional safeguards under Art. 16 para. 2 lit. d nDSG (Stripe standard contractual clauses).
Cal.com (USA): safeguards under Art. 16 para. 2 lit. d nDSG (standard contractual clauses) where applicable, and Art. 31 para. 2 lit. a nDSG (performance of the booking).

15. Security

We apply appropriate technical and organisational measures under Art. 8 nDSG, including HTTPS, data minimisation, self-hosted fonts, and established hosting.

16. Automated decisions

We do not make automated individual decisions with legal or similarly significant effect under Art. 21 nDSG.

17. Your rights

Under nDSG you may request access (Art. 25), rectification (Art. 32 para. 1), deletion or restriction where applicable (Art. 32 para. 2), and data portability where Art. 28 applies. Contact gian@pillar-5.com. We generally respond within 30 days and may request proof of identity.

18. Supervisory authority

Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC / EDÖB)
Feldeggweg 1, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
www.edoeb.admin.ch

19. Changes

We may update this policy when processing, services, or law change. The version published on this page with the date above applies.