Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

WayMarg is an AI-powered trip planning tool helping travellers plan and book trips across India and beyond. We are operated from Tamil Nadu, India. For privacy concerns, contact us at privacy@waymarg.com.

2. What Data We Collect

We collect only what is needed to provide the service:

• Trip planning data — cities, dates, traveller count, spots, and plans you create. Stored locally in your browser (localStorage). Not synced to any server unless you use the Share feature.
• Shared trip data — when you tap "Share Trip" or "WhatsApp", a snapshot of your plan (spot names, dates, city names) is written to Firebase Firestore (Google Cloud, Mumbai region — asia-south1). This enables recipients to view your plan and participate in polls.
• Collab data — if you vote in a poll or respond to "Who's coming?", your chosen name and vote are stored in the same Firebase document. Names are voluntary and self-entered — we do not verify identity.
• Anonymous auth token — Firebase creates a non-identifiable anonymous user ID when you first vote or share. This is a random UUID with no connection to your real identity.
• Usage data — anonymous page views and feature usage. No personal identifiers attached.
• No account required — we do not collect email addresses or payment information.

3. How We Use Your Data

• To generate trip plans and AI recommendations
• To rank and display spots, hotels, and transport options
• To improve the product (aggregated, anonymous usage only)

We do not sell your data. We do not use your data for advertising.

4. Third-Party Services

WayMarg connects to external services to deliver results. Each has its own privacy policy:

• Firebase / Google Cloud — shared trip data, collab votes, and poll responses are stored in Firestore (Google Cloud, asia-south1 region). Anonymous auth is handled by Firebase Authentication. Firebase Privacy
• Google Places / YouTube — spot data, photos, and travel videos
• Booking.com / Agoda / MakeMyTrip — hotel and transport affiliate links. When you click "Book with X", you leave WayMarg and their privacy policy applies.
• Gemini / Claude AI — your trip details are sent to generate AI recommendations. No personal data is included in these prompts.
• Google Analytics / Vercel Analytics — anonymous usage data. No personal identifiers.

5. Affiliate Links & Commission Disclosure

WayMarg participates in affiliate programs with travel providers including hotels, flights, trains, buses, and activity platforms. We earn a commission when you click through and complete a booking — at no additional cost to you. This commission is how WayMarg remains free for all users.

Affiliate links are indicated with the ↗ icon. Provider rankings are based on trust scores and relevance — never on commission rate. We only link to providers we would recommend regardless of affiliate status.

6. Cookies & Local Storage

We use only essential cookies required for the app to function:

• localStorage — trip planning data, collab cache, and voter name preference. Stays on your device only. Clear anytime via browser settings.
• Firebase anonymous auth token — a random UUID stored by Firebase to identify your session for voting. Not linked to your identity. Expires when you clear site data.
• Analytics cookies — Google Analytics and Vercel Analytics (if you accepted). Anonymous page views only.

7. Data Retention

Local trip data — stored only in your browser. Delete anytime by clearing site data.

Shared trip data (Firebase) — shared trip snapshots, poll responses, and collab data are stored on Firebase Firestore and automatically deleted 90 days after the trip was last shared. Trip owners can also delete shared trip data immediately using the "Delete shared trip" button inside the Plan with your group panel.

If you need your data deleted sooner, email privacy@waymarg.com with the shared trip URL and we will delete it within 7 days.

8. Your Rights

Local data — clear it anytime via your browser's site data settings.

Shared trip data — trip owners can delete all Firebase collab data immediately using the "Delete shared trip" button. Shared data also auto-deletes after 90 days.

Vote/poll data — use the "Not you?" button to disassociate your name from your votes. Old vote counts remain but your name is removed.

For any other requests, email privacy@waymarg.com and we will respond within 7 days.

9. Children

WayMarg is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as the product evolves. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent version. Continued use of WayMarg after changes means you accept the updated policy.