Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

• Account: name, email, password (stored hashed), role (member or business), and profile details you provide.
• Location: with your permission, approximate and precise device location to show nearby Businesses and send optional "near you" check-in reminders (geofencing). You can disable location in your device settings.
• Activity: QR check-ins, timestamps, Businesses visited, points earned/redeemed, status tier, challenges, streaks, referrals, and saved Businesses.
• Purchases & receipts: if you submit a receipt for bonus points, the receipt image and extracted purchase details (processed via automated OCR).
• Device & notifications: device push token, device/OS type, app version, and diagnostic/crash data.
• Usage analytics: in-app events and interactions to improve the product.
• Payments (Businesses only): subscription billing is processed by Stripe; we do not store full card numbers.

2. How We Use Information

• Provide the loyalty service: check-ins, points, rewards, vouchers, tiers, challenges, referrals.
• Send notifications you enable (rewards, streaks, expiring vouchers, nearby Businesses).
• Prevent fraud and abuse (e.g. signed QR codes, check-in rate/velocity limits).
• Give Businesses aggregated, privacy-protected analytics (foot traffic, repeat-visit rate, peak hours, rewards redeemed).
• Improve, secure, and support the product; comply with law.

3. How We Share — and Member Privacy to Businesses

Businesses never see your full name. Where a Business sees member activity (e.g. a check-in feed or voucher verification), your name is anonymized to first name + last initial (e.g. "Sarah M."). Businesses receive aggregated, de-identified analytics, not individual member identities.

We share data with service providers who process it on our behalf: payment (Stripe), push delivery (Firebase Cloud Messaging), product analytics, hosting, and error monitoring. We may disclose information to comply with law, enforce terms, or protect rights and safety. We do not sell your personal information.

4. Retention & Deletion

We keep data while your account is active and as needed for the purposes above. You can delete your account in the app (Profile → Delete Account), which permanently removes your account, points, vouchers, and history, subject to limited records we must retain for legal, security, or fraud-prevention reasons.

5. Your Rights & Choices

• Access, correct, or delete your data (in-app or by contacting us).
• Disable location, notifications, or biometrics anytime in device/app settings.
• California (CCPA/CPRA): right to know, delete, correct, and opt out of "sale"/"sharing" (we don't sell). We won't discriminate for exercising rights.
• Other U.S. state privacy rights as applicable.

6. Security

We use encryption in transit, hashed credentials, signed check-in tokens, and access controls. No system is 100% secure; protect your login.

7. Children

The service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data.

8. Changes

We may update this Policy; material changes will be posted here with a new date.

9. Contact

Questions or requests: via the contact option on helpinglocalbusinesses.com.