Privacy Policy
- We collect only what's needed to hold your place in line and get you seated.
- A restaurant sees your name, party size and dietary needs only when you join its line.
- Other diners see just your first name and party size on the public line.
- We don't sell your information and we don't show ads.
- You can delete your account any time from your profile.
What we collect
| Information | Why |
|---|---|
| Your account — email, password (stored scrambled, never readable by us), display name | To sign you in and show your name on lines you join. |
| Dietary restrictions you choose (e.g. vegan, nut allergy) | Shared with a restaurant only when you join its line, so the kitchen knows before you sit down. |
| Your visits — which line you joined, party size, bar preference, and when you joined, were notified and were seated | To run the line, estimate waits, and give restaurants their own statistics. |
| Mobile number, only if you give it to a host when joining as a walk-in and agree to texts | To text you when your table is almost ready. Reply STOP to any text to opt out. |
| Notification token from the Waitlist app | To send "you're almost up" and "your table is ready" alerts to your phone. |
| Website notification subscription — a browser address and keys, only if you turn on notifications on the website | To send the same alerts to your browser, even with the tab closed. Turning notifications off or signing out on that browser removes it. |
| Crash reports from the website — the error message, the page address, your browser and device type, and your account if you're signed in | To find and fix problems. Codes in page addresses (like invite codes) are removed first. |
| Restaurant staff accounts — email, name, role, sign-in times, and an authenticator app for owners | To control who can run each restaurant's line and page. |
Your location is used only when you ask for it: when you choose "Nearby"/"Use my current location" (to sort restaurants by distance — this stays in your browser and isn't sent to us), or when you tap "I'm here" (your position and its accuracy are sent once so we can confirm you're at the restaurant; we don't keep it after that check-in). We don't track you in the background. Restaurant staff may add a short note to a party (like "birthday"), which only that restaurant's staff can see.
What stays on your device
The website keeps your favorites and a few preferences in your browser's storage. The app keeps your sign-in and your notification inbox on your phone. Clearing your browser or deleting the app removes them.
Who we share it with
- The restaurant whose line you join — your name, party size, bar preference, dietary needs, and your place and status in its line.
- Other diners — only your first name, party size, and whether you've arrived, on that restaurant's public line.
- Companies that run parts of Waitlist for us, only as needed to provide the service: Supabase (secure database and sign-in), Vercel (website hosting), Expo (app notifications), and a text-message provider when texts are turned on. The website's map tiles come from OpenFreeMap (OpenStreetMap data) and the map on a restaurant's page and directions come from Google Maps; when you type a city or zip code, that text is sent to OpenStreetMap's place search to find it. Some restaurant photos come from Unsplash. These load from those companies' servers, which see your browser's address like any website would.
- If the law requires it, for example a valid court order.
We never sell your information or use it for advertising.
How long we keep it
We keep your account until you delete it. We keep line history so restaurants can see their own statistics (like average waits); when you delete your account, your name, phone number and dietary details are removed from that history, leaving only anonymous visit counts and times.
Deleting your account
In the Waitlist app or website, go to Profile → Settings → Delete account. This removes you from any line you're in, deletes your account and profile, and scrubs your personal details from past visits. It can't be undone.
Keeping it safe
Information travels encrypted. Each restaurant can only see its own lines and staff, and owner accounts require a code from an authenticator app. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and will tell affected users about any breach as the law requires.
Children
Waitlist isn't meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their information.
Changes
We'll update this page when what we collect or how we use it changes, and change the date at the top. If a change is significant, we'll tell you in the app.
Questions
Email us at david.eydelzon2@gmail.com, or use Profile → Settings → Delete account to remove your information right away.