Privacy policy

Who we are

DispatchMe is operated by its founder, trading as DispatchMe while the operating company is being registered (the company's name, number and registered office will be shown here as soon as registration completes) (“DispatchMe”, “we”, “us”). For anything in this policy, including a data protection request, email support@dispatchme.co.uk.

DispatchMe is booking and dispatch software used by taxi and private hire offices. When you book a ride with an office, or drive for one, that office is responsible for your data (the “controller”) and we handle it on its behalf. We are the controller for the accounts offices open with us and for this website.

What we collect

• Passengers: name, phone number, email if you give one, pickup and drop-off addresses, saved places, booking history, ratings and feedback, messages with your office or driver, and WhatsApp messages if you book that way.
• Drivers: name, phone, email, licence and badge numbers and expiry dates, documents you upload (such as your licence and insurance), vehicle details, bank details for payouts, job and earnings history, and your location while you are online.
• Office staff: name, email, phone, role and a record of what was done in the console and by whom.
• Everyone using the apps or website: device and browser details, app version, IP address, the notification token your phone gives the app, and logs used to keep the service secure and to fix problems.

We do not sell personal data and we do not use it for advertising or track you across other apps and websites.

What the apps use on your phone

• Location. The passenger app uses it while you use the app, to set your pickup point. The Driver app shares your position with your office while you are online — including when the app is in the background or the phone is locked — so the office can send you the nearest jobs and your passenger can see you arriving. It stops when you go offline or sign out. The Office app uses it to centre its map.
• Camera and photos (Driver app only), so you can photograph and send your licence and insurance to your office.
• Face ID or your passcode (Driver app only), if you turn on the app lock. This is checked by your phone; we never receive it.
• Notifications, so offices, drivers and passengers hear about jobs, rides and messages. Notifications are delivered through Apple, Google and Expo, our notification provider.

Payments

DispatchMe does not take card payments. You pay the office or its driver directly, and account customers are invoiced by the office. We never ask for or store card details.

Why we use it (our legal bases)

• To provide the service you asked for — taking and completing a booking, dispatching jobs, paying drivers.
• Legitimate interests — keeping the service secure, preventing fraud, fixing faults and improving the software, and letting offices run safely, including knowing where an online driver is.
• Legal obligations — licensed operators must keep booking records for set periods.
• Consent — where we ask for it, such as location or notifications on your phone. You can withdraw it in your phone's settings at any time.

Who we share it with

• The office you book with or drive for, which needs the data to run your rides and its business.
• Service providers who run parts of DispatchMe for us, under contract: Hetzner (hosting and database, Finland), Twilio (WhatsApp messages, United States), TomTom and Google (maps and routing, Netherlands and United States), postcodes.io and OpenStreetMap services (address search, United Kingdom and Europe), and Expo (app notifications, United States).
• Licensing authorities, the police or courts, where the law requires it.

Where a provider is outside the UK, the transfer is covered by UK adequacy regulations or the UK's approved contract clauses.

How long we keep it

• Booking, trip and cancellation records: 12 months from the ride, as licensed operators are required to keep them.
• Driver location history: 12 months, then deleted automatically.
• Complaints: for as long as the office's account is open.
• Everything else: while your account is open, then deleted or anonymised, unless we need it to resolve a dispute.

Your rights

You can ask to see the data held about you, correct it, have it erased, object to how it is used, or take a copy with you.

Passengers can delete their account in the app: Profile, then Delete account. Your name, contact details and saved places are removed and you are signed out everywhere; past rides stay with the office for its licensing records, without your details on them. Drivers and office staff can ask their office, or email us.

To use any of these rights, contact the office you ride or drive with, or email support@dispatchme.co.uk. If you are unhappy with how your data has been handled you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

Children

DispatchMe is not meant for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data. Bookings for children should be made by an adult.

Security

Data is encrypted in transit, access is limited by role (a driver sees only their own work, for example), and changes are logged. If a breach affects your data we will tell the Information Commissioner's Office and you where the law requires it.

Changes and contact

We will update this page when things change and tell offices about anything significant. Questions go to support@dispatchme.co.uk. See also our terms of use.