Privacy Policy — Dinedex

This Privacy Policy describes how Dinedex collects, uses, stores, and protects information when you use the Dinedex mobile application — a restaurant management tool for KOT, billing, inventory, purchase tracking, staff, and order management. By installing or using the app, you agree to the practices described here. If you do not agree, please uninstall the application.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide and operate the service. This includes:

Account and Profile

Full name, email address, and phone number provided at registration
Password, stored in encrypted (hashed) format — never readable or transmitted in plain text
Profile avatar image (optional, uploaded by you)
Last login timestamp, used for account security

Restaurant and Organization

Restaurant name, address, contact number, and business type
Seating spaces, table names, and capacity info
Dish categories, names, descriptions, prices, and variants
Dish photos uploaded by you for menu display purposes
Inventory stock items, quantities, and units

Operational and Transaction Data

KOT (Kitchen Order Tickets) — items ordered, status, timestamps
Order records — bill numbers, items, tax, discounts, payment methods, totals
Purchase records — supplier transactions and payment status
Stock consumption logs per order
Notification history — order and general alerts

Device and Session

Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) device token — used for push notifications only
User notification preferences (on/off per category)
Organization-level settings (currency, tax rate, service charge)

Payment Gateway Credentials (Optional)

If you configure Fonepay QR payments: merchant username, password, API key, and merchant code
This is entirely optional and only relevant if you enable QR payment collection

2. How We Use Your Information

Data	Purpose
Name, email, phone	Account creation, login, password recovery
Password (hashed)	Authentication only — never accessed in plain text
Restaurant details	Multi-restaurant management and configuration
Order and KOT data	Real-time order tracking, kitchen display, billing
Inventory and stock	Purchase tracking, automatic stock deduction on orders
Dish photos	Displaying items in the restaurant's digital menu
FCM token	Delivering push notifications for orders and alerts
OTP via email	Account email verification and password reset
Fonepay credentials	Initiating QR payment and verifying transactions
Customer/party profiles	Credit tracking, delivery records, supplier management
Server logs	Error diagnosis and service reliability

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or marketing. All data is used solely to operate and improve the Dinedex service for you.

3. App Permissions

Below is every permission the app requests and why it is needed:

Camera — Used only when you actively take a photo for a dish. No background access, no video recording. Photos are uploaded to our server for menu display.
Read External Storage — Allows selecting existing photos from your gallery to use as dish images. Read-only access to images you explicitly choose.
Write External Storage — Required on older Android versions to save or share bill receipts generated in the app.
Internet — Required for all core functions: syncing orders, inventory, notifications, and backend communication over HTTPS.
Vibrate — Provides haptic feedback when push notifications arrive for new orders or kitchen alerts.
Post Notifications — Required on Android 13+ to display push notifications. You can disable this in system settings at any time.

We do not request access to your contacts, microphone, calendar, fine location, call logs, or SMS.

4. Fonepay QR Code Display (Optional Feature)

Dinedex is a restaurant management app — not a financial service or payment processor. It does not handle, transfer, or hold any funds. The Fonepay integration described below is a display-only convenience feature: it generates a static QR image on the billing screen so customers can scan and pay using their own wallet apps (such as eSewa, Khalti, or other Fonepay-compatible apps). All actual payment processing is performed entirely by Fonepay — a licensed payment service provider in Nepal.

Restaurant operators who wish to show a Fonepay Dynamic QR code at checkout can optionally configure their Fonepay merchant account credentials within the app. This is entirely optional; the app is fully functional without it.

What Credentials Are Stored

Fonepay merchant username and password (password stored encrypted)
Fonepay API key and merchant code
These are the same credentials issued to the restaurant by Fonepay when they register as a merchant on fonepay.com

How These Credentials Are Used

When a bill is ready, Dinedex uses these credentials to call the Fonepay API and generate a Dynamic QR code for the exact bill amount
The QR code is displayed on-screen for the customer to scan using their own wallet app (e.g., eSewa, Khalti, or any Fonepay-compatible app)
Dinedex does not process, transfer, or store payment funds — the entire payment transaction happens between the customer's wallet and Fonepay's infrastructure
All API calls to Fonepay are made server-side over HTTPS; credentials are never sent directly from the device

How Credentials Are Protected

Credentials are stored encrypted at rest on our backend server
They are used only to call the Fonepay QR generation API — for no other purpose
If you do not configure Fonepay, no payment credentials are stored at all

No in-app purchases are processed through Google Play. Any billing for Dinedex access is handled directly via email.

5. Third-Party Customer and Supplier Data

During normal use, Dinedex allows restaurant operators to record information about their customers and suppliers. Dinedex acts as a data processor on behalf of the operator.

Customer name, phone number, and credit/debit account balances (for party accounts)
For delivery orders: customer name, phone number, and delivery address
Supplier name, contact number, purchase amounts, and payment status

Restaurant operators are responsible for ensuring they have an appropriate basis to store their customers' and suppliers' contact information. End-customers of the restaurant who wish to have their data removed may contact us directly.

6. Push Notifications

Dinedex uses Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) by Google to deliver push notifications. The following types of notifications are sent:

New order alerts when a customer places an order
KOT status updates from the kitchen
General service announcements

Your FCM device token is stored on our server and shared with Google's FCM infrastructure to route notifications to your device. Google's handling of FCM data is governed by Google's Privacy Policy. You can disable notifications at any time from your device's system settings or from within the app's User Settings screen.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for commercial or advertising purposes.

Third Party	Data Shared	Purpose
Google (Firebase / FCM)	FCM device token only	Push notification delivery
Fonepay	Merchant credentials (if configured)	QR code generation via Fonepay's API — no funds are handled by Dinedex
Anyone else	None	—

We may disclose data if required by law or court order in Nepal. We will notify you to the extent legally permitted before doing so.

8. Data Security

All communication between the app and our servers uses HTTPS/TLS encryption
Passwords are stored using bcrypt hashing — never readable in plain text
Fonepay credentials are encrypted at rest on our server
Authentication uses short-lived JWT tokens with refresh token rotation
Server access is protected with rate limiting and security headers
Server error and request logs are retained for up to 90 days for diagnostics and are not tied to personal identity

No online system is fully risk-free. While we apply industry-standard practices, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you suspect unauthorized access to your account, please contact us immediately.

9. Your Rights

You may exercise any of the following rights by emailing us at the address in Section 13:

Access — Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you
Correction — Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Deletion — Request complete deletion of your account and all associated data. We will process this within 30 days.
Portability — Request an export of your data in a machine-readable format
Opt-out of notifications — Disable push notifications anytime in app settings or your device's system settings

To submit a request, email us with the subject line: "Data Request — [Your Name]". We will respond within 30 days.

10. Data Retention

Data	Retention Period
Account data	Retained while account is active. Deleted within 30 days of deletion request.
Restaurant operational data	Retained for the duration of the account. Deleted on account or organization removal.
Dish photos	Deleted when the dish or organization is removed.
FCM device token	Replaced on each login. Removed on logout or account deletion.
OTP records	Automatically deleted on use or expiry (typically within 10 minutes).
Fonepay credentials	Retained until deleted by you in settings, or on account deletion.
Server logs	Up to 90 days for diagnostic purposes, then purged automatically.
Customer/supplier data	Retained while the organization exists. Deleted on organization or account removal.

11. Children's Privacy

Dinedex is intended for users who are 13 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If we become aware that a user under 13 has provided personal data, we will delete it immediately. If you believe this has occurred, please contact us.

12. Location Data

Dinedex does not collect or request location data. Future versions may add location-based features such as delivery suggestions. If added, this will be disclosed in an updated policy with an in-app notice before taking effect.

13. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we do:

The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will be revised
Significant changes will be communicated via a push notification or in-app notice
Continued use of the app after the updated date constitutes acceptance

The current version is always available at https://dinedex-privacy-page.netlify.app/

14. Contact

For any questions, concerns, or data requests related to this Privacy Policy:

Dinedex
Kathmandu, Nepal

Email: bijayniraula@bijay-niraula.com.np

We typically respond within 2 business days.