Why We Don't Sell Your Data: The Case for Paid Invitations
We need to talk about "Free."
In the digital world, we've been conditioned to believe that software shouldn't cost money. We download free games, use free social networks, and send free invitations without spending a dime.
But as the old saying goes: "If you're not paying for the product, you are the product."
When you use a "free" invitation platform (you know the ones—cluttered with banner ads and pop-ups), you are paying with something much more valuable than a few dollars: your friends' attention and their privacy.
At Lemonvite, we do things differently. We ask you to pay. And we want to explain exactly why that’s a good thing for you.
The Hidden Cost of "Free"
Let's peek behind the curtain of the ad-supported model.
When you upload your guest list to a free platform, you aren't just sending invites. You are feeding a database. That platform now knows:
- Who your friends are.
- Their email addresses and phone numbers.
- Where they will be on a Saturday night.
- What kind of events they attend.
This data is gold for advertisers. It's why you see ads for baby products after attending a baby shower, or ads for alcohol after being invited to a cocktail party.
Worse, your guests—the people you care about—are subjected to a barrage of advertisements just to see the details of your dinner party. Is that the guest experience you want to provide?
The Lemonvite Promise: You Are the Customer, Not the Product
We decided early on that we would never sell user data. We don't have an advertising team. We don't have "partners" who want to peek at your guest list.
Our business model is simple and transparent:
- Planning is Free: You receive a set of free design generations to get started. Try it now.
- Sending Costs Money: When you purchase a credit to publish your event, you unlock more design generations and the ability to distribute your invite.
That fee covers the cost of the server, the SMS delivery, the design generation, and—most importantly—it buys your privacy.
1. Fair Pricing & Spam Prevention
Real talk: Image generation isn't free for us. Every unique masterpiece you create costs computing power. That's why we limit free generations initially. By charging a small fee to publish, we can afford to give you premium tools without selling your data.
This payment wall also serves a crucial security function: it stops spammers. By requiring a small payment to send texts and emails, we ensure that our platform is used by real people for real events, not by bots sending junk.
And let's be honest about the price. We keep it low because we don't believe in overcharging. At the end of the day, an invitation is a temporary web page. It shouldn't cost a fortune. We charge just enough to cover our costs and keep the lights on, so you get a premium experience without the premium markup.
2. Zero Ads. Ever.
Your invitation is a sacred space. It shouldn't look like a billboard. When your guests open a Lemonvite link, they see your beautiful custom-generated artwork and the event details. That's it. No pop-ups, no "special offers," no distractions.
3. The "Hard Delete" Policy
We don't just promise privacy; we enforce it. Our system is designed with a data expiration date. We automatically delete event data after it's no longer relevant (approx. 14 months). If you delete your account, we trigger a "hard delete"—wiping your personal information and payment records from our internal systems immediately. We don't hoard data "just in case" it becomes valuable later.
4. Respecting Your Guests
Your friends trust you with their contact information. We honor that trust. We will never market to your guest list. We use their phone numbers for one thing only: sending the invitation you asked us to send.
Trust is the Ultimate Luxury
In an age of data breaches and relentless tracking, privacy has become a luxury good.
By charging a fair price for our service, we align our incentives with yours. We are motivated to build the best possible tool for you, not the best possible data collection engine for advertisers.
So the next time you're planning a special event, ask yourself: Is it worth saving a few dollars if it means selling out your guest list?
We think your friends are worth more than that.