Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Raalka Technologies Private Limited, operating PickleHunter (“PickleHunter”, “we”, “us” or “our”), processes personal data when you use the Platform.

1. Scope

This Policy applies to visitors, players, coaches, referees, tournament organizers, venue partners and other users of PickleHunter.

Third-party websites and services have their own privacy practices.

2. Personal Data We Collect

Depending on how you use PickleHunter, we may collect:

Account and profile data

• name;
• mobile number and email;
• date of birth and profile gender;
• a separate tournament Competition Category, its lock status, correction history and entry or registration snapshots where applicable;
• city and approximate location;
• profile photograph;
• playing level and preferences;
• club affiliation; and
• Permanent Player ID.

Role and verification data

• organizer, venue, coach or referee application details;
• business or organization information;
• supporting documents;
• private identity claims and limited provider results needed for matching;
• email-verification state, verification status and review notes; and
• internal duplicate-prevention and transition records, including whether a previously approved badge is retained under a process-change rule.

Activity data

• tournament registrations, invitations, partner acceptances and results;
• court, Open Play and Group Class bookings;
• attendance and sporting history;
• Play Requests, connections, blocks, reports, mutes and moderation records;
• messages, message status, online presence, typing status and read receipts;
• availability choices, discovery preferences and recommendation signals;
• reviews, support requests and support attachments; and
• notification and communication history.

Transaction data

• payment amount;
• order and transaction references;
• fee and refund records;
• payment status; and
• settlement information reported by a payment provider.

Card, UPI and banking credentials are processed by payment providers and are not intended to be stored on PickleHunter servers.

Technical data

• IP address;
• device and browser details;
• login and security logs;
• cookie identifiers;
• pages and features used; and
• approximate location where permitted.

2A. Location, Directory and Community Signals

When you choose “near me”, use a location search or grant browser location permission, we may process coordinates, city, district, state, search radius and an approximate location result to order relevant players, courts, coaches, tournaments or activities. Browser permission is requested by the browser and may be denied. Location-based results are approximate and are not evidence that a person is currently at a displayed place.

For community and chat features, we may process Play Request allowances, accepted chat connections, messages, proposed schedule or venue changes, online presence, typing signals, read status, blocks, archives, reports and safety signals. Phone numbers, WhatsApp links and personal contact details are restricted in chat to support in-platform safety.

For venue and event discovery, we may process Place IDs, provider photo references, provider attribution, official-source URLs and listing-correction or venue-claim evidence. Some external event information is stored only to send users to the organizer's official source.

3. Why We Process Personal Data

We process data to:

• create and secure accounts;
• provide a Permanent Player ID;
• provide bookings and tournament services;
• verify users and partner roles;
• process gateway payments and refunds;
• support organizer-added tournament invitations and acceptance;
• operate brackets, schedules, results and sporting records;
• send service notifications;
• prevent fraud, abuse and duplicate accounts;
• confirm control of an email address before a new private identity check;
• preserve and audit earlier badge decisions when the verification process changes;
• measure Platform use and the effectiveness of permitted advertising;
• respond to complaints and support requests;
• improve and secure the Platform;
• comply with legal and accounting obligations; and
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

4. Consent and Other Lawful Uses

Where processing is based on consent, the request will be presented clearly and separately where required.

You may withdraw consent through available settings or by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect processing already lawfully completed and may prevent us from continuing a feature that requires the data.

We may also process data where necessary to provide a service you requested, comply with law, protect the Platform or use data for another lawful purpose permitted under applicable law.

5. Adults Only

PickleHunter is available only to users aged 18 or older. We may request age verification where reasonably necessary. If we learn that an account belongs to a person under 18, we may restrict the account and delete or retain limited information as required for safety, fraud prevention or law.

6. Permanent Sporting Records

Tournament participation, brackets, results and related sporting records are linked to the Permanent Player ID.

These records may be retained to protect sporting integrity, prevent fraud and maintain historical results, even if profile details later change. Requests concerning such records will be considered in light of applicable law and the rights of other participants.

7. Profile Visibility

Users may control profile visibility where settings are available.

Certain tournament information may remain visible where necessary to operate the event, including names, categories, partners, brackets, schedules, results and rankings where introduced.

We do not publicly display mobile numbers, email addresses, complete dates of birth, payment credentials or identity documents.

8. Organizer-Added Entries

Where an organizer adds a player to a tournament, PickleHunter may process invitation, consent, category, payment-status declaration and partner information.

The player must accept before the entry becomes confirmed.

For payments collected directly by an organizer, PickleHunter records the organizer’s declaration for tournament administration but does not process the underlying payment through its gateway.

8A. Payment, KYC and Settlement Data

Cashfree or another approved payment provider may process payer information, merchant or beneficiary onboarding, KYC documents, bank or UPI details, payment orders, refunds, split instructions and settlement status under its own legal obligations and privacy practices.

When PickleHunter provides a document pass-through, the file is transmitted to the payment provider and deleted from temporary processing after the transmission attempt. PickleHunter is not intended to retain the Cashfree KYC document contents, document number, original filename or file path. We may retain the minimum operational metadata required to show document type, submission status, provider reference, verification result, idempotency and audit history.

Other documents submitted directly for PickleHunter verification, such as club authority, coach, referee or date-of-birth correction evidence, may be stored privately with restricted staff access for the applicable review and retention period.

8B. AI Assistance and Moderation

Support conversations may be processed by AI-assisted systems to generate replies, classify requests, identify safety risks or route a matter to staff. AI responses may be inaccurate. Automated signals may support anti-spam, fraud and safety controls, but users may use the published grievance or appeal channel for material decisions.

8B. Optional Plus Identity Verification

Eligible Plus members may choose a Cashfree Secure ID hosted journey such as DigiLocker or another government-ID method enabled for PickleHunter's Cashfree account. Cashfree collects and processes the identity information within its hosted flow. Depending on the enabled method and risk result, the provider may also request a selfie, face match or liveness check. PickleHunter does not make those checks mandatory unless the configured provider workflow requires them.

PickleHunter stores only operational verification data needed to run and audit the feature, such as the user ID, method, status, timestamps, provider verification/reference identifiers, limited match status, attempt count and an internal non-document failure category. We do not intentionally store the raw government-ID image or full government-ID number for this Plus flow, and no identity document is displayed on the public profile. Cashfree receives the details necessary to provide the selected check under its privacy terms.

Verification records may be retained while the account exists and afterwards where reasonably needed for fraud prevention, disputes, legal obligations and audit integrity. A verified status may be changed to re-verification required when a private identity-critical detail such as date of birth changes. Changing the public Player name does not trigger re-verification. Access to operational verification status is restricted and manual staff actions are audited.

Private comparison and review

After a consented identity document is retrieved, PickleHunter may compare the verified legal name, date of birth and document gender with the corresponding account information. The verified legal name, document gender and verified date of birth are encrypted at rest, available only to authorised reviewers, and are not displayed on the public profile. The member's chosen public profile name remains separate and is never silently replaced with the legal name.

The public Player name is not used for identity matching. Automated approval requires the separately entered private legal name, date of birth and gender to match the provider result. Missing data or any mismatch places verification into a private-review state, withholds the badge and may temporarily prevent gender-restricted discovery, Play Requests and tournament categories while ordinary platform features remain available.

A mismatch alone does not establish impersonation or misuse and does not automatically suspend the account. The member may adopt the verified document gender where the eligibility record is not already locked, or request private review. Only an authorised staff decision based on the available evidence may reject verification or suspend an account under the Community Guidelines.

Because this flow does not require selfie, face-match or liveness checks, it can compare consented document data but cannot by itself prove that the person operating the account is the document holder.

Player name and legal-name separation

The Player name and permanent Player ID are public profile information. The Player name may be a real name, shortened name or genuine nickname selected by the member. It does not have to match the legal name used for a private identity check. A change to the Player name is security logged and rate-limited but does not itself restart identity verification.

After Plus activation, the member separately enters a private legal name, date of birth and gender exactly as shown on the identity document used for verification. These private claims must match the minimum identity information returned by the verification provider. The public Player name is never used for this comparison. Legal name, date of birth, document gender, provider references and document-derived information are encrypted where stored and are excluded from public profiles, search, chat, invitations, metadata and analytics.

An authorised tournament organiser may explicitly open a confirmed participant's provider-verified legal name only during the limited check-in period and solely to compare it with physical identification. Each access is logged and the response is marked non-cacheable. This data is excluded from ordinary participant lists, public pages and exports.

8C. Public-Form Security and Cloudflare Turnstile

Public forms, including OTP, login recovery, contact, partner, career and newsletter forms, may use Cloudflare Turnstile to prevent automated abuse. Cloudflare may process IP address, browser and device characteristics, interaction signals, challenge results and related security data under its own privacy terms. PickleHunter receives the verification result and limited validation data and uses it for security, rate limiting, fraud prevention and audit purposes.

8D. Maps, Places, Media and External Destinations

Google Maps, Google Places and other destination services process information under their own privacy terms. PickleHunter may retain a provider Place ID and permitted references or attribution. Live provider photographs or interactive maps may be requested when a page or user action requires them; the provider may then receive IP address, browser or device information and the requested location.

Profile, coach, venue, tournament and article images may be stored through cloud media providers and content-delivery networks. Uploaded public images may be automatically screened and reviewed for safety, authenticity or policy compliance. Verification and support documents are stored privately and are not used as public profile images unless separately supplied and approved for that purpose.

8E. Player Invitation Links

Each registered account receives a stable random invitation token that does not contain a database ID, Player ID, username, mobile number or other account detail. A public invitation page may show the inviter's public Player name only when the inviter's profile visibility permits it; it does not use the private legal name, contact details, date of birth, gender-verification information, precise location or profile photograph. If that name cannot be shown, the page uses a generic PickleHunter-player description.

Opening an invitation may place the opaque token in the visitor's temporary session so PickleHunter can return a newly registered or signed-in member to the inviter's visible public profile, or otherwise to player discovery. PickleHunter does not automatically connect the accounts or send a Play Request or chat. We do not request contact-book access, upload recipient contacts or collect a recipient's identity merely because an invitation was sent. Limited first-party activity signals may record that the panel was opened, sending or copying was selected, the landing page was opened, or registration was completed; these are internal usage measurements and are not shown to members.

For new identity-badge applications, the email address on the account must be verified before the provider journey starts. A paid subscription or complimentary Plus grant activates Plus independently and does not by itself award the badge.

Where a badge was already approved before this email-and-private-KYC process was introduced, PickleHunter may retain an internal transition record so the badge is not removed merely because the member has not completed the newer steps. This does not trigger another provider request and is not shown publicly. It does not prevent investigation, re-verification, suspension, transfer or revocation for a genuine identity, fraud, account-safety or legal reason.

8D. Personal Invitation Links

An active member may receive a stable, random invitation token. The public invitation page uses only the inviter's public profile name where their privacy settings allow it; otherwise it uses a generic PickleHunter-player description. Link previews use a general PickleHunter-branded image and do not include the inviter's private legal name, Player ID, phone number, email, date of birth, gender-verification data, precise location or profile photograph unless the relevant public-visibility setting expressly permits the photograph.

PickleHunter may preserve the invitation context through registration so the new member can be taken to the inviter's visible public profile, or to player discovery when that profile is private or unavailable. Opening an invitation does not automatically connect users, send a Play Request or create a chat. The invitation link stops working when the inviter is suspended or deleted.

We may record limited internal events such as opening the invitation panel, selecting the device sending action, copying the link, opening the landing page and completing registration from that invitation. These measurements are not displayed to members. PickleHunter does not access or upload a member's contact book and does not collect a recipient's identity merely because an invitation was sent.

8E. Messages, Play Requests and Community Insights

When you use Play Requests or chat, PickleHunter processes the messages and related activity needed to provide those features. This may include the participants, message content and time, request details and status, proposed dates or venues, delivery or read status where available, blocks, reports and connected profile information.

We use this information to operate and improve messaging and player matching, deliver notifications, understand community engagement, measure request and play outcomes, make product and marketing decisions, respond to support requests, address reports or disputes, enforce Platform rules, prevent misuse and protect users or the Platform.

Internal reports may combine activity with profile information such as city, gender, playing level or account type to show community trends, including requests sent, received and accepted, messaging activity and recorded play outcomes. Where practical, these reports use grouped or aggregated information and are not displayed publicly.

Authorised PickleHunter personnel may access relevant account and conversation information where reasonably necessary for the purposes above. Private messages are not displayed publicly or sold. Messages and related records are retained in accordance with the retention section of this Policy and may be preserved where reasonably necessary for an active support matter, safety report, dispute, fraud investigation or legal obligation.

9. Sharing

We may share limited data with:

• the relevant tournament organizer or venue partner;
• players involved in a team or partner invitation;
• payment and refund providers;
• cloud hosting, security, analytics, advertising and communication service providers;
• professional advisers and auditors;
• government or law-enforcement authorities where legally required; and
• a successor entity in a lawful business transfer.

Organizers and venues receive only information reasonably required to provide the relevant activity.

We do not sell personal data.

10. Communications

We may send service communications through the Platform, email, SMS or another enabled channel for:

• OTP and security alerts;
• booking and registration confirmations;
• partner and organizer invitations;
• schedule changes;
• payment and refund status;
• policy or account notices; and
• support responses.

Marketing communications are sent only as permitted, and users may opt out through the provided method.

11. Cookies and Analytics

PickleHunter uses essential cookies and similar technologies for login, security, fraud prevention and preferences. We may also use optional analytics and advertising technologies where permitted.

PickleHunter currently uses the Meta Pixel on Platform pages. The Pixel records page visits and may record limited standard events, such as a completed online purchase on pages where that event is configured. Meta may receive the page URL and referrer, IP address, browser or device information, cookie or similar identifiers and event details such as currency and transaction value. We use this information to measure Platform use, understand advertising attribution, create permitted audiences and improve or deliver advertising.

PickleHunter does not intentionally include a private legal name, identity-document data, date of birth, document gender, phone number, email address, private chat content or precise location in Meta Pixel event parameters. Meta processes information under its own terms and privacy policy.

Where applicable law requires a choice before optional tracking, PickleHunter will provide the relevant consent or preference control. Users may also use browser controls and Meta account advertising preferences. Disabling optional tracking does not prevent core account access, Plus activation or private identity verification, although blocking essential cookies may affect Platform functionality.

Where internal product analytics are enabled, collection is subject to an approved disclosure and server-side controls. Detailed analytics are ordinarily retained for up to 90 days, aggregated analytics for up to 24 months, and AI analytics audit records for up to 12 months, unless a shorter period or legal hold applies. Raw payment credentials and Cashfree KYC document contents are not analytics data and must not be collected there.

12. Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the stated purpose, legal compliance, accounting, fraud prevention, dispute handling, safety review and sporting-record integrity. Transaction, tax, acceptance and audit records may be retained for the legally required period. Messages, reports, verification records and support attachments follow approved operational retention schedules and may be preserved while a dispute, safety report or legal hold remains open.

Verification documents and inactive data should be deleted or anonymized when no longer required, subject to applicable retention obligations.

Contact-form messages and private attachments are ordinarily scheduled for deletion after 90 days. They may be retained longer where reasonably necessary for an active support case, safety report, dispute, fraud investigation, legal hold or legal obligation. Ephemeral typing and online-presence signals are used for live product operation and are not intended to become permanent chat content.

13. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards, including access controls, encryption where appropriate, secure credential handling, logging and monitoring.

No system is completely secure. Users should protect OTPs and passwords and report suspicious activity promptly.

Where required by law, affected users and the appropriate authority will be notified of a personal-data breach.

14. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request:

• information about personal data being processed;
• correction, completion or updating;
• erasure where legally available;
• withdrawal of consent;
• grievance redressal; and
• nomination of another individual to exercise rights in specified circumstances.

Some information may be retained where necessary for law, fraud prevention, disputes, accounting or permanent sporting records.

15. Grievances and Data Rights

Use the Contact page and select “Privacy, Safety & Legal”, or write to the published privacy contact, to request access, correction, completion, updating, erasure, consent withdrawal, grievance redressal or nomination where the applicable law provides that right. Please identify the account using information already associated with it and do not send an OTP, password, full payment credential or unnecessary identity-document contents.

We may ask for proportionate verification before acting, may preserve information required for law, fraud prevention, disputes, accounting, safety or sporting-record integrity, and will explain a refusal or limitation where required. Applicable escalation information, including access to a statutory authority when available, will be provided under the law in force at the relevant time.

16. International Processing

Service providers may process data outside your state or country. Where applicable, PickleHunter will use appropriate contractual, security and legal safeguards.

17. Changes

We may update this Policy to reflect changes in law or Platform operations. The revised Policy will be published with its effective date.

Where required, additional notice or renewed consent will be provided.

18. Contact

Contact details for privacy questions and grievances are available on PickleHunter’s official Contact Us page.