Privacy Policy

NeighborChef Privacy Policy
Version 1.5 - Effective September 12, 2026

1. Introduction
Scott Baily, doing business as NeighborChef ("NeighborChef," "we," "our," or "us") operates a local food marketplace that connects buyers with independent Chefs. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information when you use the NeighborChef app, website, services, and platform (collectively, the "Platform"). By using the Platform, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy. Where law requires consent for a specific practice, we will request it separately.

2. Information We Collect
Account and profile information. We collect information such as your name, email address, phone number, account role, authentication provider, profile details, account settings, referral code, referral activity, and preferences.

Address, location, and pickup information. We collect addresses you enter, city, state, ZIP code, pickup locations, instructions, and coordination details. If you grant location permission and use a location-based feature, the app may collect your precise foreground location, including latitude and longitude, to show nearby meals, calculate distance, or help set a pickup location. NeighborChef does not request background-location permission. A saved address or coordinate may remain associated with your account, kitchen, listing, or order until it is updated or deleted under this Policy.

Photos and camera information. If you choose to upload or take a meal or kitchen photo, the app accesses and uploads only the image you select or capture. NeighborChef does not upload your entire photo library. The operating system controls camera and photo-library permissions. A selected image is first kept private and sent to Google Cloud Vision SafeSearch solely to screen for objectionable content. Only a clearly safe, sanitized display copy may become public. Images classified as unsafe are rejected, and uncertain images or provider failures remain private pending authorized review or removal.

Food, preference, and potentially sensitive information. We collect saved meals and Chefs, meal listings, ingredients, allergens, dietary preferences, quantities, pickup windows, and Chef availability. Allergy, dietary, pregnancy-related, religious, or health-related details that you voluntarily enter may reveal sensitive information. Do not provide information that is unnecessary for using the Platform.

Order and transaction information. We collect cart contents, purchase and order history, quantities, prices, discounts, fees, tips, pickup codes, order status, refund status, promotion use, and payment-processor identifiers. NeighborChef does not directly receive or store full payment card numbers entered in Stripe's payment interface.

Communications and user content. We collect in-app order messages, support requests, reports, reviews, ratings, photos, free-form text, moderation records, and safety communications. Private order messages and support content may be reviewed when needed to provide support, investigate reports, enforce policies, or comply with law.

Authentication information. We receive account identifiers and authentication information from email/password, Apple, Google, or another supported sign-in provider. Apple or Google may process sign-in information under their own policies.

Technical information. We collect account or user identifiers, Expo push tokens, app version, operating system, notification preferences, and limited request or security information needed to operate and protect the Platform. Firebase, hosting, security, and network providers may process IP addresses and ordinary server-request logs when providing their services. NeighborChef does not currently use personal information for third-party advertising, cross-app tracking, or data-broker activity.

Website information. If you submit a website form, waitlist request, support request, or similar communication, we collect the information you choose to submit and ordinary hosting or security request data.

3. How We Collect Information
We collect information directly from you when you create or update an account, enter an address, choose a location, upload a photo, place an order, send a message, submit a report, contact support, or use another Platform feature. We also receive limited information from service providers used for authentication, payments, maps and address lookup, notifications, hosting, fraud prevention, and Platform operations.

4. How We Use Information
We use personal information to:

Create, authenticate, secure, and manage accounts.
Show nearby meals and kitchens and calculate relevant distances.
Process listings, orders, pickups, payments, refunds, receipts, and payouts.
Provide addresses, instructions, messages, and codes needed for authorized pickups.
Send transactional notifications, reminders, safety notices, and status updates.
Personalize saved meals, saved Chefs, dietary preferences, and relevant Platform content.
Operate Chef listings, folders, inventory, promotions, and dashboards.
Provide support and investigate reports, disputes, safety concerns, and policy violations.
Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, unauthorized access, and prohibited activity.
Maintain, troubleshoot, and improve Platform reliability and functionality.
Enforce our Terms, Community Standards, and legal rights.
Comply with payment, tax, accounting, fraud-prevention, safety, and legal obligations.

5. How Information Is Disclosed
Buyers and Chefs. We disclose information needed to complete an authorized transaction, including meal details, buyer first name, order status, pickup window, pickup code, order messages, and the exact pickup address or instructions after checkout when appropriate.

Firebase and Google Cloud. These services support authentication, databases, private file storage, server functions, security, hosting, and image-safety screening. NeighborChef sends only a user-selected meal or kitchen image to Google Cloud Vision SafeSearch, solely for objectionable-content filtering. Google Places or Maps may receive an address, search text, coordinates, and related request information when you use address lookup, location selection, distance, or map-preview features.

Stripe and financial providers. Stripe and related providers process payments, refunds, disputes, identity verification, connected-account onboarding, bank details, tax information, fraud signals, and payouts. NeighborChef receives limited transaction and account-status information needed to operate the Platform.

Expo and notification providers. These providers process push tokens, notification content, delivery information, and device-platform information needed to send notifications.

Apple and Google. These providers may process authentication, maps, location, app distribution, device permission, and platform-service information when you use their features.

Email, support, and hosting providers. These providers process information needed to send receipts or notices, respond to support, host the website or server, and protect service availability.

Legal, safety, and business disclosures. We may disclose information when legally required or reasonably necessary to protect users, prevent fraud, investigate safety issues, enforce policies, establish or defend legal claims, or complete a merger, financing, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of relevant assets subject to appropriate protections.

We limit service providers to information reasonably necessary for their functions and require them, where applicable, to process it under contractual obligations, our instructions, and protections consistent with this Policy.

6. No Sale, Cross-Context Behavioral Advertising, or Tracking
NeighborChef does not sell personal information and does not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not use advertising SDKs or combine Platform activity with third-party app or website activity to target advertising. If these practices change, we will update this Policy and provide legally required choices before beginning the new practice.

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

8. Payment Information
Stripe handles payment-card entry and Chef payout onboarding under Stripe's terms and privacy policy. Stripe may collect card, bank, identity, tax, device, fraud-prevention, and transaction information. NeighborChef receives identifiers, payment status, payout readiness, refund status, and other limited metadata needed to operate orders and payouts.

9. Retention, Account Deletion, and De-identification
We retain active account and profile information while an account exists and as needed to provide requested services. Listing, preference, notification, and saved-item information generally remains until you remove it, delete the account, or it is no longer needed.

The in-app deletion control submits a request to NeighborChef's server. The app only reports acceptance after the server has durably accepted the request; an unavailable or rejected request leaves the account signed in and unchanged. If deletion cannot finish immediately, NeighborChef explains that the request is delayed. Accepted requests remain pending until NeighborChef completes the required deletion steps.

We may retain de-identified order records and the minimum payment, refund, tax, accounting, fraud-prevention, referral-retirement, safety, moderation-decision, dispute, audit, and legal records that law requires or that are needed to resolve an active dispute or legal hold. Retained records are not kept public. Backup copies are deleted or overwritten through standard backup rotation, subject to legal obligations. When the required period or legal hold ends, we delete or de-identify the remaining information.

10. Your Choices and Controls
You may update certain account, address, location, allergy, dietary, notification, and Chef information in the app. You may deny or revoke camera, photo, notification, or foreground-location permission through device settings, although the related feature may stop working. The in-app deletion control explains whether a request was accepted or could not be started. You may opt out of marketing communications using the provided method; transactional, safety, support, and legally required communications may continue.

11. California and Other Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live and whether a law applies to NeighborChef, you may have the right to request access to personal information; learn the categories, sources, purposes, and recipients of personal information; correct inaccurate information; delete information subject to legal exceptions; receive a portable copy; opt out of sale or sharing; limit certain uses of sensitive personal information; and receive equal service without unlawful discrimination for exercising a privacy right.

NeighborChef does not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We use precise location, private communications, account credentials, and voluntarily provided dietary or allergy information only for the limited Platform, safety, security, support, and legal purposes described here. To submit a privacy request, email help@neighborchefapp.com with the subject "Privacy Request" and describe the request. We may verify your identity and authority before responding. An authorized agent may submit a request where permitted by law, subject to verification. You may appeal a denied request by replying with the subject "Privacy Appeal."

12. Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information, including authenticated access controls and service-provider security features. No method of storage or transmission is completely secure. If a legally reportable data incident occurs, we will provide notice as required by applicable law.

13. Notifications and Communications
We may send transactional communications about accounts, orders, pickups, reminders, payments, refunds, safety, support, and policy updates. Push-notification preferences can be managed in the app or device settings. Marketing consent is optional and may be withdrawn using the provided opt-out method. Message and data rates may apply.

14. Users Under 18
The Platform is intended only for people who are at least 18 years old. We do not knowingly permit an individual under 18 to create or use an account. If you believe a minor has provided personal information, email help@neighborchefapp.com with the subject "Minor Privacy Report" so we can investigate and delete the information where appropriate.

15. Processing Locations
NeighborChef and its providers may process information in the United States and other locations where they operate. Privacy and data-protection laws may differ by location. We use provider and contractual protections where applicable.

16. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy as the Platform or law changes. We will provide reasonable notice of material changes through the app, email, or another appropriate method and request renewed acknowledgement or consent where required. Changes apply prospectively from their effective date.

17. Contact
For privacy questions, requests, appeals, or complaints, contact help@neighborchefapp.com. NeighborChef may require reasonable verification before acting on a request.