RouteClub

Privacy policy

Last updated 27 September 2026

This explains what information RouteClub collects when you use the RouteClub app, why we need it, who can see it, and what you can do about it. It describes what the app actually does.

Who we are

RouteClub is a ride sharing service in South Africa that connects people travelling the same long distance route. It is run by Route Technologies (Pty) Ltd, a private company registered in South Africa, which is responsible for your information. For anything about your information, including a request under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), email support@routetechnologies.co.za.

What we collect

  • Your account. Your name, phone number and email address. Your password is stored only in a scrambled form that cannot be turned back into the password. If you sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address from Google and keep a link to your Google account. We also record when you confirmed you are 18 or older and agreed to the terms and this policy while creating your account.
  • Identity verification. A photo of your identity document and a selfie, used to confirm you are who you say you are. Drivers also give their driver's licence, vehicle details and photos, the number plate, and a professional driving permit where the law requires one.
  • Your profile photo, if you choose to add one.
  • Trips and bookings. The trips you post or book, their stops, dates, seats and prices, your waiting list requests, and the ratings and reviews you give and receive.
  • Messages you send to the driver or confirmed rider of a trip you share.
  • Safety details. The names and phone numbers of the emergency contacts you add. If you trigger an SOS during a trip, your location at that moment is recorded and shared as described below. RouteClub does not track your location at any other time.
  • Payments. The amount, status and reference of the fees you pay RouteClub. Card and bank details go to the payment provider, not to us.
  • Your device. A notification token if you allow notifications, so we can send them to your phone.
  • Searches. The routes and dates people search for, counted without your name, so we can see where trips are needed.

Why we use it

  • To run your account and the trips and bookings you make.
  • To confirm identities, so riders and drivers know who they are travelling with.
  • To keep people safe, look into reports, and stop fraud and misuse.
  • To take the fees RouteClub charges and to handle refunds.
  • To send you sign in codes, trip updates and notifications you have allowed.
  • To answer you when you contact us, and to meet our legal obligations.

Who sees it

  • Other RouteClub users see only what a shared journey needs: your name, profile photo, rating, reviews, and the trip you share. A rider sees a driver's full number plate only once their booking is confirmed. Your phone number, email and documents are never shown to another user.
  • Your emergency contacts. If you trigger an SOS, they receive a text message with a link showing the trip, the driver, the vehicle and your last known location.
  • RouteClub staff see what their job needs. Only the people who check identities can open identity documents. A conversation between users is opened only to investigate a report or a safety concern, and every time it is opened is recorded.
  • Companies that run parts of the service for us, under agreements to protect it: database, file storage and hosting providers, Google Firebase for notifications, Twilio for text messages, Resend for email, Google for sign in with Google, and the payment providers that process fees.
  • The police or a court, when the law requires it.

We do not sell your information, and we do not use it for advertising.

Where it is kept

Our database and file storage are hosted in the European Union. Some of the providers listed above may also process information in other countries. When information leaves South Africa, we only use providers bound to protect it to a standard at least as high as POPIA requires.

How long we keep it

  • Your account information is kept while your account is open.
  • When you delete your account, your name, phone number, email, profile photo, Google link, emergency contacts, waiting list requests and saved drivers are removed, your identity verification records are deleted, and you are signed out on every device.
  • Records of completed trips and payments are kept for as long as South African law requires, then deleted. Reviews you left stay with the person you left them for, shown as coming from a deleted account.

See how to delete your account.

Your rights

You can see and correct most of your details in the app. You can also ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you, ask us to correct or delete it, or object to how we use it, by emailing support@routetechnologies.co.za. If you are not happy with our answer, you can complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.

Keeping it safe

Identity documents and other uploads are stored privately and can only be opened by the account that uploaded them and the staff who check them. Passwords are never stored in readable form. No system is perfectly secure, and if something goes wrong that puts your information at risk, we will tell you and the Information Regulator as the law requires.

Children

RouteClub is only for people aged 18 or older. Everyone confirms their age when they create an account, and we do not knowingly collect information about anyone younger.

Changes

If this policy changes, the new version is published here with a new date. If a change materially affects you, we will also tell you in the app.