Privacy

ParkRide Planner Privacy Policy

Effective date: 3 August 2026 · Last updated: 3 September 2026

ParkRide Planner is an independent app for checking supported NSW Park & Ride parking and planning a commute. The iPhone and Apple Watch app is available now. Android is in testing and is not yet publicly available. This policy explains what information the apps, website sign-up form and ParkRide Planner service collect and use.

Privacy at a glance

The full details are below.

Information used by the app

The app stores your favourites, display choices, alert schedules, snooze state, Supporter subscription status, optional guidance settings and saved Location Context on your device. The first public Android release will not include Leave-Time Guidance. If you update from an earlier internal Android test build, the app clears old manual travel times and reminder plans.

Private Android app data is excluded from cloud backup and device transfer. On iOS, saved Location Context, notification tokens, installation authentication data and ActivityKit tokens use device-only storage. This stops those identifiers, tokens and saved coordinates from being restored to a different app installation.

If you choose to share your location, the app uses it to sort nearby car parks and show distance. On iOS, Apple Maps can also estimate travel time. On Android, the app uses Android and Google location services for your current location, the device geocoder to search for an address, suburb or place, and Google Maps SDK to preview a station destination. Opening directions sends the station destination to Google Maps. This may open a maps app or a browser. Apple, Google or the maps app may handle that information under its own privacy policy.

Google Maps SDK may automatically process request and device details, crash information, IP address, a Maps SDK-specific pseudonymous identifier and map interaction events to provide and improve Google services. ParkRide Planner shows the Android station map as a non-interactive destination preview, but still uses the Maps camera API to frame the destination. This information goes to Google, not the ParkRide Planner service.

Your device location, saved Location Context, entered address, suburb or place, route, travel-time estimate, usual travel time, reminder time and leave-by time are not sent to the ParkRide Planner service. Google or a maps app may receive the station destination when it shows the Android map preview or opens directions.

Information sent to the ParkRide Planner service

The app asks the ParkRide Planner service for live parking, history, typical patterns, Plan results, service notices and related data. Like most online services, ParkRide Planner and its hosting provider may process ordinary request details such as IP address, request time, URL and user agent for delivery, security, logging and operation.

For protected features, iOS may get a temporary DeviceCheck token from Apple and Android may get an App Check token backed by Google Play Integrity. The app sends this token, its installation identifier, platform and a random installation secret to ParkRide Planner. This confirms that the request comes from the expected app and installation.

Apple or Google processes the app and device-integrity information needed to issue or check the token under its own privacy terms. ParkRide Planner does not keep the token or installation secret. It stores a one-way hash of the secret and returns temporary access tied to that app installation and platform. The access is stored on the device until it expires.

If you enable alerts, the app sends an installation identifier and the notification identifier used by Apple or Firebase Cloud Messaging. It also sends your selected car parks and weekdays, alert times, repeat interval and snooze state. It can send limited Leave-Time Guidance status fields. These can identify the selected car park and why guidance is unavailable, but do not include your location, route or travel time. ParkRide Planner uses this information to check and send the notifications you requested. iOS can also send ActivityKit push tokens for requested Live Activity updates.

If you use a Supporter Home Screen widget or Apple Watch complication, the app may send the same installation identifier and proof of purchase to check Supporter access and issue a temporary widget token. On iOS, this proof is an Apple-signed StoreKit transaction. On Android, it is a Google Play purchase token.

The service stores the relevant product and transaction or order identifiers, store environment, status, expiry, signing or event time, ownership type where Apple provides it, and a one-way hash of the purchase proof. It does not store the complete StoreKit transaction or raw Google Play purchase token. The widget and complication use the temporary token to request parking for the selected car park.

The app may send one daily active-use signal with an installation identifier, app version, build number, platform, distribution channel such as TestFlight, App Store, Play testing or Google Play, and a broad Supporter status. The service hashes the installation identifier before storing this signal. It uses the result to monitor capacity, cost, reliability, app versions and Supporter or free use. The signal does not include your location, saved Location Context, selected car parks, routes or screens viewed.

The service may also combine app version, build number, platform and broad request type from authenticated app requests. Public requests that are not authenticated are not included. This helps ParkRide Planner check whether older app versions are still in use before changing compatibility support. These combined records do not store installation identifiers, IP addresses, selected car parks, routes or screens viewed.

Purchases

Supporter subscriptions are handled by Apple using StoreKit on iOS and Google Play Billing on Android. ParkRide Planner checks the store subscription status to unlock Supporter features. Apple may provide Family Sharing information.

The service receives verified store notifications about events such as renewal, expiry, refund, revocation, grace period, pause or account hold. This keeps access current when the app is not open. The app and service do not receive or store your card or bank-account details and do not process payments themselves.

Android launch email updates

If you choose to join the Android launch list, the website sends your email address, consent and ordinary sign-up metadata to EmailOctopus. ParkRide Planner uses that list only for essential Android testing and public-release updates, not a general marketing newsletter. You can unsubscribe using the link in any list email.

The sign-up form uses Google reCAPTCHA for bot protection. Google may process browser and device information needed to provide that service under its own privacy terms.

Android closed testing

If you volunteer for the Android closed test, you join a dedicated Google Group and then opt into the test through Google Play. Google provides the group manager with the Google account identity needed to manage test access. Only group managers can view the member list or post to the group. Joining the group does not add that address to the Android launch email list.

Service providers

Cloudflare hosts the ParkRide Planner service and database. Apple provides DeviceCheck, StoreKit, Apple Push Notification service, ActivityKit, Apple Maps and App Store lifecycle services for relevant iOS features.

Google provides app and device checks, notifications, billing and purchase checks, purchase-lifecycle messages, location services, Google Maps SDK, Google Groups, Google Play testing and reCAPTCHA for relevant Android and website features. EmailOctopus stores and sends the optional Android launch emails. These providers may process the information needed to deliver their services under their own privacy terms.

Tracking and advertising

ParkRide Planner does not show third-party advertising and does not track you across apps or websites.

Data sources

ParkRide Planner checks Transport for NSW Open Data through the ParkRide Planner service. Reported spaces can lag behind actual conditions and should be treated as guidance. ParkRide Planner is not an official Transport for NSW app and is not endorsed by Transport for NSW.

Retention

Alert registration data is kept while alerts or Live Activity updates are enabled, or until a newer registration replaces it. When you turn alerts off, the service deletes the alert device registration and schedule rows. A one-way hashed marker may remain so that a delayed older request cannot turn the registration back on.

Notification delivery events, service events and daily active-use records are kept for limited periods to prevent duplicates and monitor reliability, capacity and cost. App Store and Google Play lifecycle notification receipts are kept for up to 180 days by default.

Current verified purchase and installation subscription records are kept while needed to provide and protect Supporter access. This includes stopping an older transaction or notification from overriding a later refund, expiry or revocation.

Android launch-list data remains with EmailOctopus until you unsubscribe, or until ParkRide Planner removes it after the launch updates are no longer needed.

Closed-test membership remains in the Google Group until you leave, the group manager removes you, or ParkRide Planner closes the test and removes the group.

Contact

For privacy questions or support, email [email protected].