Wheee Driver — Privacy Policy

Effective date: 31 May 2026
Last updated: 1 October 2026

This policy explains what information the Wheee Driver app collects, why we collect it, how we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and the choices you have. We've written it in plain English. If anything's unclear, email us at hello@wheee.co.nz.

This policy applies to the Wheee Driver app for iPhone and Android (app ID com.automateworkflow.wheeedriver), operated by Akhil Sabu trading as Wheee ("we", "us"). It does not apply to the separate Wheee passenger app, which has its own policy.

1. Who we are

Akhil Sabu, a sole trader based in New Zealand, trading as Wheee (NZBN 9429052914478). We operate the Wheee ride-hailing service. Wheee Driver is the app drivers use to receive ride requests, navigate to riders, and get paid.

2. What we collect

We collect only what we need to run the service safely and legally.

2.1 Account and identity

Name, email address, mobile number and date of birth — to create and secure your account
Profile photo (optional)
Legal name, entity type (for example sole trader), home address, IRD number and GST number — to pay you and meet our tax obligations
Bank account details — to pay you for completed trips

2.2 Driving eligibility

Driver licence number, licence and P-endorsement images, and their expiry dates
Vehicle details: photo, registration plate, year, make, model, colour, fuel type and seats
Vehicle and service documents: registration, Certificate of Fitness, insurance and your Transport Service Licence (TSL) label, with their expiry dates
Your consent to licence-status checks
Which other ride-hailing platforms you drive for, if you tell us

We review these documents ourselves to confirm you're eligible to drive, and to remind you before they expire.

2.3 Location

Precise GPS location: latitude, longitude, accuracy, speed and heading, and whether the app is open on your screen at the time.
When: only while you're online in the app (you've switched on "go online" to receive ride requests). Going offline stops collection straight away.
In the background: while you're online we keep collecting when you use another app, when your screen is off and when your phone is locked. That's how we can match you to nearby ride requests when you're not looking at the screen.
How often: about every 30 seconds while you're online and waiting for requests. While you're on a job — heading to a pickup and during the trip — about every 5 seconds, plus trip route points every few seconds, so navigation, your rider's view of your approach and the fare stay accurate.

2.4 Trip data

Pickup and drop-off locations, the route you drove, times, distance, fare, and ratings
Earnings and payout records

2.5 Device and app data

A push notification token — from Apple Push Notification service on iPhone, or Firebase Cloud Messaging on Android — so we can notify you of ride offers
App version, operating system version and device model — for troubleshooting and update prompts
Crash and error reports (through Sentry), linked to your account ID. They're configured to strip personal details, message content and payment information.

2.6 Communications

Messages you exchange with riders during a trip
Messages you exchange with our support team

3. How we use it

What	Used for
Account and identity	Creating and securing your account; signing you in (including texted sign-in codes); paying you; tax records
Driving eligibility	Confirming you're allowed to drive for Wheee; expiry reminders; rider safety
Location	Matching you to nearby ride requests; navigation; showing your rider your approach; calculating fares; resolving disputes about trips
Trip data	Paying you; earnings statements; rider receipts; tax records; dispute resolution
Device and app data	Ride-offer notifications; fixing faults; update prompts
Communications	Letting you talk to riders; helping you through support

We don't use your information for advertising, and we don't sell it.

4. How long we keep it

Information	How long
Trip route (GPS trail)	90 days after the trip, then deleted automatically, including after you delete your account
Location updates while you're online (waiting for requests or on a job)	30 days, then deleted automatically. Your most recent position is kept until your next update, or until you delete your account.
Your position each time the app asks for directions, where each online session started, and your position as you approach a pickup	No fixed period yet while your account is open: we don't currently delete these automatically. When you delete your account, they're deleted.
Account and eligibility information	Until you delete your account
Your email address, if we still owe you money when you delete your account	Used only to arrange that payment. Deleted automatically 14 days after we've paid you in full (in case your bank sends the payment back), and in any case 12 months after you delete your account.
Tax and financial records: legal name, home address, IRD and GST numbers, bank account, trip records (including pickup, drop-off and end-of-trip positions) and earnings	Kept after you delete your account, for at least the 7 years New Zealand tax law requires. We don't currently delete them after that.
Copies of emails we send you	30 days after sending, then deleted automatically. Deleting your account deletes them straight away.
Server logs (including your IP address, request details and route coordinates)	Web server logs: up to 15 days. Application logs: no fixed period; older entries are overwritten as new ones are written (currently after about 3 weeks).
Crash and error reports	30 days, then deleted automatically by Sentry
Backups	Our database is backed up automatically on our servers in Sydney, and each backup is deleted after at most 15 days. Anything deleted from our live systems, including when you delete your account, can remain in a backup until that backup is deleted, up to 15 days later. We also keep a small number of one-off copies made while maintaining the service, for no fixed period, and delete them when they're no longer needed.

5. Who we share it with

We don't sell or rent your information, ever. We share it only as listed here.

People and organisations who receive your information

Recipient	What	Why
Riders you're matched with	Your first name, profile photo, vehicle make, model, colour and plate, your rating and number of trips, and your live location from when you head to the pickup until the trip ends. Not your surname or phone number: riders contact you through in-app chat. A rider can share a live trip link. People who open it see your first name, your vehicle and plate, and your live position from when you head to the pickup until the trip ends. They never see your photo, surname or phone number. The link stops working 12 hours after the scheduled pickup, or 7 days for bookings paid through the link, and the rider can switch it off sooner.	So they can find and recognise you and follow the trip
Our bank	Your bank account details and payout amounts	To pay your earnings by bank transfer
Our accountant	Earnings and tax records	Tax compliance
Inland Revenue (IRD)	Earnings records, when required	Legal compliance
Law enforcement	Whatever a valid legal order requires	Legal compliance only — never voluntarily

Service providers who process information on our behalf (they may use it only to provide their service to us)

Provider	What	Why
DigitalOcean	All app data (our servers, database and backups)	Hosting, in Sydney, Australia
Google Maps	Your current position and destination when the app plans a route (sent through our servers, without your name or device ID); the route you drove, for receipt maps; and the map area on your screen and your device's IP address, because the map in the app loads map images directly from Google	Routes, receipts and the in-app map
Apple Maps (iPhone)	The map area on your screen and your device's IP address	Displaying the home-screen map
Apple Push Notification service (iPhone) and Firebase Cloud Messaging (Android)	Your device push token	Delivering notifications
Twilio and WebSMS	Your mobile number and sign-in code	Sending sign-in texts
Resend	Your email address and the emails we send you	Delivering email
Telegram	Messages you send our support team, with your name	So our support team can see and answer them
Sentry	Crash and error reports, linked to your account ID	Fixing faults

That's the complete list. There are no advertising networks, analytics resellers or data brokers.

6. Your rights

You can:

See your information. Email us and we'll put together a copy of what we hold about you.
Correct your information. Edit your details in the Menu tab (Edit Profile), or email us for anything you can't change yourself.
Delete your account. In the app, open the Menu tab and tap Delete account at the bottom. Deletion happens straight away. You can't delete it while you have a ride you've accepted or are driving, or, if you also use Wheee as a passenger, while you have an upcoming ride booked. Once those are finished or cancelled, you can. What stays afterwards, and for how long, is set out in §4: the tax and financial records New Zealand law requires, trip routes until they're 90 days old, copies in server logs, error reports and backups until they expire, and account records that hold no personal details. You can delete your account even while we owe you money. We keep only what we need to pay you and for tax, plus your email address until 14 days after you've been paid in full (12 months at most), and we still pay what we owe into your bank account.
Withdraw location consent. Turn off location access for Wheee Driver in your phone's Settings. You can still view earnings and contact support, but you can't receive ride requests without location access.
Ask questions or complain. Email hello@wheee.co.nz. You can also complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.

We respond to requests within 7 working days.

7. Security

All traffic between the app and our servers is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2 and 1.3).
Your sign-in token is kept in your phone's hardware-backed secure storage: the Keychain on iPhone and the Android Keystore on Android.
Passwords are stored using industry-standard hashing (bcrypt). We never see your password.
We review our security regularly. The most recent full review was in July 2026, with a follow-up in September 2026.
No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affects your information, we'll tell you and the Privacy Commissioner as soon as practicable.

8. Children

Wheee Driver is for adults (18+) only. We don't knowingly accept registrations from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has registered, contact us and we'll close the account immediately.

9. Where your information is stored

Our servers, database and backups are hosted by DigitalOcean in Sydney, Australia. Some of our service providers (listed in §5) process information in the United States and other countries. They process it only to provide their service to us, and we remain responsible for protecting it.

10. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy in a way that materially affects you, we'll update the "Last updated" date and tell you by email and in the app. You can always read the current version at this address. We keep older versions on request.

11. Contact

Privacy questions: hello@wheee.co.nz
Akhil Sabu trading as Wheee, NZBN 9429052914478
Wellington, New Zealand