Version 2, Jan 1, 2021
The privacy of all our Users is very important to Podium Apps, Podium Orders, and our clients. When you, as an app user, use the service, we process your personal data. This privacy statement describes how Podium Apps safeguards and processes your Personal Data. This Privacy Statement applies to all work built by www.podiumapps.com, but also to all its subdomains.
Our services include the provision of websites, mobile applications, web apps, and online ordering systems.
Words in this Privacy Statement that are capitalized are defined in Podium Apps’ Terms & Conditions, which you can view here: https://www.podiumapps.com/termsandconditions.pdf.
1. Who are Podium Apps?
The Service and Websites of Podium Apps, Podium Orders, Podium Guest & Podium Digital are marketed and operated by Podium Apps Ltd. Podium Apps is a private company with limited liability in accordance with UK laws, having its registered office at 17 Lineybrook Cottages, Northern Ireland.
You can also reach us by:
- Email: support@podiumapps.com
- Phone: +44 (0)7751 938205
2. Who are Podium Apps Clients?
Podium Apps clients are individual persons or companies that use the Podium Apps platform for their mobile app, website, or online ordering functionality. The clients are responsible for their own actions and behaviours. Podium Apps cannot and will never be responsible for the behaviours and actions of the clients, together mentioned hereafter as parties.
3. App
When referred to the app, it includes the mobile application and its related services.
4. What is stated in this Privacy Statement?
Parties inform you in this Privacy Statement about:
- The kinds of Personal Data processed by Parties;
- The purposes for which parties process Personal Data;
- Where the Personal Data is processed;
- The security measures in place to protect Personal Data;
- Podium Apps’ limits of responsibility concerning third parties;
- Viewing, changing, and deleting your Personal Data;
- Changes to this Privacy Statement;
- What to do if you have any questions or remarks.
5. The kinds of Personal Data processed by the App
A. Personal Data by using our Service
In order to improve our apps, parties use anonymous data. This information will not be made public through the app.
B. Automatically generated information
Like most other websites and online services, we gather and process automatically generated information about how you use the App. The information gathered includes your IP address and/or a unique device ID. If you specifically opt-in, the App may collect your geo-location information. In any event, you can block geo-location collection through the settings of your mobile device.
If you specifically opt-in to permit access and collection of information from your social network account, then your basic personal information in your social network account will be collected (such as your name and email address), as well as your social network user ID (but not your password), and parameters related to the posts you shared through the App. Please refer to the social network’s privacy policy for more details on how you can set the privacy preferences of your account to control the information that may be accessed and retrieved. This also applies to the automatically generated information about how you use the App. This kind of information helps us better understand how the App is used and how we can improve the Service to suit your needs as a user.
If you enable the user authorization features inside the App, the following additional information will be stored:
- Name;
- Email address;
- Age range (optional);
- Gender (optional);
- Phone number (optional);
- Additional profile information returned by an external provider such as Facebook or LinkedIn.
To provide the client with information about the usage of the app, we also collect the following (anonymous) information:
- The moment you open the app;
- The sections you’ve opened inside the app and the amount of time you’ve spent in these sections;
- Actions such as music playback, opening URLs, etc.;
- The moment you leave the app.
Note: if the user authorization features are enabled, we are able to link the anonymous information to you once you log in.
We collect and use personal information about two general categories of users:
User information: If you’re a customer of a business that uses the Podium Orders platform to provide online ordering via a website or app, then we will collect and store personal information about you in order to process your order(s). That information can include:
Your name and contact information: full name, email address, telephone number, physical address.
Login details: The username and password that you use to log in to a Podium Orders-powered website or app.
Payment details: Your credit card details (which are then transmitted to and stored by a third-party payment provider – we do not store credit card details on Podium-owned data centers).
IP address of the device(s) that you use when accessing a Podium Orders-powered website or app.
Ordering history: The dates and details of orders you’ve placed using Podium Orders-powered websites or apps.
Your preferences such as notifications and marketing preferences.
For the purposes of GDPR in the European Union, we are the ‘data processor’ of this User information. If you are an individual who uses our Services to place orders with a Podium Orders Customer, then that Customer (the restaurant or business you’re placing an order with) is the controller of your information, and you should contact them directly for assistance with any requests or questions relating to your personal information.
Podium Orders customer information: Restaurants and other businesses who are customers or users of Podium Orders services are referred to as ‘Customers’ in this Policy.
In respect of Customers, we collect and use personal information relating to individual employees and other staff members of those Customers so that we can provide our Services to them. That information includes:
- Names and contact information: full name, email address, telephone number, job title.
- Login and user details: e.g., usernames.
- Usage history: times and details of access to the Podium Orders Services, such as changes they’ve made to the Customer’s account.
For the purposes of GDPR in the European Union, we are the ‘data controller’ of this Customer information, and we collect and store it for the purposes of providing our Services to Customers and maintaining records and contact details relating to those Services and Customers.
We also collect and store information about a Customer’s business, products, and services that are displayed in apps or websites, so that Users can place orders with that Customer — for example, the location, contact details, and opening hours of a restaurant, details and prices of menu items, and so on. Typically, that information is not personal information (in that it does not identify any individual person).
C. Specific information
The client may ask you to engage in certain activities in the App, such as a loyalty card, newsletters, advertising, in which case you will be asked for certain personal information. This information will be stored in the databases of Podium Apps and will be shared with the client. When you upload data, including photos, in the App, this will be shared and may be viewed by all others users of the App.
6. For what purposes do parties process Personal Data?
A. Purposes
Parties process Personal Data for the following purposes:
- To enable you to use the Service;
- To keep you updated with relevant information about our Service;
- To inform you about Podium Apps (other) products or services;
- To improve and/or customize the Service;
- To identify you and/or customize the Service;
- To identify you and to prevent fraud;
- To provide support;
- To pass your Personal Data to third parties if you requested us to do so or if we are legally obliged to do so.
B. Transmission of Personal Data to third parties
Parties do not sell, trade, or rent your Personal Data to third parties without your prior consent. However, parties can provide your Personal Data to third parties when this is essential for providing the Service to you or for carrying out your instructions, such as for making payments by means of payment providers for Paid Services. Parties may provide “aggregated anonymous data” about the usage of the Service to third parties for such purposes as well, as it deems appropriate. “Aggregated anonymous data” is data that cannot be traced back to you and which, therefore, does not count as Personal Data. For instance, parties may use aggregated anonymous data to better understand how Users use the Service.
In the event that Podium Apps (or any parts of it) are transferred to a third party, or that Podium Apps merges with a third party, or undergoes a reorganization, your Personal Data may also be disclosed and/or transferred to that third party. This third party will have the right to continue to use Personal Data and other information that you provided to Podium Apps.
Parties may disclose your Personal Data where it believes, in good faith, that it is necessary to comply with a court order, ongoing judicial proceedings, criminal or civil subpoenas, or other legal processes or requests by law enforcement authorities in the UK, or to exercise its legal rights or defend itself against legal claims.
For Users: We need the personal information we collect about you in order to process any orders you place with our Customers, and so that they can provide goods and/or services to you. This includes sharing your personal information with those Customers.
For Customers: We need personal information relating to individual employees and staff members so that we can provide our Services to our Customers, and so we can monitor how our Services are being used.
We also use personal information for the following purposes:
- To personalize your experience (your information helps us better respond to your individual needs);
- To improve our website and Services.
To improve customer service: Your information helps us to more effectively respond to your customer service requests and support needs.
To process transactions.
To send periodic emails: Such as marketing emails, both from the customer’s 3rd party email system or from the Podium Orders platform for the purposes of re-engaging with a customer who has previously ordered or provided their email address to the Podium Orders platform.
The email address you provide may be used to send you information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions.
Detecting, investigating, and preventing fraudulent transactions and other illegal activities.
Information from third-party services: We may also receive personal information from third parties such as social media, data enrichment, or authentication services when, for example, you sign up for our Services, fill in forms on our Services, or log onto our Services through such services. Any access we may have to such information is governed by the authorization procedures of that service. By authorizing us to connect with a third-party service, you authorize us to access and store your name, email address(es), locale, profile picture URL, and other personal information that the third-party service makes available to us, and to use and disclose it in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Check your privacy settings on these third-party services to learn and modify the information these services send to us.
Compliance with laws: In certain situations, we may be required to use and disclose your information (including personal information) to a third party if we believe the disclosure is reasonably necessary:
- To comply with any applicable law, legal process (for example, subpoenas and warrants), or governmental request;
- To enforce and administer our agreements, policies, and terms of use;
- To protect the property, rights, and safety of Podium Orders, our Customers, other Users, or the public from harm or illegal activities;
- For fraud prevention, risk assessment, investigation, customer support, product development, or debugging purposes;
- To establish or exercise our legal rights or defend ourselves against any third-party claims or allegations.
Business Transfers: If Podium Orders undertakes or is involved in any merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, or bankruptcy or insolvency event, then we may transfer or share some or all of our assets, including your personal information. In this event, we will notify you before your personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
7. Where is the Personal Data processed?
The Service is provided using hosting services from Amazon, Microsoft, and Digital Ocean in the European Economic Area (EEA). However, the Personal Data processed by Podium Apps may be transferred to, and stored on, servers maintained by Amazon, Microsoft, and Digital Ocean located outside the EEA, such as the United States of America.
Amazon, Microsoft, and Digital Ocean state that they adhere to the Safe Harbor principles and are affiliated with the Safe Harbor program of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This means there should be an adequate level of protection for the processing of Personal Data by these service providers. By using our Service, you agree to this transfer and processing outside the EEA.
Podium Apps will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your Personal Data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.
Global Operations
Podium Orders operates globally, and its Service Providers are located in various countries. This means that your personal information may be transferred to and stored in countries other than where you live. The main countries where your personal information will be stored or processed include:
- Northern Ireland: where Podium Apps is incorporated.
- UK: where our hosting services provider is located.
For individuals in the European Union (EU): Your personal information may be stored outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). In such cases, it will only be transferred to countries that have been deemed to provide adequate protection for EEA information (such as New Zealand), or to third parties where we have approved transfer mechanisms in place to protect your personal information. This includes entering into the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses or ensuring the entity is Privacy Shield certified for transfers to U.S.-based third parties.
8. Who your information is shared with
Podium Orders’ Service Providers: We collaborate with several third-party vendors and service providers to help us deliver our Services and maintain our platform. These Service Providers offer specific features or functionalities, such as SMS notifications, login features, customer support, chat and messaging applications, usage analytics platforms, and hosting services. In order to provide our Services, we may share your personal information with them for storage or processing. We ensure that these Service Providers handle your personal information securely and in compliance with relevant privacy laws through our contractual agreements.
Other third parties: We may also share your personal information with:
- Customers (e.g., restaurants or businesses): When you place an order using a Podium Orders-powered app or website.
- Other third parties: When necessary for the purposes and uses of your information, as described in previous sections.
Integration partners
The Podium Orders platform is integrated with various third-party platforms and service providers, such as point-of-sale (POS) solutions, payment processors, or delivery providers, which may be used in conjunction with Podium Orders Services (referred to as “Partners”). These Partners operate under separate legal agreements with our Customers, and it is the Customers who determine what personal information is shared with those Partners. Podium Orders has no control over how these Customers use your personal information. For inquiries about how your personal information is used and protected, you should contact either the relevant Partner or the Customer you placed your order with directly.
8. What security measures are in place to protect Personal Data?
The security of your data, and that of other Users, is a priority for Podium Apps. We have implemented various technical and organizational measures to protect your Personal Data from loss or unlawful processing. The security measures we employ include but are not limited to:
- Protection of our servers with firewalls.
- Use of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connections.
- Encryption of sensitive data.
All sensitive/credit information you supply is transmitted via SSL technology and encrypted by the Customer’s chosen payment gateway provider. This information is only accessible to authorized personnel with special access rights, who are required to keep it confidential.
9. Our use of cookies
Cookies are small files that a website, app, or its service provider transfers to your computer’s or device’s hard drive through your web browser or app (if you allow). These cookies enable our systems to recognize your browser or device and capture certain information.
We use cookies to:
- Remember when you’ve logged into a Podium Orders-powered website or app.
- Save your preferences for future visits.
- Compile aggregated data about app and site traffic and interactions to improve site experiences and tools.
While browsing PodiumOrders.com, advertising cookies may be placed on your computer to help us understand your interests. Our display advertising partners may then present you with retargeting advertisements based on your previous interactions with Podium Apps and its brands. The techniques used by our partners do not collect personal information like your name, email address, postal address, or telephone number.
10. Limits of responsibility concerning third parties
Our Service may include products or services offered by third parties, as well as hyperlinks to the websites or services of partners, advertisers, or other third parties. Podium Orders has no control over or influence on the content, websites, or services of these third parties. Please note that different privacy policies may apply to the use of third-party websites and services. This Privacy Statement applies solely to the use of the Podium Orders platform and its associated apps or websites.
11. Retention of information
For Customer information, Podium Orders retains personal data for as long as there is an ongoing legitimate business need (as outlined in Section 3). When there is no longer a business need, Podium Orders will delete or anonymize the data. If immediate deletion or anonymization is not possible (such as when the information is stored in backup archives), the personal information will be securely stored and isolated from further processing until deletion is possible.
For User information, Podium Orders retains personal data until instructed by Customers (who control the data) or the User to delete it.
12. Viewing and deleting Personal Data
You have the right to access or delete your personal information. To make such a request, contact Podium Orders via support@podiumapps.com. You can also ask for corrections or updates to your personal data.
You may be required to provide additional information to verify your identity. For personal data collected by the Customer (Podium Apps’ client), requests should be directed to that client, as Podium Orders is not responsible for the client’s data collection practices.
In addition:
- You can request that Podium Orders stop processing and permanently delete your personal information.
- You can contact Podium Orders for these rights at support@podiumapps.com or by mailing to the address provided above.
If you are dissatisfied with how Podium Orders handles your personal information, you have the right to file a complaint with the relevant data protection authority or privacy regulator in your jurisdiction. Your local data protection authority can provide more information on your privacy rights and options for submitting a complaint.
13. Children’s privacy
Podium Orders does not knowingly or intentionally collect personal information about children.
14. Security
Podium Orders has implemented various security measures to protect your personal data and reduce the risks of damage, loss, unauthorized access, or misuse of your data. These measures include the use of firewalls, SSL connections, and encryption.
However, while these security protocols aim to safeguard your personal information, they do not provide an absolute guarantee of protection. As a result, it is important to understand that the App, and its related databases, may still be vulnerable to issues such as unauthorized interceptions, access, or other forms of misuse despite these efforts.
15. Changes to this Privacy Statement
This Privacy Statement may be updated periodically. Any updates will be published via the app and on the Podium Apps website. It is important for you to review this Privacy Statement regularly to stay informed about how your Personal Data is protected. By continuing to use Podium Apps products after changes take effect, you agree to the revised Privacy Statement. If you do not agree with the changes, you must uninstall the app or discontinue using the service.
16. What to do if you have any questions or remarks?
For any questions or comments regarding this Privacy Statement, please contact us at support@podiumapps.com.
This Privacy Policy was last updated on: Jan 1, 2021.