Where your data lives, and who can see it.
DispatchMe runs on one server at Hetzner in Nuremberg, Germany, with its database on the same machine and closed to the outside. Everything travels over HTTPS, the database is backed up every night, and each member of your staff sees only what their role allows.
This page says what we do, and also what we don't do yet.
Where is the data kept?
- One server at Hetzner in Nuremberg, Germany, running both the application and the PostgreSQL database
- The database only accepts connections from the server itself, and the firewall lets in only web traffic and our own administration
- Every connection is HTTPS, with certificates from Let's Encrypt that renew automatically
- Browsers are told to use HTTPS only (HSTS, for a year), and the site sends a content security policy and other security headers
- Uploaded documents are kept with your office's data and only served to people signed in to that office
Backups and monitoring.
| What | How often | Kept |
|---|---|---|
| Database copy | Every night | 14 days |
| Automatic restore check | Every Sunday: restores the latest copy and checks its row counts against the live database | Alerts us if it fails |
| Whole-server backup (Hetzner) | Every day | 7 days |
The site is checked every minute from the server. If it stops answering, or a backup fails, we get an alert on our phones.
What we don't do yet
All backups are held at Hetzner in Germany; there is no copy with a second provider. Backups are not separately encrypted. The minute-by-minute check runs on the same server, so nothing outside watches it yet.Who in your office can see what?
Every member of staff signs in as themselves and has a role. Every important action is written to an audit log you can read.
Roles and permissions
Passwords and sessions
An audit log
Offices kept apart
API keys and webhooks
Drivers checked before they work
Which services process the data?
Some outside services do part of the work. The first group is used for every office. The second is only used when that feature is switched on. Our privacy policy has the full detail.
| Provider | What for | When |
|---|---|---|
| Hetzner | The server and database, in Nuremberg, Germany | Always |
| TomTom | Routes, journey times and address search | Always |
| postcodes.io | Turning postcodes into map positions | Always |
| Migadu | Sending email from our own domain, such as password reset codes | Always |
| Expo and Firebase | Push notifications to the phone apps | Always, for app users |
| Google Maps | The map on the office's screen | If the office chooses Google maps |
| Anthropic | Reading a pasted booking message into a draft | Only if AI reading is switched on |
| Twilio | WhatsApp and text messages, calls between driver and passenger, and your office line for caller ID | Only for the features your office uses |
| FlightAware | Flight status for airport bookings | Only if switched on |
| DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service | Checking a vehicle by its registration | Only if switched on |
| what3words | A three-word location for a pickup | Only if switched on |
DispatchMe doesn't take card payments, so no card details pass through it. Passengers pay their driver.
Getting data out, and deleting it.
Export
- Record of bookings, staff register, complaints log and driver and vehicle documents, as CSV or PDF for any dates
- Reports as CSV
- Every export is noted in your audit log
- For a complete copy of your office's data, email us
Delete
- Passengers can delete their account in the app, under Profile: their contact details go at once, and their name comes off booking records when the 12 months are up
- Your office can erase a passenger's personal details; their past rides stay on your records without them
- Rides are archived, not deleted: an office can archive a booking and restore it later
- The record of each booking is kept for at least 12 months and can't be changed
- How passengers and drivers ask for deletion: delete your account
Questions offices ask
Where is my office's data stored?
On one server DispatchMe runs at Hetzner in Nuremberg, Germany. The application and its PostgreSQL database are on the same server, and the database only accepts connections from that server.
How often is it backed up?
The database is copied every night and each copy is kept for 14 days. Every Sunday an automatic check restores the latest copy and checks its row counts against the live database. Hetzner also backs up the whole server daily, keeping 7. All backups are held at Hetzner in Germany.
Can I stop a dispatcher seeing prices or reports?
Yes. Each member of staff has a role, such as Dispatcher, Finance or Read-only, and you can add or remove single permissions for one person.
Does DispatchMe have two-factor sign-in?
Not yet. Passwords are stored as salted scrypt hashes, sign-in attempts are rate limited, and resetting a password signs that person out everywhere.
Can I get all my data out?
You can export the record of bookings, staff register, complaints log and documents as CSV or PDF, and reports as CSV. For a complete copy of your office's data, email us and we will prepare it.
Look round before you decide.
The live demo is a made-up London fleet: try the roles, the audit log and the exports. Or start free with your own office.