wheels.chat
Turn your license plate into a safe way to connect.

Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-09-03

IN SHORT

  • We collect what we need to run wheels.chat — plate registration info, message content, uploaded media, push notification details, and basic connection data (like IP address) for security and abuse prevention.
  • We don’t sell your data and we don’t sell message content.
  • We don’t run ads based on your messages.
  • You can delete your account in the Wheels.Chat app from the Profile tab, or on the website from My Account. Active web subscriptions may need to be cancelled first. For other privacy questions or data requests, contact us via /contact/.

1. Who we are

wheels.chat is a license plate messaging service for the USA and Canada. Throughout this policy, “wheels.chat”, “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to the operator of the wheels.chat service.

Two groups interact with the service:

  • Plate Owners — people who register a license plate to receive messages.
  • Senders — people who send a message to a plate through wheels.chat.

2. What we collect from Plate Owners

If you register a plate or create an account, we may collect:

  • Plate registration info: license plate number and associated state/province/region.
  • Account info: name/email (if provided) and authentication details (if applicable).
  • Preferences: delivery preferences, notification settings, push notification tokens, and moderation controls.
  • Login telemetry: IP address and device/browser details on sign-in to detect abuse and protect accounts.

3. What we collect from Senders

When you send a message to a plate, we may process:

  • Message content: the text you submit and any attachments or media you choose to upload.
  • Routing info: the license plate + state/province needed to deliver the message correctly.
  • Connection metadata: IP address and device/browser info for rate limiting and abuse detection.

4. Cookies and similar technologies

We use a small set of cookies/storage for core functionality (for example session cookies when signed in and CSRF protection). We do not use third-party advertising cookies to build cross-site profiles.

5. Sub-processors we rely on

We use a small number of vendors to operate the service. Each receives only the data needed to do its job under contractual restrictions.

  • Stripe — payment processing (we do not store full card numbers; Stripe handles sensitive payment details).
  • Hosting providers — servers and infrastructure for running wheels.chat.
  • Email delivery provider — transactional emails if enabled (e.g., notifications, support replies).
  • Push notification providers — delivery of app notifications you enable.
  • Moderation providers — automated filtering of chat content and uploaded media to reduce spam, harassment, and unsafe content.

6. How we use the data

  • To deliver and operate the service.
  • To prevent abuse (spam, harassment, automated attacks) and enforce rate limits.
  • To filter chat content and uploaded media for safety and service integrity.
  • To provide support and respond to messages submitted through /contact/.
  • To comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell personal data.

7. Sharing and disclosure

We share data only in narrow situations:

  • With our service providers (sub-processors) strictly to operate wheels.chat.
  • To comply with law when we receive a valid legal request.
  • In a business transfer (acquisition/reorganization). You would be notified of material changes.

8. Security

We use HTTPS/TLS and apply access controls, monitoring, and abuse-prevention measures. No system is unbreakable; if we discover a security incident affecting user data, we will notify affected users without undue delay.

9. Data retention

  • Messages: retained as needed to provide the service and for abuse prevention, unless deleted earlier.
  • Plate registrations: retained while the plate remains registered.
  • Push notification tokens: retained while your account is active or until the device token is replaced, disabled, or removed.
  • Logs: retained for a limited rolling window for debugging and abuse investigation.

10. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export personal data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. You can delete your account in the Wheels.Chat app by going to the Profile tab and choosing Delete, or on the website from My Account. Active web subscriptions may need to be cancelled first. For other privacy requests, contact us via /contact/.

11. International data transfers

Our servers may be located in the United States (or other locations where we or our providers operate). If you access wheels.chat from outside those regions, your data may be processed there.

12. Children

wheels.chat is not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in some jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the service evolves. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date.