Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Barqa is a community gifting platform that connects people through life transitions. Barqa is operated by Kutigi Venture Fund LLC, a Texas-registered limited liability company ("Barqa," "we," "our," or "us"), a for-profit company. Our app and website are available at getbarqa.com and on the Apple App Store.

If you have questions about this policy, contact us at hello@getbarqa.com.

2. Information we collect

Information you provide directly

• Account information: Name, email address, phone number, and profile photo when you create an account.
• Profile information: Bio, location (city and state), campus affiliation, life events, and interests.
• Giveaway listings: Item name, description, photos, condition, category, and pickup or shipping details.
• Needs Lists: Items you need, estimated costs, Amazon links, and notes.
• Event information: Event name, type, date, location, description, and cover photos.
• Messages: In-app messages between users coordinating exchanges or posting to event walls.
• Payment information: Processed securely by Stripe. We do not store your full card number.
• Reviews and ratings: Reviews you write about other users after completed exchanges.

Information we collect automatically

• Location data: GPS coordinates captured silently when you post a giveaway to calculate pickup distance and shipping costs. We show only city and state publicly — never your exact address or coordinates.
• Device information: Device type, operating system, and app version.
• Usage data: Features used, screens viewed, and actions taken in the app.
• Push notification tokens: Used to send you relevant notifications about your exchanges and alerts.

Information from third parties

• ISBN lookup: When you scan a book barcode we query Open Library and Google Books to pre-fill item details including title, author, and estimated weight.
• Shipping rates: We share your ZIP code (never your full address) with Shippo to calculate live carrier rates.
• Amazon: If you add Amazon links to your Needs List, Barqa may earn a small affiliate commission from qualifying purchases. We disclose this clearly at the point of use.

3. How we use your information

• To create and manage your account
• To show your giveaways and Needs Lists to the right community members
• To calculate shipping costs and generate shipping labels via Shippo
• To process payments securely via Stripe
• To send push notifications and SMS about your exchanges, alerts, and activity
• To calculate your Barqa Score and award badges
• To generate Barqa Moments celebrating completed exchanges
• To display campus leaderboards and community impact stats
• To improve the app and fix bugs
• To comply with legal obligations

4. How we share your information

With other users

Your name, profile photo, badge, and Barqa Score are visible on your profile and in direct messages with people you exchange with. To protect privacy, listings do not display the poster's name or photo — free giveaways and Supportive Chain listings are shown without identifying the giver or seller. Your city and state may appear as general listing context. Your full pickup or shipping address is shared only with the person you are exchanging with, after the exchange is confirmed.

With service providers

• Stripe: Payment processing for shipping fees, tips, splits, and contributions.
• Shippo: Shipping label generation. We share only ZIP codes, item weight, and package type.
• Twilio: SMS notifications for exchange coordination and alerts.
• Expo / EAS: App delivery and over-the-air updates.
• Amazon: Purchasing requested Need List items on your behalf and, where applicable, issuing store credit; affiliate links on Need List items are clearly disclosed at point of use.
• Infrastructure providers: Database and backend hosting used to run and secure the Service.

Legal requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users or the public.

We do not sell your personal information.

5. Location data

Barqa requests location permission when you post a giveaway. This allows us to:

• Show your item's general area (city and state) to potential receivers
• Calculate accurate shipping costs using your ZIP code
• Enable "Near You" filtering in the Giveaways feed

We never display your exact GPS coordinates or street address to other users. Location data is used internally only for distance and shipping calculations.

You can deny location permission — in that case we fall back to your profile city or ask for your ZIP code manually.

6. Messages and exchanges

Messages between users in exchange threads are stored on our servers to facilitate coordination. Barqa staff do not read your private messages except when investigating a reported dispute or safety concern.

Completed exchange threads are archived but remain accessible to both parties.

7. Data retention

• Active accounts: Data retained while your account is active.
• Deleted accounts: Personal data deleted within 30 days of account deletion. Anonymized aggregate data (impact stats, community totals) may be retained.
• Completed exchanges: Exchange records retained for 2 years for dispute resolution purposes.
• Payment records: Retained as required by financial regulations (typically 7 years).

8. Your rights and choices

• Access: Request a copy of your data by emailing hello@getbarqa.com.
• Correction: Update your profile information at any time in the app.
• Deletion: Delete your account in Settings → Account → Delete Account. We process deletion within 30 days.
• Notifications: Control push notifications and SMS in your device settings and in-app notification preferences.
• Location: Revoke location permission in your device settings at any time.

9. Children's privacy

Barqa is not directed to children. You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) to use Barqa. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18, and if we become aware that we have, we will delete it promptly.

10. Security

We use industry-standard security measures including HTTPS encryption, secure payment processing via Stripe, and access controls on our databases. No system is perfectly secure — if you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at hello@getbarqa.com.

11. Cookies and the website

getbarqa.com may use cookies and similar technologies for basic functionality and analytics. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via push notification or email. The effective date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent update.