Privacy Policy
How TripsCircle collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use our Service.
1. Introduction
TripsCircle LLC ("TripsCircle," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how we share it, and the choices available to you when you use the TripsCircle mobile applications, websites (including tripscircle.com), and related services (collectively, the "Service").
This Privacy Policy applies to information we process as a controller. It should be read together with our Terms of Service.
If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use the Service.
2. Who Is Responsible for Your Information
For purposes of applicable data protection laws, TripsCircle LLC is the controller of personal information for which it determines the purposes and means of processing. Other users, such as trip organizers, may independently decide what information they add to a shared trip and are responsible for having permission to provide it.
Privacy questions and requests may be sent to [email protected]. General support is available at [email protected].
3. Information We Collect
We collect information in the following categories:
3.1 Account and profile information
When you register or maintain an account, we may collect:
- Email address and sign-in information. Passwords are protected and are not stored in readable form.
- Name, display name, first name, and last name.
- Profile photo, biography, gender, interests, and home city or base location.
- Profile visibility preferences (public, friends/connections, or private).
- Optional payment-handle fields, if you choose to provide them.
- Distance unit, theme preference, and other account settings.
- Information provided by third-party sign-in services, where enabled.
- Account identifiers assigned by TripsCircle and authentication providers.
- Whether you meet our minimum age requirement, how this was confirmed, and when. We check eligibility when you create an account and retain the result so you do not need to repeat the check when signing in.
- TripsCircle does not ask for or store your date of birth, birth year, exact age, or the age range provided by your device, and does not display an age range on your profile.
3.2 Trip, travel, and planning information
When you create or participate in trips, we may collect:
- Trip titles, descriptions, emojis, dates, status, budgets, and cover photos.
- Destinations, itinerary items, locations, coordinates, notes, and travel preferences.
- Expense records, payer and participant details, split rules, categories, and receipt images or URLs.
- Packing lists, tasks, reservations, documents, and group membership roles.
- Trip privacy settings, feed visibility choices, and invite lists.
- Achievements, badges, travel stats, bucket-list items, saved places, and recap content.
- Destination and place searches, imported travel-idea links or screenshots, and the results you choose to save.
3.3 Precise and live location information
If you grant location permission or use location-based features, we may collect precise location information from your device, including latitude, longitude, accuracy, heading, speed, and update time.
- Nearby discovery uses your location to show nearby trips and destination recommendations.
- Live trip sharing lets you share your current location with members of the relevant trip while sharing is enabled.
- Itinerary visit tracking may use your current location to identify when you are near planned stops during an active trip.
- You can stop live location sharing in the trip experience and can revoke location permission through your device settings.
3.4 Social and communications information
When you use social features, we may collect:
- Friend/connection requests, acceptances, and relationship status.
- Direct messages, group chat messages, mentions, and conversation metadata.
- Comments, kudos/likes, feed interactions, and shared trip links.
- Invite emails, invite tokens, and responses to invitations.
- Reports, blocks, and moderation actions you initiate or that relate to your account.
- Public-link activity, such as responses to polls or availability cards, together with the limited token or browser information needed to prevent duplicate or abusive submissions.
3.5 User-generated media and files
If you upload photos, receipts, or other files, we collect and store those files and related metadata (such as upload time and associated trip or expense).
Account usage analytics
When usage analytics is enabled, we collect information about how you use TripsCircle, including sessions, screens viewed, time spent, planning actions, search result counts, subscription activity, and performance. This information is linked to your account through an identifier and is not anonymous.
Optional account analytics does not collect messages, search text, the identities of people you search for, precise locations, individual itinerary stops, or session recordings. Broad travel interests have a separate control in Settings. City and country summaries use public trip information from analytics-enabled accounts and include only groups of at least five planners. These summaries reflect trip plans and status, not verified visits.
In updated versions of the app, usage analytics and broad travel interests are on by default for eligible accounts without a saved analytics choice. We preserve existing saved choices. Older versions retain their previous defaults. You can change them in Settings under Privacy & analytics. Turning a choice off deletes the corresponding account-linked analytics. If you make a change while offline, collection pauses on that device; reopen these settings or restart the app when connected to finish applying the change. Deleting your account also deletes account-linked analytics.
We delete individual account analytics records after 90 days through daily cleanup. Combined daily counts without account identifiers may be kept longer when at least five accounts contributed. We cannot remove an individual contribution from those combined counts. We use these analytics to improve TripsCircle, not for cross-app advertising or data sales. Your trip location-sharing choices are separate.
3.6 Device, technical, and usage information
We automatically collect certain technical information, including:
- Device type, operating system, app version, and browser type on web.
- Push notification tokens and notification permission status.
- IP address, general region, timestamps, and request logs.
- Local diagnostic events stored on your device for troubleshooting (which you can clear in Settings).
- Limited crash, performance, and security logs processed by our diagnostic and hosting providers. App crash reporting does not include session recordings or automatically collect names and email addresses.
- On public marketing, Explore, and legal pages, Microsoft Clarity may collect browser and device details, general location derived from IP address, page views, clicks, scrolling, cursor movement, and page structure changes to provide website analytics and session playback. Clarity is not loaded on TripsCircle sign-in, password, invitation, account-action, or private-sharing pages.
- Actions you take in the Service, such as feature usage necessary to operate core functionality.
3.7 AI feature inputs and outputs
If you choose to use AI-assisted planning, we process the prompts and structured inputs you provide (such as destination, dates, budget, pace, and preferences), relevant recent conversation or trip context, generated itinerary drafts and summaries, and limited technical metadata needed to provide, secure, and troubleshoot the feature.
We share the information described above with OpenRouter, which connects us to the AI provider that generates your response. Do not include highly sensitive information or personal information about another person unless you have permission to do so.
3.8 Purchases and subscription information
When you purchase or restore Premium through the Apple App Store or Google Play, that store handles payment. We receive purchase and entitlement information, including the subscription purchased, transaction reference, purchase and expiration dates, and payment verification and subscription status. We do not receive your full payment-card or store-account payment details.
3.9 Information from others
Other users may provide information about you when they invite you to trips, send connection requests, mention you in chats, or add you to shared expenses.
If someone uploads a receipt or photo that includes your information, that content may be stored as part of the associated trip record.
3.10 Information you provide to support
If you contact support, request account deletion, or participate in surveys, we collect the information you submit, such as email content, diagnostics snapshots you choose to share, and correspondence history.
4. How We Use Information
We use information to:
- Create and administer accounts and authenticate users.
- Confirm that you meet our minimum age requirement, restrict ineligible accounts, and keep a limited record of eligibility decisions.
- Provide trip planning, collaboration, expense tracking, messaging, maps, notifications, and social features.
- Honor your privacy, visibility, and notification preferences.
- Generate optional AI planning suggestions and related trip drafts.
- Verify purchases, restore subscriptions, and provide Premium entitlements.
- Send transactional emails and push notifications (such as invites, comments, messages, and security notices).
- Operate, maintain, secure, debug, and improve the Service.
- Detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, spam, and security incidents.
- Enforce our Terms of Service and protect users and the public.
- Comply with law, regulation, legal process, and governmental requests.
- Send product updates or marketing communications where permitted and according to your preferences.
- Analyze aggregated or de-identified usage to understand feature performance and plan improvements.
5. Legal Bases for Processing (EEA, UK, and Similar Jurisdictions)
Where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), UK GDPR, or similar laws apply, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:
- Contract: processing necessary to provide the Service you request.
- Legitimate interests: securing and improving the Service, preventing abuse, and communicating about your account, balanced against your rights.
- Consent: where required for optional marketing, certain notifications, or specific features.
- Legal obligation: compliance with applicable laws and lawful requests.
- Vital interests or public interest: only where applicable and permitted by law.
7. International Data Transfers
TripsCircle is based in the United States and may process information in the U.S. and other countries where we or our service providers operate.
Where required, we implement appropriate safeguards for cross-border transfers, such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent mechanisms.
By using the Service, you understand that your information may be transferred to countries that may have different data protection laws than your own.
8. Data Retention
We retain information for as long as necessary to provide the Service, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and maintain security.
Retention periods depend on the type of information, whether your account remains active, the feature through which it was created, legal and contractual requirements, and security, fraud-prevention, support, and dispute-resolution needs.
When you delete your account, deletion of the account and data tied only to it begins through the in-app deletion flow. We then delete or de-identify remaining personal information within a reasonable period, except where retention is required or permitted by law, needed for security or dispute records, or necessary to preserve information shared with other users as described below.
If we identify an account as belonging to someone under 13, we disable access and further data collection while reviewing the account for deletion. We may retain a limited record of the eligibility decision for safety, compliance, and dispute resolution, without storing a birthday or age range.
Residual copies may remain in protected backups until those backups are overwritten under our normal backup cycle. We do not use backup copies for ordinary product purposes.
Messages, trip records, and expenses shared with other users may remain visible to those users according to product behavior and their own copies.
9. Security
We use administrative and technical safeguards to protect your information, including encryption during transmission and restrictions on who can access it.
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. You are responsible for safeguarding your credentials and devices.
If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us promptly at [email protected].
10. Your Choices and Privacy Controls
You can control your information through the Service and your device:
- Edit profile details and visibility in Edit Profile.
- Set trip privacy and feed visibility when creating or editing trips.
- Manage notification and marketing preferences in Settings.
- Enable or disable push notifications in Settings and your device OS.
- Enable, stop, or avoid live location sharing in trip screens, and revoke location permission through your device OS.
- Sign out on all devices from Settings.
- Export a copy of account data from Settings.
- Permanently delete your account from Settings after confirming your identity, or start a deletion request at https://tripscircle.com/delete-account/ if you cannot access the app.
- Clear local diagnostic logs from Settings.
- Block or report users through profile moderation controls.
11. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, object to, or port certain personal information, and to withdraw consent where processing is consent-based.
You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
To exercise your rights, contact [email protected] or [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity before responding.
We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.
11.1 California residents (CCPA/CPRA)
California residents may have the right to know, delete, correct, and opt out of certain sharing. TripsCircle does not sell personal information and does not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined by California law.
You may designate an authorized agent to submit requests on your behalf where permitted by law.
11.2 EEA and UK residents
You may object to processing based on legitimate interests, request restriction or erasure in certain cases, and request data portability where applicable.
12. Children's Privacy
TripsCircle accounts and online features are available only to people age 13 or older. We do not offer child accounts or an under-13 online mode.
When you create an account, we record your confirmation that you are at least 13. Where required, we use age information provided by Apple to confirm eligibility. We keep only the eligibility result, how it was confirmed, and when; we do not retain your birthday, exact age, or age range. We do not repeat the check when you sign in again.
If we identify an account as belonging to someone under 13, we immediately restrict access and further data collection, including notifications and live location sharing, while reviewing it for deletion. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate steps to delete it.
Users between 13 and the age of majority should use the Service only with parental consent where required by law.
13. Cookies and Similar Technologies (Web)
When you use TripsCircle on the web, we and our service providers may use cookies, local storage, and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember preferences, protect the Service, operate public sharing, and understand usage.
Microsoft Clarity may use first-party and third-party cookies on public marketing, Explore, and legal pages to connect page views and produce aggregated analytics and session playback. Clarity masks sensitive content by default. Where a valid consent signal is required and consent is not provided, Clarity operates in a limited no-consent mode without persistent Clarity cookies.
Essential cookies are necessary for authentication and core functionality. You can control non-essential cookies through your browser settings, though some features may not work correctly if you disable them.
We do not use third-party advertising cookies on the core authenticated product experience.
14. Third-Party Links and Services
The Service may contain links to third-party websites, maps, booking tools, or payment apps. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies.
Google Places provides some place information. Its processing is governed by the Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy. Microsoft explains how it handles website analytics data in its Privacy Statement: https://privacy.microsoft.com/privacystatement.
If you use third-party sign-in, app stores, maps, media, or payment services, those providers may also process information under their own terms and privacy policies.
15. Automated Processing and AI
TripsCircle uses automated systems to suggest itineraries, calculate expense settlements, rank feed content, detect abuse, and route notifications.
AI outputs are drafts for your review and are not sole bases for legal or similarly significant decisions about you.
If you have questions about automated processing in your jurisdiction, contact [email protected].
16. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will provide notice through the Service, by email, or by updating the effective date above.
If applicable law requires consent for a material change, we will request it. Otherwise, the updated policy applies from its stated effective date, and you may stop using the Service and delete your account if you do not agree.
17. Contact Us
Privacy inquiries: [email protected]
General support: [email protected]
TripsCircle LLC Attn: Privacy Website: https://tripscircle.com/privacy