Last updated: June 2026
Penny Tree is an independent, automatically-updated catalog of Dollar Tree penny and clearance items. This policy explains what we collect and why. We try to collect as little as possible.
If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture from Google (only these — never your contacts, Gmail, or Drive). We use your email to identify your account and your name/picture to set up a public username and avatar. Your email is never shown publicly. We store a randomly-generated session token in a cookie to keep you signed in.
If you post a comment, photo, or find, we store what you submitted along with your account and a one-way hashed form of your IP address (used only to fight spam and abuse).
Everyone: your shopping list is stored only in your own browser (we never receive it). When you mark "I found it," we store your vote and any city/state you optionally provide.
If you turn on push notifications (optional), your browser or device generates a push token that we store so we can send the alerts you asked for (penny drops, replies). We process these through Google Firebase Cloud Messaging as our delivery provider. You can turn notifications off anytime in your account settings or your browser/OS, and deleting your account removes your push tokens along with the rest of your data.
When you first visit, we ask for your cookie choice. Essential cookies always run (they make the site work), and we may show ads to help keep the site free. Google Analytics loads only if you select "Accept all." You can change your analytics choice anytime via the Cookie preferences link in the footer, or manage cookies in your browser.
| Cookie / storage | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
pt_sess | Essential | Keeps you signed in after you log in with Google (not set unless you log in). |
pt_view | Essential / preference | Remembers whether you last viewed penny items or all cheap items. |
pt_consent | Essential | Stores your cookie choice so we don't ask again. |
| Shopping list, sign-in state (browser storage) | Essential / preference | Your saved shopping list lives in your browser's local storage; short-lived cookies are used during Google sign-in. |
Google Analytics (e.g. _ga) | Analytics | Anonymous, aggregated traffic stats. Loads only with your consent. |
| Advertising partners | Advertising | If we show ads to keep the site free, our advertising partners (which may include Google) may set their own cookies. See "Advertising & Google" below. |
We use Google for sign-in and Google Analytics to understand traffic (Analytics runs only after you accept cookies), and Google Firebase Cloud Messaging as the processor that delivers push notifications if you opt in (it handles the push token described above). To keep the site free, we may also display ads from third-party advertising partners. These services have their own privacy policies and may collect usage data and set their own cookies. We do not sell your personal information.
When advertising is enabled on Penny Tree, third-party vendors — including Google — may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.
For more on how Google uses information from sites that use its services, see policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.
You can turn Google Analytics on or off anytime with the Cookie preferences footer link, change your public username on your account page, and sign out at any time. To delete your account and the comments/finds/hauls tied to it, email [email protected] from the address you signed up with and we'll remove them.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict use of your data (for example under the EU/UK GDPR or California's CCPA/CPRA), including the right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information for advertising. To exercise any of these — including an advertising opt-out — contact us at the email above and we'll honor your request.
Penny Tree is intended for adults and is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information.
Questions? Email [email protected]. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Dollar Tree, Inc.