Privacy Policy

1. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to OpenSpots services for discovering parking, viewing space availability, creating reservations, managing parking sessions and payments, receiving service communications, and contacting support.

It does not replace the privacy terms of parking-property operators, payment processors, mapping services, app stores, or other third parties that operate under their own policies.

2. Information We Collect

Account and profile information

We may process your name, email address, telephone number, authentication and account identifiers, display name, account setup status, preferences, and communications settings. Passwords are handled by our authentication provider and are not stored in OpenSpots profile records.

Vehicle information

When you provide it, we may process a vehicle description, make, model, color, license-plate information, and saved vehicle records used for parking or account management.

Parking, reservation, and transaction information

We process reservations and pending, active, paid, canceled, or completed parking sessions. This may include the parking property, event, zone or space, arrival and departure times, duration, rate, charges, credits, receipts, payment status, transaction identifiers, confirmation details, and billing-problem or dispute history.

Sensor and property information

Connected parking systems may provide space-occupancy events, sensor status, sensor or measurement-point identifiers, property, zone and space identifiers, and event timestamps. Sensor events generally describe the status of a parking space, but may be combined with account, location, reservation, or session information to provide the service.

Communications

We process support messages, emails, feedback, contact-form submissions, telephone numbers supplied through forms, billing disputes, problem reports, and records of communications with OpenSpots.

3. Precise Location and Parking Presence

With your permission, OpenSpots processes device location for location-dependent features such as showing nearby parking, calculating proximity, providing directions, or supporting parking-arrival and departure experiences. The current website requests a current location when you use relevant features; it does not use website code to continuously monitor background location.

When supported parking-detection features are active, OpenSpots may process recent location observations, parking-arrival or departure indicators, whether the relevant app experience is active in the foreground, parking-property or space information, and associated timestamps to determine whether you may be near a parking space. This does not mean that every OpenSpots feature continuously collects location in the background.

You can control location permission through your browser or device settings. Disabling permission may prevent discovery, proximity, directions, or automated parking features from working.

4. Information Collected Automatically

When you use OpenSpots, we and our service providers may automatically process standard technical information such as browser or device type, operating system, app or service version, IP address, request time, network and error information, and security or fraud signals. We also maintain operational logs related to transactions, sensor integrations, email delivery, and service errors.

OpenSpots may store an anonymous guest identifier, temporary reservation details, or a pending-session identifier in browser storage as described in Section 9. We also store notification and communication preferences that you choose.

5. Information from Parking Operators and Other Sources

We may receive information from parking-property owners and operators, venue and event partners, connected sensor providers, payment processors, authentication providers, mapping providers, and service providers that help operate OpenSpots.

This information may include property and space details, availability, rates, operating rules, event details, check-in status, transaction results, payment-method summaries, dispute information, sensor observations, and security signals.

6. How We Use Information

We use information as reasonably necessary to:

• Create, authenticate, maintain, and support accounts
• Show parking availability and match users with nearby parking
• Create and manage reservations and pending or active parking sessions
• Process parking transactions, payment status, credits, and receipts
• Send account, reservation, payment, parking, and other transactional communications
• Provide customer support and investigate incorrect charges or disputes
• Detect fraud, misuse, unauthorized access, and security incidents
• Maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the service, sensors, and integrations
• Enforce our Terms of Service and parking rules
• Comply with law and protect users, OpenSpots, parking operators, and the public

OpenSpots does not currently use personal information for cross-context behavioral or targeted advertising.

7. How We Disclose Information

We may disclose information when reasonably necessary to:

• Parking-property owners, operators, venues, and event partners involved in providing or verifying parking
• Service providers supporting payments, hosting, databases, authentication, maps, location features, email, content delivery, sensors, diagnostics, security, and fraud prevention
• Professional advisers such as attorneys, accountants, auditors, and insurers
• Government agencies, law enforcement, courts, or parties to legal proceedings when required or permitted by law
• Parties involved in a financing, merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or transfer of assets

Providers evidenced in the current service include Google Firebase for authentication, database, and hosting functions; Stripe for payments; Resend for transactional email; Render for web-service hosting; Google Maps Platform for maps and directions; and connected parking and sensor providers, including Urbiotica where deployed. We may also use QR-code, font, and content-delivery providers for specific service functions.

OpenSpots does not sell personal information for money. Some state laws define “sale” or “sharing” more broadly, so applicable rights are described in Section 13.

8. Payment Processing

Payment-card information is submitted to and processed by Stripe. Stripe’s privacy terms also apply to its processing. OpenSpots may receive and retain payment status, customer and transaction identifiers, billing information, and limited payment-method details such as card brand, last four digits, and expiration month and year.

OpenSpots is not described as storing complete payment-card numbers or card security codes. We may retain transaction, receipt, chargeback, and dispute information as described in this policy.

9. Cookies and Website Technologies

The current OpenSpots website does not directly set first-party cookies and does not currently initialize an advertising or analytics tag. We do not currently operate a cookie-consent banner because those tracking technologies are not present in the inspected website implementation.

The website does use browser storage. Firebase Authentication may use provider-managed browser storage to keep users signed in. OpenSpots uses local storage for an anonymous guest checkout identifier and session storage for temporary reservation, checkout, and pending parking-session information.

Third-party services loaded or opened through the website, including Stripe, Firebase, Google Maps, hosted fonts, and content delivery networks, may use cookies or similar technologies under their own privacy terms.

10. Data Retention

We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the service, maintain accounts, process transactions, satisfy tax and accounting requirements, address chargebacks and billing disputes, prevent fraud, meet parking-operator obligations, investigate security issues, establish or defend legal claims, and comply with applicable law.

Retention depends on the type of information and the reason it is processed. We do not promise a single fixed period for every category. Information is deleted, anonymized, or restricted when no longer reasonably needed, subject to legitimate and lawful retention requirements.

11. Account and Data Deletion

Signed-in users may initiate account deletion in the OpenSpots mobile app through Settings → Profile → Delete Account. The app presents a detailed warning, requires the user to expressly choose YES, DELETE MY ACCOUNT, and then requires the final native DELETE ACCOUNT confirmation. Recent authentication may be required.

Active parking sessions and upcoming reservations must be completed or resolved. Pending sessions, payments that are still processing, unpaid parking balances, or unresolved transaction or security issues may also block or delay deletion. After successful deletion, the user is signed out and returned to the Login screen.

A deleted account can no longer access its profile, parking history, reservations, saved vehicles, or saved payment-method details through OpenSpots. Deletion cannot be undone.

You may also email support@openspots.app with the subject “Account Deletion Request.” We may verify your identity and request limited information needed to locate and protect the account. Never send your password or full payment-card number by email.

OpenSpots deletes or de-identifies information that is no longer reasonably needed. We may retain limited transaction and payment records, tax and accounting records, chargeback and dispute records, fraud-prevention and security records, and records required by law or legitimate business obligations. Retained information is restricted from ordinary product or marketing use, kept only for the applicable purpose, and is not accessible through the deleted account.

12. Privacy Choices

• Profile and vehicle information: Update available fields through account settings or contact support.
• Location: Change browser or device permissions. Some parking features may no longer work.
• Communications: Adjust available notification preferences. Essential account, payment, reservation, security, and service messages may still be sent.
• Account deletion: Use the in-app deletion flow, visit the public account-deletion page, or contact support.

13. United States State Privacy Rights

Depending on your state, applicable law, and eligibility, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, a portable copy, information about processing and disclosures, applicable opt-outs, and review or appeal of a denied request when required. Not every right applies in every jurisdiction or circumstance.

Submit a request to support@openspots.app. We may verify your identity before completing a request. Authorized agents may submit requests where applicable, subject to proof of authority and identity verification. OpenSpots will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.

OpenSpots does not currently sell personal information for money or use personal information for cross-context behavioral or targeted advertising. Because state-law definitions vary, you may contact us regarding any opt-out right that may apply to your circumstances.

14. Children’s Privacy

OpenSpots is intended only for users who are at least 18. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. A parent or guardian who believes a child provided information may contact support@openspots.app.

15. Security

OpenSpots uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information. We also rely on service providers that maintain safeguards for the functions they perform.

No transmission, storage system, or security measure can be guaranteed completely secure. Please use a unique password, protect your account credentials, and contact us if you suspect unauthorized account activity.

16. Interstate and International Processing

OpenSpots and its service providers may process information in the United States and in other states or countries where they operate. Privacy laws in those locations may differ from those where you live. Where required, we use appropriate measures for transfers of personal information.

17. Third-Party Services and Links

OpenSpots may link to or integrate with parking operators, maps, payment services, app stores, social platforms, and other third-party services. Their privacy policies govern information they collect directly, and OpenSpots is not responsible for their independent privacy practices.

Review the privacy terms of Stripe, Google, parking operators, and other services you choose to use with OpenSpots.

18. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as OpenSpots changes or as legal requirements evolve. We will post the revised policy with an updated effective date and provide additional notice when required by law.

19. Contact Us

Contact OpenSpots with support questions, privacy requests, or questions about this policy: