Privacy Policy

Store Search (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our AI-powered grocery price comparison service (the “Service”).

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide to Us

• Account Data: When you register via email or Google, we collect your name, email address, and profile picture (if provided by Google).
• Search Data: We collect the search queries, selected stores, and products you interact with to provide accurate price comparisons and usage limits.
• Location Data (Manual): If you choose to manually enter an address for our map or travel calculator, we collect and process that text.
• Preferences: We store your app preferences, such as your preferred theme (light/dark), region, and currency.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device Location:If you grant browser permission, we access your device’s precise geographical location (GPS coordinates) to show nearby stores and estimate travel costs. We do not track your location continuously in the background; we only request it when the Service is active.
• Usage Data & Analytics: We automatically collect certain information about your device and how you interact with the Service. This includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, and interaction events (such as successful searches).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Service (e.g., executing AI price searches).
• Calculate travel estimates, nearby stores, and live fuel prices (when you are signed in).
• Process transactions and manage your Premium subscription billing.
• Manage your account and enforce our Free tier search limits.
• Improve the accuracy of our AI searches and enhance the user experience.
• Analyse usage trends and measure the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information with the following third-party service providers to facilitate our Service:

• Google Cloud & Firebase: For user authentication, database hosting (Firestore), and serverless functions.
• Stripe & PayPal: For secure payment processing. We do not store your full credit card number or PayPal credentials on our servers.
• Google Gemini AI: Your search parameters (products, custom queries) are processed by Google Gemini to find and aggregate price comparisons.
• OpenStreetMap / Leaflet / Overpass API: Your location data (coordinates or entered address) may be processed to retrieve map tiles and nearby store branches.
• Meta (Facebook): We use the Meta Pixel and Conversions API to track aggregate usage and measure the success of our advertising. Data shared may include hashed identifiers, IP addresses, and specific events (like completing a search).

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as local storage and web beacons) to store your preferences (e.g., dark mode), maintain your logged-in session, and collect analytics.

You can configure your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. However, if you disable cookies, some parts of the Service (like logging in) may become inaccessible or not function properly.

5. Data Security & Retention

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to secure your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, or alteration. However, no electronic transmission or storage system is 100% secure.

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

6. Your Data Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”).
• Opt-out of certain analytics and tracking.

To exercise these rights, or to delete your account entirely, please contact us at the email address below. You may also update your profile information directly within the app.

7. Children’s Privacy

The Service is not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected such data, we will take steps to delete it.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@storesearch.app