Privacy Policy - Route On Time

Effective Date: December 29, 2025

Route On Time ("we", "us", "our", or the "Company") operates the Route On Time mobile application (the "App") and the website https://routeontime.com (the "Website"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our App and Website. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in an open and transparent manner.

Data Controller: Route On Time is the data controller responsible for your personal data. If you have questions about this policy or our data practices, contact us at: hello@routeontime.com

By downloading, installing, accessing, or using the App or Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use the App or Website.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide, improve, and personalize our services. The types of information we collect include:

1.1 Personal Information

When you create an account or use our services, we may collect:

Identity Data: Name, email address, profile photo (optional), and user ID
Account Data: Authentication credentials, account preferences, and settings
Contact Data: Email address for account communications

1.2 Location Information

Route On Time requires access to your device's location services to provide core functionality. We collect location data only when necessary for the App's features:

Precise location data: Real-time GPS coordinates for trip timing, leave alerts, and estimated travel times
Background location: Location data when the App is in the background to provide "Smart Leave" departure notifications and reliability tracking (only when you have enabled these features)
Route history: Saved routes, departure/arrival locations, and favorite destinations you choose to save
Travel patterns: Historical travel time data for personalized analytics and reliability insights

Your Control: You can control location permissions through your device settings at any time. You can also disable background location access while keeping foreground access. However, disabling location access will limit core functionality of the App. We do not sell your location data to third parties.

1.3 Device Information

We automatically collect certain technical information about your device to ensure compatibility and improve our services:

Device identifiers: Device type, model, and operating system version
Network information: IP address, mobile network provider, and connection type
App information: App version, configuration settings, and installation data
Approximate location: City or country-level location derived from IP address

1.4 Usage Data and Analytics

We collect information about how you interact with the App to improve our services and your experience:

Feature usage: Routes created, modified, and deleted; features accessed
Performance data: App crashes, error logs, and diagnostic information
Interaction data: Session duration, screens viewed, and interaction timestamps
Search queries: Locations and destinations you search for within the App
Trip performance data: Scheduled vs actual departure times, trip durations, and on-time departure status
Gamification progress: XP, levels, badges, streaks, and trip counts derived from your activity
Insights and trends: Reliability scores, time savings estimates, and environmental impact summaries based on route history

1.5 Notification Information

If you enable push notifications, we collect the following to deliver timely alerts:

Push tokens: Device push notification tokens for delivering notifications
Notification preferences: Your chosen notification settings and schedules
Interaction data: Whether notifications were delivered, opened, or dismissed

1.6 Payment and Subscription Information

If you subscribe to Route On Time Pro (premium features including unlimited routes, recurring route scheduling, smart leave notifications, advanced analytics, full route history access, and saved location management):

Payment processing: All payments are processed securely by Apple App Store or Google Play Store—we never receive or store your payment card details
Subscription data: We receive subscription status, plan type, and renewal dates through our payment processor RevenueCat
Transaction records: Purchase history and subscription identifiers for customer support purposes

2. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

Contract Performance: Processing necessary to provide you with the App's services you have requested
Consent: Where you have given clear consent for us to process your data for a specific purpose (e.g., marketing communications)
Legitimate Interests: Processing necessary for our legitimate interests (e.g., fraud prevention, security, analytics) that do not override your rights
Legal Obligation: Processing necessary to comply with our legal obligations

1.7 Calendar Information

If you choose to enable calendar integration features:

Calendar Access: We access your device's calendar events only to identify potential conflicts with your planned routes and to suggest optimal departure times.
Event Details: We process event times and locations locally on your device to provide scheduling insights. We do not store your calendar event details on our servers.
Sync Preferences: Your choices regarding which calendars to sync and how conflicts should be handled.

1.8 Social Sharing Data

When you use our social sharing features to share your trips or achievements:

Shared Content: Trip details (route, estimated arrival), gamification achievements (badges, levels), and reliability stats that you explicitly choose to share.
Visibility: Content shared via third-party platforms (e.g., social media, messaging apps) is subject to the privacy policies of those platforms. We do not control how your data is handled once it leaves our App.
Public Profile: If you choose to make your profile public, your username, level, and selected achievements may be visible to other users.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for specific, legitimate purposes:

Service Delivery: To provide, maintain, and improve the App's core features including trip timing, leave alerts, travel time estimates, and Smart Leave departure notifications
Personalization: To customize your experience, remember your preferences, and provide personalized route recommendations and insights
Analytics and Insights: To analyze usage patterns, calculate reliability metrics, time savings estimates, and environmental impact insights
Gamification and Motivation: To award XP, badges, streaks, and levels based on your trip activity and on-time departures
Communication: To send service-related notifications, departure alerts, security notices, and respond to your support requests
Subscription Management: To process transactions, manage your subscription, and provide billing support
Safety and Security: To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, security risks, and technical issues
Product Improvement: To develop new features, fix bugs, improve performance, and enhance the overall user experience
Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and enforce our Terms of Service

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the App. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify:

Google Maps Platform / Mapbox: For mapping, geocoding, directions, and traffic data (subject to Google's and Mapbox's Privacy Policies)
Firebase (Google Cloud): For authentication, secure database storage, cloud functions, and crash analytics
RevenueCat: For subscription management and in-app purchase validation
Expo Services: For app distribution, over-the-air updates, and push notifications

We require all service providers to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with applicable law. They are only permitted to process your data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

4.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid legal requests, including:

Court orders, subpoenas, or other legal processes
Valid requests from law enforcement authorities
To protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property
To enforce our Terms of Service or investigate potential violations