The Chef Day ("The Chef Day," "we," "us," or "our") operates the The Chef Day mobile application and website (together, the "Service"), which connects individuals seeking private chef services ("Users") with independent chefs offering those services ("Chefs"). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices and rights available to you.
This Policy applies to everyone who uses the Service, regardless of location. Because we serve customers worldwide from a U.S.-based company, the "Your Rights" section below includes specific notices for residents of the European Economic Area / UK (GDPR) and California (CCPA/CPRA), in addition to general rights we extend to all users.
By creating an account or using the Service, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide Directly
| Category | Examples | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Account & profile information | Name, email address, phone number, password, profile photo, address/service area | Users & Chefs |
| Identity & professional verification documents | Government-issued photo ID, culinary training certificate/credential, and an identity verification selfie | Chefs only |
| Payment & payout information | Card details (processed by Stripe — we never see or store full card numbers), PayPal email address, bank account details linked via Stripe Connect | Users & Chefs |
| Booking details | Event date/time, service type, cuisine preferences, dietary requirements, pricing agreed | Users & Chefs |
| Communications | In-app chat messages between Users and Chefs, messages you send to our support team | Users & Chefs |
| Reviews & ratings | Star ratings and written reviews left after a completed booking | Users & Chefs |
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Location data. With your permission, we collect device location to show nearby chefs, calculate distance/travel estimates, and — during an active, confirmed booking — to provide live location tracking between the User and the assigned Chef so each party can see the other's arrival status. Location sharing during a booking stops once the booking is completed or cancelled. When a Chef marks that they have arrived for a booking, we may also record the Chef's device location at that moment as part of the booking record, to help confirm arrival and resolve any disputes.
- Device & usage data. Device type, operating system, app version, crash logs, and general usage/interaction data, used to keep the Service running and to diagnose problems.
- Push notification tokens. A device-specific token used to deliver booking, payment, and message notifications through Expo's push notification service, which in turn delivers via Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) on Android and the Apple Push Notification service (APNs) on iOS. This token does not by itself identify you as a person.
1.3 Information From Third Parties
- Payment processors. Stripe and PayPal provide us confirmation of successful payments, payout status, and limited account status information (e.g., whether a Chef's payout account is verified) — never full card numbers or bank credentials.
- Sign-in providers. If you register or log in using Sign in with Apple or Google Sign-In, those providers share your name and email address with us to create your account.
2. How We Use Information
We use the information above to:
- Create and maintain User and Chef accounts;
- Match Users with nearby, verified, currently-subscribed Chefs;
- Verify Chef identity and professional credentials before a Chef profile is approved and made visible to Users;
- Process bookings, advance and final payments, refunds, and Chef payouts;
- Provide in-app chat and push notifications related to bookings, payments, and account activity;
- Provide live location tracking strictly during an active booking;
- Maintain reviews and ratings to help Users choose a Chef;
- Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and payment disputes (e.g., verifying a payment was actually completed before granting a subscription or releasing a payout);
- Comply with legal obligations, including responding to lawful requests from public authorities;
- Communicate with you about your account, including account status changes (e.g., if an account is suspended or removed by our team).
We do not sell personal information to third parties, and we do not use Chef identity documents (government ID, professional certificates) for any purpose other than verifying eligibility to offer services on the platform.
3. Legal Bases for Processing (EEA/UK Users)
If you are located in the European Economic Area or the UK, we rely on the following legal bases under the GDPR:
- Performance of a contract — to create your account, process bookings, and facilitate payments.
- Legitimate interests — to keep the Service secure, prevent fraud, and improve the app, balanced against your rights.
- Consent — for location access and push notifications, which you can withdraw at any time through your device settings.
- Legal obligation — where we must retain or disclose information to comply with law (e.g., tax and payment recordkeeping).
4. How We Share Information
We share personal information only as described below:
- Between Users and Chefs. When you book a Chef (or accept a booking as a Chef), the other party sees the profile information, booking details, and messages necessary to fulfill that booking.
- Service providers. We use third parties to operate the Service, including:
- Stripe and PayPal — payment processing and Chef payouts.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) — secure storage of uploaded documents and images. Chef identity/credential documents are stored privately and are only ever accessible through short-lived, authenticated links generated for the Chef themselves or an authorized admin reviewer — they are never publicly accessible.
- Expo push notification service (which delivers via Firebase Cloud Messaging on Android and the Apple Push Notification service on iOS) — push notification delivery.
- Google Maps Platform — map display, distance calculation, and live location tracking during active bookings.
- Legal & safety reasons. We may disclose information if required by law, or if we believe in good faith it's necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of The Chef Day, our users, or the public.
- Business transfers. If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this Policy (or a successor policy you're notified of).
We do not share Chef verification documents with other Users at any point.
5. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account through the app, your profile, contact details, uploaded documents (for Chefs), messages, saved payment methods, and all other personal information are permanently and immediately deleted from our systems, with one exception:
- Financial/transaction records. For each booking tied to the deleted account, we retain a limited record of the financial facts of that booking — the amounts paid, platform fee, transaction/payout reference IDs, and relevant dates — for 7 years to satisfy tax and accounting recordkeeping obligations. This retained record does not include your name, contact information, address, or any other personal profile data — only the transaction facts, tied to an internal reference number that no longer resolves to any personal profile once your account is deleted.
6. Your Rights
6.1 All Users
Subject to applicable law, you may:
- Access, correct, or update your account information directly in the app;
- Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
- Delete your account at any time from within the app (Settings → Delete Account), which removes your data as described in Section 5;
- Withdraw consent to location access or push notifications at any time via your device settings — note that some features (e.g., live tracking, distance-based search) may not work without location access.
6.2 European Economic Area / UK Residents (GDPR)
In addition to the above, you have the right to:
- Object to or restrict certain processing based on legitimate interests;
- Request data portability (a structured, machine-readable copy of certain data);
- Lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.
To exercise these rights, contact us at info@thechefday.com.
6.3 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)
California residents have the right to:
- Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose;
- Request deletion of personal information (subject to legal exceptions);
- Correct inaccurate personal information;
- Opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information — we do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA/CPRA;
- Non-discrimination for exercising any of these rights.
To submit a request, contact us at info@thechefday.com or through the in-app account deletion flow. We may need to verify your identity before completing certain requests.
6.4 Other U.S. States
Residents of states with comprehensive privacy laws (e.g., Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and others as they take effect) have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and obtain a portable copy of their personal information, and to opt out of targeted advertising and profiling — we do not engage in targeted advertising or automated profiling with legal effect.
7. International Data Transfers
The Chef Day is based in the United States, and information we collect is processed and stored in the United States. If you are located outside the United States, you understand that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.
8. Data Security
We use industry-standard safeguards to protect personal information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) between the app and our servers, private (non-public) storage for sensitive documents accessed only via short-lived authenticated links, and access controls limiting who can view sensitive information internally. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Children's Privacy
The Service is not directed to, and may not be used by, individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will delete it promptly.
10. Cookies & Similar Technologies (Website)
Our website, thechefday.com, does not currently use cookies or any analytics/tracking tool. If that changes in the future, this section will be updated to disclose what is used and how to opt out.
11. Third-Party Links
The Service may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., payment provider checkout pages). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the app and/or update the "Last Updated" date above. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise any of your rights, contact us at:
The Chef Day Sacramento, California, USA Email: info@thechefday.com