Privacy Policy

NeighborChef Privacy Policy
Version 1.0 - Effective May 29, 2026

1. Introduction
NeighborChef, Inc. ("NeighborChef," "we," "our," or "us") operates a local food marketplace that connects buyers with independent chefs. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect information when you use the NeighborChef app, website, services, and platform (collectively, the "Platform").

By using the Platform, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

2. Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of information:

Account and profile information, such as your name, email address, phone number, role, profile details, chef profile details, pickup preferences, referral code, and account settings.

Location and pickup information, such as city, state, ZIP code, general location, exact pickup address after checkout, pickup instructions, and pickup coordination details.

Food and preference information, such as saved meals, saved chefs, allergies, dietary preferences, meal listings, ingredients, photos, quantities, pickup windows, and chef availability.

Order and transaction information, such as cart contents, order history, order status, pickup code, refund status, discounts, fees, payout metadata, and payment processor identifiers. NeighborChef does not directly store full payment card numbers.

Communications and support information, such as messages between buyers and chefs, support requests, reports, reviews, ratings, moderation records, and safety-related communications.

Device, usage, and technical information, such as device identifiers, Expo push tokens, app version, operating system, crash logs, diagnostics, IP-derived information, analytics events, and notification preferences.

Authentication information, such as sign-in provider information from email/password, Google, Apple, or other supported authentication providers.

3. How We Use Information
We use information to operate, maintain, and improve the Platform, including to:

Create and manage accounts.
Show nearby meals and kitchens.
Process orders, pickups, refunds, and receipts.
Share pickup details after checkout.
Send transactional push notifications, emails, reminders, and status updates.
Support chef payouts and Stripe Connect workflows.
Help buyers reorder, save meals, and find relevant meals.
Help chefs manage listings, saved meals, folders, inventory, and orders.
Provide customer support and investigate reports.
Detect fraud, abuse, unsafe listings, prohibited content, and policy violations.
Enforce our Terms, Community Standards, and legal rights.
Comply with legal, tax, payment, fraud-prevention, and regulatory obligations.

4. How Information Is Shared
We may share information as follows:

With buyers and chefs as needed to complete an order, such as meal details, pickup window, pickup code, buyer first name, order status, messages, and exact pickup address after checkout.

With service providers that help us operate the Platform, such as Firebase, Stripe, Expo, Google services, Apple services, email providers, hosting providers, analytics, storage, and support tools.

With payment processors, financial institutions, and payout providers for payments, refunds, chargebacks, fraud prevention, tax reporting, and compliance.

With law enforcement, regulators, courts, or other parties where legally required or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect users, investigate fraud or safety issues, enforce our policies, or protect legal rights.

During a business transaction, such as a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, subject to appropriate protections.

We do not sell full payment card numbers because we do not directly store them. We do not intentionally sell personal information for money.

5. Pickup Address and Contact Privacy
Exact pickup addresses, pickup instructions, phone numbers, and order messages are private. They are shared only as needed for an authorized order or support issue. Users may not publish, screenshot, distribute, or misuse another user's private contact or pickup information.

6. Payment Information
Payments and payouts are handled by third-party payment providers, including Stripe. Stripe may collect and process payment information, identity verification information, bank details, tax information, and payout information according to Stripe's own terms and privacy policy. NeighborChef receives limited payment and payout metadata needed to operate the Platform.

7. Notifications and Communications
We may send transactional communications related to accounts, orders, pickup reminders, safety notices, payments, refunds, support, and policy updates. You can manage certain push notification preferences in the app. Some transactional or legal notices may still be sent where necessary.

8. Data Retention
We retain information as long as reasonably necessary to operate the Platform, provide services, comply with legal, tax, accounting, payment, fraud-prevention, and safety obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements.

If you delete your account, we remove your sign-in, profile, saved reminders, saved meals and chefs, push tokens, and chef listings tied to your account where supported. Completed order records may be retained or anonymized for payment, tax, fraud prevention, legal, safety, dispute, and accounting purposes.

9. Your Choices
You may update certain profile, notification, allergy, dietary, address, and chef information in the app. You may request account deletion through the app. You may opt out of marketing communications where available, but transactional or legally required communications may continue.

10. Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information. No system can be guaranteed completely secure, and you are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and device.

11. Children
NeighborChef is intended for users who are at least 18 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

12. Third-Party Services
The Platform may rely on third-party services, including Firebase, Stripe, Expo, Google, Apple, hosting providers, and email providers. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies.

13. California and Other Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or receive information about certain personal information. To make a privacy request, contact us using the information below. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we may notify you through the app, email, or other reasonable means. Continued use of the Platform after updates means you accept the updated policy.

15. Contact
For privacy questions or requests, contact privacy@neighborchefapp.com or write to: NeighborChef Privacy, 81-120 Avenue 58, Suite D, La Quinta, CA 92253 USA.