PRIVACY POLICY

 PRIVACY POLICY — PETTXO

Operated by Pettxo Private Limited

Effective Date: 11/06/2026  ·  Version 1.0

Pettxo ("we", "our", or "us"), operated by Pettxo Private Limited, is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use Pettxo's website or mobile applications. By using Pettxo, you agree to the collection and use of information as described below.

This policy complies with applicable Indian data protection laws including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 (DPDP Act), the Information Technology Act 2000 and related rules, the Consumer Protection Act 2019 and Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020, and applicable UIDAI guidelines on Aadhaar data handling, as updated from time to time.

1. Nature of the Platform — Pettxo is a Discovery Platform

Pettxo is a discovery and booking platform that connects pet parents with service providers. We are not a service agency and do not employ, control, or supervise any service provider listed on the platform.

Pettxo operates a submit-and-list verification model. Service providers are permitted to publish listings immediately upon submitting their Aadhaar document and bank details. All listings from providers whose documents are pending review are clearly labelled UNVERIFIED and visible to all users. Admin review is typically completed within 72 hours of document submission; where this window is exceeded, escalation procedures are triggered and the provider is notified. Upon approval, listings display a VERIFIED badge. If a submission is found to be suspicious or invalid, the provider's listings are suspended immediately and the provider is notified.

Identity verification is performed by manually reviewing the submitted Aadhaar document. We do not use any OTP-based Aadhaar API, UIDAI gateway, or automated verification service. The Aadhaar number is not extracted or stored as a data field. A VERIFIED badge confirms only that an Aadhaar document was reviewed and appeared valid to our team at time of review. It is not a government-backed identity guarantee.

Service providers may optionally upload professional certificates. Pettxo does not verify, authenticate, certify, or make any representation regarding the legitimacy, validity, currency, or authenticity of any professional certificate. A "Certificate Uploaded" indicator is purely informational.

Users are strongly advised to independently verify a provider's identity, qualifications, references, and suitability before booking and before handing over their pet. This applies whether the provider is UNVERIFIED or VERIFIED. A VERIFIED status confirms only a manual Aadhaar document check; it does not guarantee the provider's character, professional qualifications, or service quality. By proceeding with a booking, you acknowledge that you are exercising your own independent judgment. Pettxo is not responsible for the quality, safety, or outcome of any service booked through the platform, including any harm or loss arising from reliance on a provider's status, self-reported qualifications, or any information on their profile. Nothing in this section limits any rights you may have under applicable Indian consumer protection law.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide when creating an account: your name, phone number, email address (if provided), username, city, and profile or business name. We collect pet details, booking details, reviews, ratings, and in-app chat messages.

We automatically collect technical data: device type, operating system, app version, IP address, and crash logs. With your permission, we collect your approximate location to show nearby services.

For Service Providers only, we additionally collect: (a) an Aadhaar card image for identity verification, with your specific consent at the time of upload, manually reviewed by our admin team, and masked (first 8 digits redacted) before archival — the Aadhaar number itself is not stored as a data field; (b) bank account details (account holder name, account number, IFSC code) for payout processing, with your consent during onboarding; and (c) optionally, professional certificates for informational display on your profile, with your consent at upload.

2.1 Information Collected Automatically Through Platform Usage 

• Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) device tokens used to deliver push notifications;

• Device identifiers where required for security, fraud prevention, and troubleshooting;

• Login timestamps and authentication events;

• Session activity necessary to maintain account security;

• Platform usage analytics;

• Error reports and diagnostic information generated through crash reporting services; and

• Security logs generated for fraud detection, abuse prevention, and platform integrity.

In addition to the information you actively provide, Pettxo automatically collects certain operational and technical information necessary for the secure operation of the Platform. This may include:

This information is collected solely for operating, securing, improving, and supporting the Platform and is not used for advertising purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to operate and improve the platform: creating accounts, displaying listings, processing bookings and payments, enabling in-app chat, sending notifications, and showing nearby services.

We use Aadhaar documents solely for the manual identity check described above. The Aadhaar number is not extracted or stored. We use bank details solely to process provider payouts. We display a provider's listing verification status (UNVERIFIED, VERIFIED) to all platform users for consumer protection purposes. We do NOT share Aadhaar documents with any commercial third party. We do NOT use Aadhaar for any purpose beyond the identity check described in Section 1.

We use aggregated, anonymised data for analytics and service improvement. We do NOT share your personal information with advertisers or sell it to any third party.

3.1 Automated Systems and Artificial Intelligence 

• Service recommendations;

• Search and ranking improvements;

• Fraud detection and prevention;

• Spam detection;

• Content moderation;

• Booking recommendations;

• Customer support assistance;

• Platform analytics;

• Security monitoring; and

• Abuse prevention.

Pettxo may use automated systems, including artificial intelligence ("AI"), machine learning technologies, or similar automated decision-support tools, to improve Platform functionality, safety, and operational efficiency.

Such technologies may be used for purposes including:

Any automated systems used by Pettxo are intended solely to assist Platform operations and do not replace human review where required by applicable law or where Pettxo determines that manual review is appropriate.

4. Data Sharing

We share your information only as needed to operate the platform. Phone numbers are exchanged between booking parties only after a booking is confirmed, and hidden again after completion. We share data with trusted third-party processors (payment gateway, cloud hosting, SMS/email services, payout processor) and require them to maintain appropriate data protection standards consistent with applicable Indian law. We comply with valid court orders, government directives, and law enforcement requests, sharing only the specific data required by law.

We do NOT share Aadhaar documents with any commercial third party. Disclosure of Aadhaar documents to government authorities or law enforcement occurs only in response to a valid court order, UIDAI directive, or requirement under applicable Indian law. We do NOT share bank details with any party other than the designated payout processor. We do NOT share your personal data with advertisers, ad networks, or data brokers.

Sponsored Placements: Pettxo may display sponsored listing placements in the service discovery screen. Sponsored listings are clearly labelled "Sponsored". No personal data of browsing users or pet parents is shared with any provider or external party for this purpose. Sponsored placement is internal to the platform only.

4.1 Third-Party Service Providers 

• Cloud hosting and infrastructure services;

• Payment processing;

• Push notification delivery

• Email and SMS communication;

• Crash reporting and diagnostics;

• Analytics;

• Customer support tools; and

• Fraud detection and security monitoring.

Pettxo relies on carefully selected third-party service providers to operate certain Platform features. Depending on the services you use, your information may be processed by third parties providing:

These providers process information only on Pettxo's behalf and only for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. Pettxo requires such providers to implement reasonable security measures and process personal data in accordance with applicable law.

5. Cookies & Tracking

On our current landing page (pettxo.com), we use minimal analytics cookies for site performance only. We do not currently use login or session cookies on the website, as the website does not have a login function at this stage. If a full web application with login functionality is introduced in the future, this section will be updated accordingly. We do NOT use advertising or third-party tracking cookies. Our mobile apps do not use tracking beyond what is needed for app functionality.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary to provide the service or comply with legal obligations. When you delete your account, we erase or anonymise your personal information within 30 days of receipt of your request. Providers cannot delete accounts while active confirmed bookings remain unresolved.

Aadhaar documents (masked images), verification status logs, and consent audit records may be retained beyond account deletion where specifically required by law, regulation, a court order, or active dispute resolution proceedings. Bank details are handled similarly; anonymised payout records are retained for 7 years per Indian tax law. Aadhaar documents, bank details, and in-app chat messages are excluded from data portability exports.

Data is stored on secure cloud infrastructure. We prefer Indian regional servers where available and practicable. Any international processing (e.g. crash reporting) complies with applicable restrictions under the DPDP Act 2023 and any cross-border transfer rules issued by the Government of India.

6.1 Account Deletion and Retention Exceptions 

• Legal compliance;

• Accounting and taxation;

• Fraud prevention;

• Security investigations;

• Booking dispute resolution;

• Regulatory obligations;

• Court orders;

• Enforcement of Pettxo's legal rights; or

• Other legitimate business purposes permitted under applicable law.

Users may request deletion of their account through the Platform's Settings section.

Deletion requests are processed in accordance with applicable law and this Privacy Policy.

Certain information may continue to be retained after account deletion, where necessary for:

Where retention is no longer required, remaining personal information will be securely deleted or permanently anonymised.

7. Your Rights

Under India's data protection laws, you have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data, and to withdraw consent at any time. Update your profile in the app or email hello@pettxo.com. Withdrawal of Aadhaar consent will suspend all your listings. Any confirmed bookings at the time of withdrawal will be fulfilled; new bookings will be blocked until re-submission. Data portability exports (JSON/CSV) exclude Aadhaar documents, bank details, and chat messages.

Providers whose Aadhaar is rejected have the right to: be notified with a reason; re-submit corrected documentation; maintain an active account during the rejection period; and raise a grievance with our Grievance Officer.

7.1 Consent Withdrawal

Where Pettxo processes personal information based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time through available Platform settings or by contacting Pettxo.

Withdrawal of consent does not affect processing already carried out before withdrawal and may limit or prevent the continued use of certain Platform features where such processing is necessary for providing the requested services.

8. Security

We implement industry-standard security: encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access controls, Aadhaar masking within 24 hours of review completion, and regular security audits. Aadhaar documents and bank details are accessible only to authorised admin personnel. No system is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected users and authorities as required by law.

To the extent permitted by applicable Indian law, our liability for any data breach or security incident is limited. We shall not be liable for indirect, consequential, or punitive loss arising from a security incident beyond our reasonable control, provided we have implemented the measures described in this policy. Nothing in this section limits any rights you may have under the Consumer Protection Act 2019, the DPDP Act 2023, or any other statute that does not permit contractual limitation of liability.

8.1 Security Measures 

• Encryption during transmission;

• Encryption of sensitive information where appropriate;

• Role-based access controls;

• Multi-factor authentication for administrative access where implemented;

• Secure cloud infrastructure;

• Continuous security monitoring;

• Audit logging;

• Routine software updates; and

• Periodic security reviews.

Pettxo maintains administrative, technical, and organisational safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, misuse, or destruction.

Such measures may include:

While Pettxo takes reasonable steps to protect personal information, no internet transmission or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

9. Children's Privacy

Pettxo is for users 18 years of age and older. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 18. If you believe a child's data has been provided to us, please contact us and we will delete it as soon as practicable.

10. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The Effective Date at the top reflects the latest version. We will notify you of material changes via in-app notification or email. For material changes that affect your rights or introduce new categories of data collection or processing, we will seek fresh explicit consent where required by applicable law before those changes take effect. Continued use of Pettxo after non-material changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10.1 Material Changes to this Privacy Policy 

Where changes to this Privacy Policy materially affect the categories of personal information collected, the purposes of processing, or the rights available to users, Pettxo will provide reasonable notice through the Platform and, where required by applicable law, obtain fresh consent before such changes become effective.

Minor editorial updates, formatting changes, or updates that do not materially affect user rights may become effective immediately upon publication.

11. Contact & Grievance Officer

For privacy questions or grievances, contact our Grievance Officer (as required by the DPDP Act 2023 and IT Act 2000 Intermediary Guidelines):

Grievance Officer: Hrishi Gautam

Pettxo Private Limited

CIN: U47912MP2026PTC082658

Smt Kiran Goutam, 16176, W.no. 11, Baihar, Balaghat- 481111, Madhya Pradesh

Email: hello@pettxo.com

We will acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve within 15 days as required by applicable law. By using Pettxo, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use and contact us to request account deletion.

11.1 International Data Transfers

Although Pettxo primarily stores data using infrastructure located in India where reasonably practicable, certain technical service providers may process limited categories of information outside India for purposes such as cloud infrastructure, crash reporting, or operational support.

Where cross-border processing occurs, Pettxo will take reasonable steps to ensure that such processing complies with applicable Indian data protection laws and any restrictions or requirements imposed under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.