Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how PawPal ("PawPal", "we", "us", "our"), a proprietorship owned by Deveshkumar Shitla Yadav, collects, uses, and protects information when you use the PawPal mobile app or website as a dog owner or as a walker.

1. Information we collect

We collect the following categories of information to operate the service:

• Account information: name, phone number, and email address, used to create and verify your account.
• Location data: your saved address(es) for booking walks, and, with your permission, live GPS location during an active walk so owners and walkers can coordinate pickup and track walk progress.
• Walker verification documents: for walkers only — government ID, background-check documentation, and bank account details, collected during onboarding to verify identity and enable payouts.
• Pet information: dog name, breed, age, size, vaccination status, and any behavioral or health notes you choose to provide, so walkers can care for your dog safely.
• Payment information: PawPal does not store your card, UPI, or net-banking details. All payments are processed directly by our payment partner, Razorpay, under its own security and privacy standards. We retain only transaction references, amounts, and status.
• Usage data: booking history, in-app messages related to a booking, ratings and reviews, and device/app diagnostic information (e.g. push notification tokens) needed to deliver service updates.

2. How we use this information

• To create bookings, match owners with available walkers, and facilitate walks from start to completion.
• To process payments and payouts through Razorpay, and to send booking, payment, and walk-status notifications.
• To verify walker identity and eligibility before they are allowed to accept bookings.
• To provide customer support, investigate disputes, and enforce our Terms & Conditions.
• To improve the safety and reliability of the service, including fraud and no-show prevention.

3. Who we share information with

We share information only where necessary to run the service:

• Razorpay — to process payments and payouts.
• Firebase (Google) — to deliver push notifications about your bookings.
• SMS/OTP providers — to verify your phone number and deliver walk-start/end OTPs.
• The other party in a booking — an owner and their assigned walker can see each other's name, phone number, and relevant address only once a booking is accepted, and this access is removed once the walk is completed or cancelled.

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

4. Data retention

We retain account and booking data for as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period afterward as required for accounting, tax, dispute resolution, and legal compliance purposes. You may request deletion of your account and associated personal data at any time by contacting us (see Section 7).

5. Your choices

• Location permission can be managed anytime in your device settings; disabling it may limit live tracking during a walk.
• Notification permissions can be turned off, though you may miss important booking updates.
• You can delete your account directly in the app (Profile → Delete Account), or see our Delete Account page for what is deleted, what is retained, and how to request deletion by email.
• You can request a copy of your data by contacting us at the email below.

6. Security

We use industry-standard measures — encrypted connections (HTTPS), access-controlled databases, and role-based access for our support and operations team — to protect your information. No online service is 100% secure, and we encourage you to use a strong, unique password and to report any suspicious activity to us immediately.

7. Contact us

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified in-app or via email before they take effect.