Privacy Policy

Food Truck Finder is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your data in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable South African legislation. By using our services, you consent to the practices described here.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide

Account registration: name, email, phone number
Food truck listings: business name, contact details, menu, photos
Booking inquiries: name, email, phone, event details
Newsletter: email address
Support requests: name, email, message

Information collected automatically

IP address, browser type, device information
Pages visited and usage patterns
Approximate location (for showing nearby food trucks)
Cookies — see our Cookie Policy

2. How We Use Your Information

Operate the platform and display food truck listings
Manage your account and process subscriptions
Facilitate booking inquiries between customers and owners
Send transactional emails (confirmations, support responses)
Send marketing emails (with your consent — you can unsubscribe anytime)
Improve our platform based on usage patterns
Detect fraud and maintain security
Comply with legal obligations

3. Legal Basis (POPIA)

We process your information based on:

Consent — for marketing communications
Contract — to provide your account and subscriptions
Legal obligation — tax and consumer protection requirements
Legitimate interest — fraud prevention, service improvement

4. Who We Share With

We do not sell or trade your personal information. We share data only in these cases:

Food truck owners — your contact details when you submit a booking inquiry
Supabase — database hosting and authentication
Google Maps & Places API — address autocomplete and location services
Google Tag Manager & Google Analytics — anonymous usage analytics to help us improve the platform
Klaviyo — email marketing and newsletter delivery
PayFast — secure subscription payment processing (we do not store card details)
Legal requirements — if required by law or court order

All service providers are contractually required to protect your data.

5. Data Security

We protect your data with SSL/TLS encryption in transit, encryption at rest, and access controls. Our hosting provider (Supabase) maintains SOC 2 compliance. However, no method of electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Retention

Active accounts: retained while your account is active
Closed accounts: deleted within 90 days, except where required by law
Booking inquiries: retained for 24 months
Financial records: retained for 5 years (SA tax law)
Marketing: until you unsubscribe

7. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

Access your personal information
Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Delete your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
Object to processing for marketing purposes
Withdraw consent at any time
Complain to the Information Regulator if your rights are violated

To exercise any right, email us at noreply@foodtruckfinder.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.

8. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers (Supabase, Google, Klaviyo) are based outside South Africa. When data is transferred internationally, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place as required by POPIA.

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a child has provided us with data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Updates to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated via email to registered users. The "Last Updated" date above will always reflect the latest version.