The Steve Project is a privacy shield. It is a layer of separation between your identity and corporate metrics.
Your real data is worth more than a 10% discount.
Give them data equal in value to what they're giving you back. Give 'em Steve.
Functionally, Steve fills in the blanks. Steve has a P.O. box, a phone number, and an email address. But ideally, Steve blends in with a thousand other Steves.
This isn't a scam, and doesn't hurt anyone. This is not an attempt to defraud multi-billion dollar corporations — at least, not exactly. This is really just a more elaborate "John Doe." It's a refusal when refusal isn't an option.
You're still giving them the shopping data they want, and they're still going to sell it to the highest bidder. Sanitizing it before it leaves your hands simply helps you retain some level of anonymity, when paired with other privacy steps.
Placeholder: how Steve handles grocery loyalty programs like Publix, Kroger, or Safeway. Swap this copy in later.
Placeholder: gyms, wholesale clubs, retail memberships — anywhere a card number matters more than a name. Update with real examples.
Placeholder: reserved for a third use case. Drop in whatever comes up next.
For one-off sign-ups and anything you don't want cluttering your real inbox. Both give you a working address in seconds, no account required.
For anything that wants a physical address. A basic box at your local post office runs around $60/year and gives you a real, mailable address that isn't your front door.
Find Your Local Post OfficeWhen everyone is Steve... No one is.