Phindyr Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 1, 2025

At Phindyr, we are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how Phindyr collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use our website and services. By accessing or using Phindyr, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to provide and improve our services to you.

Information You Provide Directly:

When you create an account, book services, or interact with our platform, you directly provide us with the following information:

Account Information:

Your first name and last name
Your email address
Your phone number
Your password (which is securely hashed)

Profile Information:

If you are a guide, your business name
An introduction or biography about yourself
Your experience level
Your profile and trip photos

Location Data:

Full addresses, including street address, city, state/province, zip/postal code, and country
We may collect multiple address types, such as billing, shipping, or business addresses

Financial Information:

Payment method details are handled by our payment processor, Stripe, and are not directly stored in Phindyr's database.

Booking & Trip Data:

Information related to your trip bookings and participation
Your trip preferences and favorite listings
The history of messages exchanged between you and other users (guests and guides) within the platform
Ratings and reviews you provide or receive regarding trips and services

Information Collected Automatically (System Data):

When you access and use our services, certain information is automatically collected:

System Data Collection:

User Preferences: Settings such as your chosen theme, notification preferences, and language settings
Audit Logs: Records of your actions on the platform, including IP addresses and user agents, for security and operational purposes
Session Data and Authentication Tokens: Information related to your sessions and tokens used to keep you logged in
Financial Information: Transaction history, including amounts, payment types, and status of payments

Important Note:

Please note: Phindyr does not currently use cookies, web beacons, tags, or similar tracking technologies for analytics or advertising purposes. We only use technologies strictly necessary for the basic functionality and security of the site.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To Provide and Maintain Our Services:

To create and manage your user account
To facilitate the booking process, including trip requests, proposals, and payments
To enable seamless communication between guests and guides through our messaging features
To process financial transactions and manage payouts to guides
To display guide profiles and trip listings to other users
To manage and apply your user preferences across the platform

To Improve and Personalize Your Experience:

To customize trip recommendations based on your interests and past interactions
To continually enhance our platform's features and functionality based on user behavior and feedback

For Communication:

Operational Emails/Notifications:

We send essential emails to keep you informed about your account and activities on Phindyr. These include:

Confirmation emails (e.g., trip request submission, booking acceptance, payment confirmation, account creation, password resets, cancellations)
Reminder emails (e.g., to confirm proposals, upcoming trips, payment due dates, profile completion)
Notifications for new trip requests, accepted proposals, and new messages within the app
Customer service communications (e.g., acknowledgment, updates, and resolution of inquiries)
Important platform updates regarding our terms, features, or policies
Fraud prevention and security alerts related to your account
Emergency or unforeseen situation alerts (e.g., weather impacts on a trip, safety concerns, platform-wide outages)
Welcome series emails and educational content to help you get started and make the most of Phindyr
Thank you emails and invitations to participate in referral programs

These operational communications are crucial for the functionality and security of our service and cannot be opted out of.

Marketing Emails:

We may send you promotional offers, new trip recommendations, seasonal promotions, and other marketing communications. We will only send you these emails if you have explicitly opted in to receive them.

For Security and Fraud Prevention:

To monitor for suspicious or fraudulent activity on the platform
To protect the integrity, security, and safety of Phindyr, our users, and our services

For Legal Compliance:

To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
To respond to lawful requests from government authorities

3. How We Share Your Information

We share your information only when necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, or with your consent.

With Other Users:

Between Guides and Guests: To facilitate bookings and communication, necessary information is shared between guides and guests. This includes, for example, your names, trip details, and the content of your messages exchanged through the platform.

With Third-Party Service Providers:

We engage trusted third-party service providers to perform functions on our behalf and to help us operate our services. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which they were engaged.

Supabase Auth: For secure user authentication and management of user accounts
Stripe: Our payment processor, which handles all payment transactions, including the processing of Stripe Customer IDs, Stripe Connect Account IDs, and your payment method details
Stream Chat: Provides the messaging functionality within our platform, enabling communication between users
Customer.io: Provides email services to send and receive operational and marketing emails
Google OAuth: Used to facilitate social login options for users

For Legal Reasons:

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental request, or if we believe in good faith that such action is necessary to:

Comply with a legal obligation
Protect and defend the rights or property of Phindyr
Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the service
Protect the personal safety of users of the service or the public
Protect against legal liability

In Case of Business Transfer:

In the event that Phindyr is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will provide notice before your personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

4. Your Choices and Rights

We provide you with control over your personal information and how you receive communications from us.

Accessing and Updating Your Information:

You can review and update your profile information and manage your preferences directly within your "Account" settings on the Phindyr website.

Email Communication Preferences:

Marketing Emails:

If you have opted in to receive marketing emails, you can unsubscribe at any time by:

Clicking the "unsubscribe" link found at the bottom of any marketing email you receive from us
Navigating to your "Account" settings on the Phindyr website, then selecting "Manage Preferences," where you can opt in or unsubscribe from marketing emails

Operational Emails:

As explained above, operational emails are essential for the proper functioning and security of our services. Therefore, you cannot opt out of receiving these communications (e.g., trip confirmations, security alerts, password resets).

5. Data Security

Data Security Measures:

We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information. These measures include:

Encryption: Using encryption for data transmission where appropriate
Access Controls: Limiting access to your personal information to authorized personnel only
Secure Data Storage: Employing secure practices for storing your data, including hashing passwords

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

6. Children's Privacy

Children's Privacy Policy:

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under this age. If you are a parent or guardian and you become aware that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers.

7. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Policy Updates:

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. We will also update the "Effective Date" at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You can review and update your profile information and manage your preferences directly within your "Account" settings on the Phindyr website.

8. Contact Us

Contact Information:

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

By email: contact@phindyr.com