Privacy Policy

Hence - Vehicle Management App

Last Updated: 3 October 2026

Effective Date: March 31, 2026

1. Introduction

Hence ("we", "our", "the App") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your personal information.

2. Data We Collect

2.1. Account Information

• Name (provided during sign-up or profile completion)
• Email address (for email-based authentication)
• Phone number (for OTP-based authentication)
• Profile photo (optional, user-uploaded)
• Authentication provider (Email, Google, Apple, or Phone)

2.2. Vehicle Data

• Vehicle specifications (make, model, year, color, VIN, license plate)
• Purchase details (date, price)
• Insurance information (provider, policy number, expiration)
• Registration details (state, expiration)
• Odometer readings
• Vehicle images

2.3. Transaction Records

• Fuel entries: Date, quantity, price, fuel grade, station name, location
• Maintenance records: Date, service type, costs, service provider details, receipt images
• Trips: Date, distance, type (business/personal), start and end locations
• Expenses: Date, category, amount, vendor, description
• Documents: Name, type, expiration date, and attached images

2.4. Location Data

• Current device location (only when you explicitly grant location consent)
• Background GPS tracking and motion sensor data (only when you enable automatic trip detection)
• Parking spot coordinates (saved by you)
• Trip start and end locations, route polylines, and GPS timestamps
• Fuel station and service provider locations (entered by you or selected via nearby search)

2.5. Device and Usage Data

• Device type and operating system version
• App version
• Last sync timestamps

2.6. Purchases and Subscription Status

• App Store product identifiers, transaction and original transaction identifiers, signed transaction data, expiration dates, and subscription status
• These records are linked to your account and processed by Hence's backend to verify purchases, restore access, and apply feature limits. Apple handles billing; we do not receive your payment card details.

3. How We Use your Data

We use the collected data solely to:

• Provide and maintain the App's core functionality
• Authenticate your identity and secure your account
• Sync your data across your devices via cloud backup
• Calculate fuel economy, expense totals, and maintenance schedules
• Send maintenance and document expiration reminders
• Process receipt images for data extraction (only when you initiate a scan)

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or selling to third parties.

4. Data Storage

4.1. On-Device Storage

Your data is stored locally on your device using Apple's SwiftData framework. This data remains on your device and is protected by your device's built-in security (passcode, Face ID, Touch ID).

4.2. Cloud Storage

Firebase Firestore stores account-linked vehicle records for backup and sync. Firebase Storage stores uploaded maintenance and expense receipt images, document images, and parking photos. Saved locations and favorite stations are not currently included in Firebase backup. Image transfers can fail independently of record sync; keep original attachments.

The App does not use iCloud/CloudKit sync in this version. Builds before 1.3.5 offered an optional iCloud Sync setting; data previously synced that way remains in your own Apple iCloud account until you remove it in iOS Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage.

Cloud communications use HTTPS/TLS. Firebase records are organized under your account identifier.

4.3. Credentials

Authentication credentials are managed by Firebase and the sign-in providers. AI and map requests use Hence's backend-managed service credentials; you do not supply an OpenAI API key. Credentials used by the app are kept in platform credential storage where applicable, not in exported vehicle records.

5. Third-Party Data Sharing

5.1. Data We Do NOT Share

• Your personal information (name, email, phone) is never sold to or shared with advertisers or data brokers
• Your vehicle data, financial records, and documents are never shared with third parties for their own purposes

5.2. Data Shared with Service Providers

We share limited data with the following service providers solely to operate the App:

5.3. AI-Powered Scanning

When you use AI-powered scanning, images are compressed and sent through Hence's backend to OpenAI for extraction. The app does not require a user-supplied OpenAI API key. AI scanning is optional and uses the AI processing consent setting.

If you decline AI scanning, documents remain available for local attachment and manual entry; document scanning does not provide on-device OCR. Receipt and RC-card scanners support on-device OCR where available. Guests can capture or attach document images locally, while AI document extraction requires an account.

Images may contain personal information such as registration numbers and owner details. They are sent for extraction, not advertising. Images you attach to records remain in your local data and may be backed up when sync is used. Backend and OpenAI operational retention depends on the service configuration and provider policies; we do not promise immediate deletion or zero retention by those services.

6. Data Retention

• Account and Firebase data: Stored while your account and records exist. Record, cloud-data, and account deletion actions request removal of their associated data. Network or service failures can leave cleanup incomplete and require retry or support follow-up.
• iCloud data from earlier builds: Records synced by the optional iCloud setting in builds before 1.3.5 can remain in your Apple account; the App no longer reads or writes them.
• Local device data: Retained until removed in the App or the app's local storage is removed. Sign-out alone does not erase local records or all preferences.
• Sync timestamps, resolved city, and fuel-price caches: May persist between sessions; there is no guaranteed seven-day purge or complete clearing on sign-out or account deletion.
• Discarded trips and inactive parking spots: On app launch, cleanup attempts to remove local discarded trips older than 30 days and inactive parking spots older than 90 days, at most once per day. This local cleanup does not guarantee removal of remote records or uploaded images.
• Purchase and subscription records: Apple maintains purchase history under its own policies. Hence uses account-linked verification and subscription records to provide access. Account deletion requests backend cleanup; a fixed backend retention period is not established by the app. Deleting an account does not cancel App Store billing.

For incomplete deletion or questions about provider retention, contact the privacy address below. Export records and original attachments you want to keep before deletion.

7. your Rights

7.1. Access and Export

You can view all your data within the App at any time. You can export your data in CSV, JSON, or PDF formats using the App's export functionality.

7.2. Correction

You can edit or update any of your data directly within the App.

7.3. Deletion

• Individual records: Delete specific fuel entries, maintenance records, trips, expenses, or documents within the App
• Cloud data: Delete all cloud-synced data from the App's settings
• Account deletion: Request removal of your Firebase identity, profile, vehicle records, and associated backups via Profile > Delete Account. See the retention limitations above, including iCloud copies made by earlier builds and cached preferences. Manage or cancel any App Store subscription separately.

7.4. Data Portability

You can export all your data before deleting your account using the App's export feature.

7.5. Consent Management

You can manage your data processing consents at any time via Profile > Privacy & Data. Available consent controls include:

• Core Data Processing (required for App functionality)
• AI-Powered Scanning (optional — documents fall back to manual entry; receipt and RC scanners offer local OCR where available)
• Location Services (optional — disables nearby search and parking features if disabled)
• Background Trip Detection (optional — disables automatic trip recording if disabled)
• Cloud Backup & Sync (optional — App works fully offline if disabled)
• Maps & Navigation (optional — disables Google Maps features if disabled)

Consent settings control optional features; device permissions are managed separately in iOS Settings. Previously collected data is not erased by changing a consent or disabling sync.

8. Children's Privacy

Hence is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

9. Security Measures

We implement the following security measures to protect your data:

• HTTPS/TLS encryption for all network communications
• Firebase Security Rules to isolate user data
• Apple Keychain for secure credential storage
• On-device data protected by iOS device security
• No server-side storage of passwords (handled by Firebase Auth)

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes through the App or via email. Your continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Applicable Laws

This Privacy Policy complies with:

• India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) 2023
• Apple App Store Privacy Requirements
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for EU users
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for California users

12. Contact

For privacy-related questions, data requests, or concerns, contact us at:

• Email: privacy@hencemiles.com

By using Hence, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.