Privacy Policy for QCharge LLC
Effective Date: 11/02/2023
Privacy Policy for QCharge LLC
Introduction and Overview This Privacy Policy outlines the practices of QCharge LLC (“QCharge,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) concerning the collection, use, and disclosure of your information when you interact with our services and applications. It also informs you about your privacy rights and how the law protects your information. By using our services, including our website at www.qcharge123.com (“Website”) and our mobile application available on Apple Store and Google Play Store, named “QCharge App”, you are agreeing to the collection and use of information as described in this Privacy Policy. Contact Information If you have any questions or need to exercise your privacy rights, please reach out to us at the following contact information: Mailing Address: 2550 Pacific Ave Suite #839, Dallas, TX 75226, United States Phone: +1 214-501-0345 Email: [email protected]
Information Collection We gather information when you engage with our Website. This includes actions like accessing our content, reading our emails, viewing our advertisements, applying for a job, contacting our sales team, or seeking support from our customer service team. The data we collect can be actively provided by you, and we may also automatically collect information using tracking technologies (detailed below). **Part 2: Information Collection (Continued)** **B. Information Collected through the App** QCharge’s mobile application, “QCharge App,” is designed to simplify the process of finding charging stations and charging electric vehicles. When you use our mobile app, we may collect information that you actively provide and automatically collect data through tracking technologies integrated into the App. When you interact with the QCharge App, we may collect information during activities such as: – Registering an account and creating a profile. – Signing in to your account. – Searching for a charger. – Reserving or activating a charger. – Purchasing a subscription, reloading your balance, or making individual payments for services. – Reviewing your transaction history. – Updating your profile or adjusting account settings. – Contacting our support team or reporting an issue. **The categories of information you may provide to us through the App include:** – **Contact Data:** This includes your first and last name, email address, postal address, and phone number. – **Vehicle Data:** We collect details about your vehicle, such as its make, model, connector type, year, and license plate. – **Account Credentials:** Information related to your account, including your username, password, and other account authentication details. – **Profile Settings:** Your preferred language and notification settings. – **Billing Data:** Information necessary to process payments for subscriptions or pay-per-use, including your payment card number, expiration date, and security code. For bank transfers, we may request additional information to facilitate transactions and verify your identity, such as a passport or National ID Card, a bank statement, or other relevant information linking you to an address. **Automatic Information Collection through the App** We may automatically collect the following categories of information through the QCharge App: – **App Usage Data:** This includes data about how you use the app, such as the features you access, the actions you perform, and the time of day you use the app. – **Device Data:** Information related to your device and its configuration, including the type of device or browser you use, the device’s operating software, internet service provider, regional and language settings, and device identifiers, such as your IP address. – **Location Data:** Non-precise location data, which may be derived from your IP address or indicate your location at the city or postal code level. **Tracking Technologies Used within the App** To collect information automatically, we utilize various tracking technologies within the QCharge App, including: – **Cookies:** Small data files stored on your device’s browser that store information about your interaction with the app. We use session cookies and persistent cookies, each serving specific purposes. Session cookies facilitate your app navigation and expire when you close your browser, while persistent cookies enhance your experience, remember your preferences, enhance security, and deliver personalized advertising. Persistent cookies may remain on your device for extended periods. – **Pixels (Web Beacons):** Code embedded in the app that sends usage information to a server. These pixels may allow us or other entities to drop or read cookies in your browser, collect information about your app visit, and serve various purposes similar to cookies. – **Device Fingerprinting:** This involves analyzing and combining data elements from your device’s browser, such as JavaScript objects and installed fonts, to create a unique “fingerprint” of your device. This fingerprint helps us identify your browser and device uniquely. For more details on how we utilize tracking technologies for analytics and advertising and to explore your rights and choices concerning these technologies, please refer to the “Analytics and Advertising” and “Your Rights and Choices” sections below. **B. Information Collected through the App (Continued)** **Charger Station Preferences:** This may include your favorite charging stations and search filters, such as preferences for public versus private stations, charger types, and connector types. The categories of information we automatically collect through the App include: – **App Use Data:** This encompasses data about the features you use, pages you visit, the time of day you browse, and the pages you access before and after using the app. – **Device Data:** Information regarding the type of device or browser you use, your device’s operating software, internet service provider, regional and language settings, and device identifiers, such as your IP address and Ad ID. – **Location Data:** This includes non-precise location data, which may be derived from an IP address or data that indicates a city or postal code level. With your consent, we may also collect precise location data, such as latitude/longitude coordinates. **Tracking Technologies Used for Information Collection in the App:** – **App Technologies:** These are technologies integrated into our mobile app that are not browser-based like cookies and cannot be controlled by browser settings. – **Precise Location Technologies:** These include GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth technologies used to collect precise location data. Precise location data may be used for purposes like verifying your device’s location and showing you nearby Charging Stations based on that location. It is important to note that we do not use tracking technologies within the app for Interest-based Advertising purposes, although they may be utilized for analytics and non-Interest-based Advertising purposes, such as contextual advertising. **C. Information Collected through Charging Stations** When you set up an account through the QCharge mobile app, we create a QR Code and an internal ID associated with your account. To reserve or activate a Charging Station, you must scan your QR Code or share your internal ID with the Charging Station. When you do so, the Charging Station gains access to the information you provided within the App, including your Contact Data, Vehicle Data, and Billing Data. During the charging process, we automatically collect information about the charge, known as “Charging Data.” This includes details such as the station’s name, location, charging session date, start time, end time, duration, energy dispensed, charging port identification number, total fees for each charging session, applied pricing policy, power cycle patterns, current, voltage, and more. Charging Stations may also be equipped with sensors that can collect information about your vehicle, including your vehicle’s make and model. **D. Information from Other Sources** In addition to the information you provide through the App and Charging Stations, we collect information from various other sources. These sources may include: – Third-party map integrations, such as Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps, when you access their maps through our App. – Third-party login integrations, such as Apple and Google Sign-In, when you use their login services through our App. – Interactions with social media platforms. – Partners involved in co-branded services, product distribution, or joint marketing activities. – Publicly available sources, including data that is in the public domain.
Use of Information We collect and use information in accordance with the practices described in this Privacy Policy. Our purposes for collecting and using information include: – Providing our Service to you, which includes enabling you to charge your vehicle. – Preventing and addressing fraud, policy violations, threats, or harm. – Gaining insights into trends, usage, and activities, often through tracking technologies or surveys, to make informed business and marketing decisions. – Communicating with you regarding updates, security alerts, policy changes, and other transactional messages. – Personalizing your experience by showing you content we believe will be of interest to you. – Engaging in direct marketing, promotional communications, and non-personalized advertising. – In the case of our Website, conducting personalized advertising, including Interest-based Advertising. – Fulfilling purposes at your request. – When appropriate, with your notice and consent. However, please note that we may also use publicly available information or information that cannot identify you (including aggregated or de-identified data) for any lawful purpose to the extent permitted by applicable law. For details on your rights and choices concerning the use of information about you, please refer to the “Your Rights and Choices” section below. Disclosure of Information We disclose the information we collect in accordance with the practices described in this Privacy Policy. The categories of persons or entities to whom we disclose information include: – **Service Providers and Contractors:** Information is shared with service providers and contractors who process data on our behalf. These entities assist us in various functions, including payment processing, data analytics, marketing, advertising, website hosting, and technical support. We have contracts in place to prevent service providers and contractors from using or disclosing your information for any purpose other than what is necessary to perform services for us. However, they may use publicly available information or aggregated and de-identified data as permitted by applicable law. – **Analytics and Advertising:** We may share information with vendors and other parties for analytics and advertising-related purposes. These parties may act as our service providers or, in some contexts, independently determine how to process your information. Further details on advertising and analytics are available in the “Analytics and Advertising” section below. – **Affiliates:** Information is shared with our affiliates and related entities, including when they act as our service providers or for their internal purposes. – **Partners:** We disclose information to our partners in connection with co-branded services, product distribution, or joint marketing activities. – **Promotions:** In the case of promotions that are jointly sponsored or offered by other parties, we share information as specified in the official rules governing the promotion. This may also include sharing information for administrative purposes and as required by law. By participating in a promotion, you agree to the rules governing that promotion and, where not prohibited by applicable law, allow the sponsor and/or other entities to use your name, voice, and likeness in advertising or marketing materials. – **Merger or Acquisition:** Information may be disclosed in connection with, or during negotiations of, proposed or actual mergers, purchases, sales, acquisitions, or other business combinations involving all or part of our assets or the transfer of our business to another entity. – **Security and Compelled Disclosure:** Information may be disclosed to comply with the law or other legal processes, and when required, in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including those related to national security or law enforcement requirements. We may also disclose information to protect our rights, property, life, health, security, safety, the Service, or others. – **Facilitating Requests:** Information may be disclosed when you direct us to do so. – **Consent:** Information may be disclosed with your notice and consent. However, it is important to note that publicly available information or information that does not identify you, including aggregated or de-identified data, may be disclosed to the extent permitted by applicable law. Details on your rights and choices regarding information disclosure can be found in the “Your Rights and Choices” section below.
Other Parties We offer parts of our Service through websites, platforms, and services operated or controlled by other parties. We may also integrate technologies operated or controlled by other parties into parts of our Service. Some examples of this include: – **Links:** Our Service contains links that direct you to websites, platforms, and other services not operated or controlled by us. – **Integrations:** Within our App, we may include integrations that allow you to use third-party services to log into your account. When you choose to interact with such integrations, we may receive information from the third parties you have authorized to share it with us. – **Brand Pages:** We may offer our content through social media. Any information you provide while engaging with our content, such as through our brand pages, is treated in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Additionally, if you publicly reference our Service on social media, we may use your reference in connection with our Service. Please note that when you interact with other parties, including when you leave our Service, those parties may independently collect information about you and solicit information from you. The information collected and stored by those parties is subject to their own policies and practices, including what information they share with us, your rights and choices on their services and devices, and whether they store information in the U.S. or elsewhere. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with and consult their privacy policies and terms of use.
Analytics and Advertising We utilize analytics services, such as Google Analytics, to better understand how users access and use our Service. Additionally, we collaborate with agencies, advertisers, ad networks, and other technology services to display ads about our products and services on various websites and services, including platforms like Google and Facebook. As part of this process, we may incorporate tracking technologies into our Service and the ads displayed on other websites and services. Some of these tracking technologies may track your activities over time and across various services to associate different devices you use and deliver relevant ads and other content (referred to as “Interest-based Advertising”). It’s important to note that vendors and other parties may act as our service providers or, in certain contexts, independently decide how to process your information. For more information on the types of tracking technologies we use on our Service and your rights and choices regarding analytics and Interest-based Advertising, please see the “Information Collected Automatically” and “Your Rights and Choices” sections below.
Your Rights and Choices In addition to the rights and choices outlined below, you may have additional rights based on your jurisdiction. Please refer to the relevant link at the top of this Privacy Policy or the applicable section below for further information. **A. Account Management:** You have the ability to access, update, or delete certain information you have provided through your account by visiting your account settings. Please note that we will retain and use information as required to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. **B. Tracking Technology Management:** – **Cookies:** Most browsers accept cookies by default. You can instruct your browser to decline or delete cookies by changing its settings. If you use multiple browsers on your device, you will need to instruct each browser separately. However, your ability to limit cookies is subject to your browser settings and limitations. – **Do Not Track:** Some browser settings allow you to automatically transmit a “Do Not Track” signal to online services you visit. Please be aware that there is no industry consensus regarding how site and app operators should respond to these signals. Until the law interprets these signals to require action on our part, we do not actively monitor or take action based on “Do Not Track” signals. For more information about “Do Not Track,” you can visit http://www.allaboutdnt.com. – **App Technologies:** You can stop all collection of information via our App by uninstalling the App. For Apple iOS, we will only receive access to your device’s Advertising ID (known as an IDFA) if you provide consent. You can reset your device’s Advertising ID at any time through your device settings, allowing you to limit the use of information collected about your device. – **Precise Location Technologies:** We will only access your precise location data if you provide consent. You can stop all collection of precise location data through our App by uninstalling the App or withdrawing your consent through your device settings. Please note that disabling or removing tracking technologies may cause certain parts of the Service to function improperly. **C. Analytics and Interest-Based Advertising Management:** – Google provides tools that allow you to opt out of certain information collected by Google Analytics at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout and by Google Analytics for Display Advertising or the Google Display Network at https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/. – The companies we collaborate with to provide Interest-based Advertising may be participants in the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) and/or the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI). To opt out of receiving Interest-based Advertising from participating companies, please visit https://www.aboutads.info/choices and https://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ for website opt-outs, and https://www.aboutads.info/appchoices for mobile opt-outs. It is important to note that opting out through these links means that the selected participants should no longer deliver Interest-based Advertising to you. However, it does not mean that these participants will cease processing your information for Interest-based Advertising purposes or that you will no longer receive Interest-based Advertising from other companies. Please bear in mind that these opt-outs apply to the specific browser or device from which you opt out. We are not responsible for the effectiveness of opt-outs offered by other entities. For further information regarding the types of tracking technologies we use and your rights and choices concerning analytics and Interest-based Advertising, please refer to the “Information Collected Automatically” and “Your Rights and Choices” sections. **D. Communications:** – **E-mails:** You can opt out of receiving promotional emails by following the unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of the email or by sending an email to [email protected] with “UNSUBSCRIBE” in the subject field of the email. Please note that you cannot opt out of transactional messages. – **Push Notifications:** If you have opted-in to receive push notifications on your device, you can opt-out by adjusting your device settings or uninstalling our app. It’s important to note that your opt-out applies to the email address and device used and will not affect subsequent subscriptions.
Children The Service is not intended for children under 13 years old, and we do not knowingly collect personal information (as defined by the U.S. Children’s Privacy Protection Act or “COPPA”) from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe we have collected personal information from children, please contact us at [email protected]. We will delete the personal information in accordance with COPPA.
Data Security We implement and maintain reasonable administrative, physical, and technical security measures to protect your information from loss, theft, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. However, please be aware that internet transmission is not entirely secure, and we cannot guarantee the security of your information.
International Transfer We are based in the U.S., and the information we collect is subject to U.S. law. If you access the Service from outside the U.S., please understand that the information collected through the Service may be transferred to, processed, stored, and used in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. Data protection laws in the U.S. and other jurisdictions may differ from those in your country of residence. By using the Service and providing information, you consent to the transfer, processing, usage, disclosure, and storage of your information in the U.S. and other jurisdictions as described in this Privacy Policy. When required by applicable law, we will provide appropriate safeguards for data transfers, such as standard contractual clauses.
Changes to this Privacy Policy We reserve the right to modify and reissue this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes become effective immediately upon posting the revised Privacy Policy. Your continued use of our Service indicates your acceptance of the Privacy Policy as posted. In cases of significant changes, we may also provide additional notice to your email address.
Contact Us If you have questions about our data practices or encounter any difficulties accessing the information in this Privacy Policy, please contact us: – By email: [email protected] – By mail: 2550 Pacific Ave Suite #839, Dallas, TX 75226, United States **California:** The California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and its successor, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), grant additional rights to California residents. This section pertains to those rights and is applicable only to California residents. Any rights specific to the CPRA will not take effect until January 1, 2023. **A. Notice of Collection:** Over the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information (as defined in the CCPA/CPRA): – Identifiers, including name, postal address, email address, and online identifiers (such as IP address). – Customer records, including phone number, billing address, and credit or debit card information. – Commercial or transaction information, including records of products or services purchased, obtained, or considered. – Internet activity, including browsing history, search history, and interactions with a website, email, application, or advertisement. – Non-precise geolocation data, including location derived from an IP address. – Professional, employment, or education-related information. – Inferences drawn from any of the information identified in this section. We collect and use this personal information for the business and commercial purposes outlined in the “Use of Information” section above. We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of minors under 16 years old who are California residents. **B. Retention:** We retain each category of personal information for the length of time reasonably necessary for the purpose it was collected and as required to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud, and enforce agreements. **C. Right to Know, Correct, and Delete:** You have the right to request specific details about our data practices, including: – The categories of personal information we have collected about you. – The categories of sources from which the personal information was collected. – The categories of personal information about you that we disclosed for a business purpose or sold or shared. – The categories of persons to whom the personal information was disclosed for a business purpose or sold or shared. – The business or commercial purpose for collecting, selling, or sharing the personal information. – The specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you. You may also correct or delete the personal information we have collected from you (effective January 1, 2023). To exercise these rights, please email us at [email protected] or use our online form. If you have an account with us, we may require you to use the account to submit the request. We will confirm receipt of your request within 10 days and may require specific information to verify your identity. If we cannot verify your identity, we may deny your request. **D. Right to Opt-Out:** To the extent we “sell” or “share” your personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA, you have the right to opt-out of the “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information to third parties (effective January 1, 2023). You can exercise this right through our “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” form on our website or by emailing us at [email protected], specifying your desire to opt-out. You can designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. We will require written proof of the agent’s authorization and will verify your identity directly. You have the right not to face discrimination for exercising your rights. California residents may request (i) a list of the categories of personal information disclosed to third parties for their direct marketing purposes during the preceding calendar year and (ii) a list of the categories of third parties to whom such information was disclosed. To make such a request, contact us via email or postal address as mentioned in the “Contact Us” section. We are obligated to respond to such requests once per calendar year. Please let me know if you would like more information about any specific aspect of this Privacy Policy or if you have any other questions. **Nevada:** We do not sell and will not sell your covered information, as defined by NRS 603A.340. **European Economic Area, Switzerland, and United Kingdom:** The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides additional rights to individuals in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (collectively, “Europe”). This section covers those rights and applies exclusively to individuals in Europe. **A. Roles:** QCharge acts as a data controller regarding personal data collected when you interact with our Service. **B. Information We Collect:** We collect various data for specific purposes as detailed in the table below, along with the lawful basis, the data itself, and the storage period: – Lawful Basis: Contract – Data: Email address, Name and Surname, password – Storage: For as long as you have your account or as needed to provide services – Lawful Basis: Legal obligation – Data: Email address, Name and Surname – Storage: As required by law – Lawful Basis: Consent – Data: Application Display Passcode – Storage: For as long as you have your account or as needed to provide services – Lawful Basis: Contract – Data: Card information, Name and Surname – Storage: As long as necessary to process your transaction – Lawful Basis: Consent – Data: Phone number – Storage: As long as needed to process your identification to create an account – Lawful Basis: Consent – Data: Profile photo / Apple Mail Alias (through Google sign-in/ Apple ID) – Storage: For as long as you have your account or as needed to provide services – Lawful Basis: Contract – Data: Home Charger information – Storage: As long as needed to provide the services – Lawful Basis: Contract – Data: Vehicle information (Connector Type) – Storage: As long as needed to provide the services – Lawful Basis: Legitimate interest to optimize customer’s experience – Data: Vehicle information (License Plate, Manufacturer, Model, Year) – Storage: As long as needed to provide the services – Lawful Basis: Contract – Data: Location information: Country, State, City – Storage: As long as needed to provide the services – Lawful Basis: Consent – Data: Location information: Address (Street, etc.) – Storage: As long as needed to provide the services **C. Disclosure of Information:** We disclose information to processors. You can find more information about our processors’ data practices in their respective privacy policies. **D. Automated Decision Making:** We do not use automated decision-making tools or personal data to assess aspects of your personality through automated profiling. **E. Your Rights:** You have various rights under GDPR: – Access, rectify, or erase personal data. – Data portability. – Restrict or object to our processing of your personal data. – Withdraw your consent for data processing based on your consent. – Refuse processing for marketing or purposes different from the original collection or subsequent authorization. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us as detailed in the “Contact Us” section. We’ll respond within 30 days and may request specific information to confirm your identity. Please note that we retain information as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, even after a data subject request, for legitimate interests like complying with legal obligations, resolving disputes, preventing fraud, and enforcing agreements. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your data protection regulator.
