PRIVACY POLICY
Applies to the ZipWash app and website, operated by [[FILL: company legal name]] [[FILL: registration number]].
1. Who we are. ZipWash connects people who want their car washed ("clients") with independent washers who come to them ("washers"). [[FILL: company legal name]] is the responsible party for your personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). For users in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we are the controller under the GDPR.
Address: [[FILL: company address]]. Information Officer: [[FILL: information officer]]. Contact: [[FILL: support email]].
2. What we collect.
- Account details — your name, email address, phone number, password (stored only as a one-way hash) and, if you sign in with Google, your Google account email and name.
- Location — the address you ask a wash at and its map position. Washers: your service area and, only while you are on your way to an accepted job, your live position.
- Bookings — vehicles, services chosen, prices, offers, ratings, tips, comments and before/after photos of the car.
- Payments — your card is captured by our payment provider (PayFast or Stripe), never by ZipWash. We keep only a reference to it, its brand, last four digits and expiry date.
- Washers only — a profile photo; identity verification results; bank account details for payouts; earnings and payout history.
- Device — a push-notification token and basic technical logs (IP address, app version, errors).
3. Identity verification (washers). Before a washer can take jobs we verify their identity with our verification partner, Didit. The washer photographs their identity document and takes a short liveness check (a selfie video) inside Didit's service. Didit processes this biometric information to confirm that the person is real and matches the document. ZipWash receives the outcome and a minimum of identity data (verified name, document type and country, the last digits of the document number and date of birth), stored encrypted. Document images and biometric templates stay with Didit and are not stored by ZipWash. We process this special personal information with the washer's consent and to protect clients' safety and property.
4. Why we use it.
- To provide the service: match bookings to nearby washers, show each party what they need, take payment and pay washers.
- To keep the platform safe: verify washers, prevent fraud and abuse, and resolve disputes.
- To communicate with you: booking updates, receipts, account and security messages. We do not send marketing.
- To meet legal duties: tax, accounting and financial-crime record keeping.
5. Who sees it.
- The other party to a booking. Clients see the washer's first name, photo, rating and live position while they are on the way. Washers see the client's name, the wash address and the car. Washers' home areas are never shown to clients.
- Service providers who process data for us under contract: payment processors (PayFast, Stripe), payouts (Ozow), identity verification (Didit), push notifications (Google Firebase), email delivery, maps and hosting.
- Authorities when the law requires it.
We do not sell personal information.
6. Cross-border transfers. Some providers process data outside South Africa (for example in the EU or the USA). We use them only where the law of that country or our contract gives your information protection substantially similar to POPIA.
7. How long we keep it. Account data is kept while your account is open. When you delete your account we remove your profile, photos and device tokens straight away; booking, payment and payout records are kept, without your contact details, for as long as tax and financial law requires (currently five years). Technical logs are kept for up to 30 days.
8. Security. Data is sent over encrypted connections. Bank details, verification data and payment credentials are encrypted at rest. Staff access is limited, protected by two-factor sign-in and recorded in an audit log.
9. Your rights. You may ask to see, correct or delete your personal information, object to its use, or withdraw consent. You can edit your profile and delete your account in the app (Profile → Privacy & account). For anything else email [[FILL: support email]]. You may also complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) — inforegulator.org.za — or to your local data-protection authority.
10. Children. ZipWash is not for anyone under 18.
11. Changes. We will tell you in the app before a material change to this policy takes effect.