1. Who we are
PawMate ("PawMate", "we", "our", "us") is operated by PawMate Technologies, headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Founder & CEO: Maulik Paresh Bhai Bhatt. Contact: support@pawmateco.com.
This policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you use pawmateco.com (the "Website") or the PawMate mobile app (the "App"). We comply with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA).
2. Information we collect
a) Information you provide
- Account: name, phone number, email, city, language preference
- Dog profile: pet name, breed, age, gender, photos, vaccination records, vet history documents (photos or PDF)
- Business partners (shops/vets): business name, owner/doctor name, GST/VCI numbers, service details, shop/clinic photos
- Walkers: full name, phone, address, Aadhaar card (front & back photos) — used only for identity verification, encrypted at rest, never shared publicly
- Community content: posts, photos, stories, comments, likes
- Payments: processed by Razorpay / Apple / Google — we never store card numbers or CVV
b) Information collected automatically
- Device & usage: device model, OS version, IP, session duration, features used, crash logs
- Location: only with your permission — to show nearby dogs / walkers / shops
- Cookies on Website for basic analytics and session state
3. How we use your information
- Provide, personalise and improve PawMate services
- Match dogs with playmates / find nearby walkers, shops, vets
- Verify walker & business identity to keep the community safe
- Process payments and prevent fraud
- Send transactional messages (bookings, OTP, reminders) — not marketing spam
- Investigate abuse, safety incidents, or legal requests
4. Sharing your information
We never sell your personal data. We share limited data only with:
- Service providers: Vercel (hosting), MongoDB Atlas (database), Razorpay (payments), Firebase / MSG91 (OTP SMS), Google Maps (location).
- Verified business partners only receive the information you explicitly share when you contact them.
- Legal authorities only when compelled by valid Indian law (subpoena, court order).
5. Contact privacy & masking
Your phone number, exact address and Instagram handle are masked by default. Other pet parents can only see them if you explicitly approve a "Request Contact". This is a Shaadi-style privacy control — you are always in charge.
6. Data storage & security
- Data stored on encrypted servers hosted in India / Singapore
- Passwords and Aadhaar images are encrypted at rest (AES-256)
- All API traffic uses HTTPS/TLS
- Aadhaar photos are used only for one-time verification and are deleted from active storage within 90 days of walker approval; hashed verification token retained.
7. Your rights (DPDPA 2023)
- Access: request a copy of your data
- Correction: update anything inaccurate
- Erasure: delete your account and data (some records may be retained for legal/fraud-prevention reasons)
- Withdraw consent to processing at any time
- Grievance officer: Maulik Bhatt — support@pawmateco.com — response within 30 days
8. Children
PawMate is for users aged 18+. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If we discover minor data, we delete it promptly.
9. Cookies
The Website uses minimal cookies for language preference and city selection. No tracking / advertising cookies.
10. Changes
We may update this policy. Material changes will be notified via email or in-app. Continued use of PawMate means you accept the updated policy.