Privacy policy
Last updated: 6 October 2026
This policy explains what personal data ZeroFare collects, why we collect it, who we share it with and the choices you have. It covers the ZeroFare app for riders, the ZeroFare Driver app and zerofare.co.uk.
Who we are
ZeroFare is a private hire booking service.
- Operated by: NS Group Soft Tech Ltd
- Email: support@zerofare.co.uk
The operating company named above is the data controller for the personal data described here. Contact us about privacy at support@zerofare.co.uk.
What we collect
If you ride with ZeroFare
| Data | Why we need it | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile number, name, email (optional) | To create your account, sign you in with a text code and send receipts | Contract |
| Pickup, stops and drop-off addresses, trip route, waiting time, times and price | To arrange and price your trip, and to keep the booking records our operator licence requires | Contract, legal obligation |
| Your location while you use the app | To set your pickup point and show nearby cars. We don't track you in the background | Contract |
| Payment card details | Handled by Stripe. We only see the card type and last four digits | Contract |
| Messages and calls with your driver, ratings, lost item and support requests | To run the trip, deal with problems and keep riders and drivers safe | Contract, legitimate interests |
| Ads you watch and the ride credit you earn | To give you credit and stop fraud | Contract, legitimate interests |
| Device type, app version, push token | To send trip updates and keep the app secure | Legitimate interests |
If you drive with ZeroFare
Everything above that applies, plus:
| Data | Why we need it | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Driving licence, PHV driver licence, DBS certificate, right to work, insurance, MOT, V5C, vehicle details and photos, profile photo | To check you can legally carry passengers, as our operator licence and the law require | Legal obligation, contract |
| Your precise location, including in the background, while you are online or on a trip | To offer you nearby trips, show riders where you are, navigate and work out fares. Location sharing stops when you go offline | Contract |
| Whether your phone reports a fake (mock) location | To stop location fraud | Legitimate interests |
| Earnings, payouts, bank details (held by Stripe) and Direct Debit details (held by Stripe) | To pay you and collect any subscription fee | Contract, legal obligation |
| Acceptance and cancellation rates, ratings, safety reports | To run a fair and safe service | Legitimate interests |
Advertising
The apps show adverts that pay for free miles and ride credit. Local adverts are served by us. Some adverts come from Google AdMob. We ask for your consent before AdMob uses your data for personalised adverts; on iPhone we also ask permission to use the advertising identifier. You can change this at any time in the app under Ads & privacy. Without consent you still see adverts, but they are not personalised.
Who we share data with
- Your driver or rider: first name, photo, rating, car details and live location during a trip. When number masking is on, calls go through a ZeroFare number so neither of you sees the other's number.
- Service providers who act for us: Stripe (payments, driver payouts, Direct Debit), Google (maps, push notifications, AdMob), ClickSend (text messages), Twilio (masked calls, if used), our email provider and our hosting provider. They may only use the data to provide their service to us.
- Licensing authorities, police and insurers when the law requires it, to investigate an incident, or to protect someone's safety.
- A buyer of our business, if ZeroFare is sold, under the same protections.
We never sell your personal data.
Some providers process data outside the UK. When they do, we rely on UK adequacy regulations or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum to keep it protected.
How long we keep it
| Data | How long |
|---|---|
| Account details | Until you delete your account |
| Booking and trip records | 6 years (our operator licence requires booking records, and trips are also financial records) |
| Payment, payout and tax records | 6 years after the end of the tax year |
| Driver licence documents | While you drive with us, then up to 12 months after you leave (licensing checks), then deleted |
| Support messages and safety reports | 3 years |
| Live location | Kept briefly for the trip; the trip route stays with the trip record |
Your rights
You can ask us to give you a copy of your data, correct it, delete it, restrict or object to how we use it, or move it to another service. You can withdraw consent (for example to personalised adverts) at any time. Email support@zerofare.co.uk and we will reply within one month.
You can delete your account in the app at any time. See Delete your account.
If you are unhappy with how we use your data, please tell us first. You can also complain to the ICO at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Children
ZeroFare is not for anyone under 18. Riders must be 18 or over to have an account.
Security
Data is encrypted in transit. Driver documents are stored privately and only our licensing team can see them. Card and bank details are held by Stripe, not by us.
Changes
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we will tell you in the app before the change applies.