Last updated: 18 September 2026
Pick Up (“the app”, “we”, “us”) is a curbside food pickup marketplace operated by Pistons Portal, a sole establishment licensed by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism under trade licence number 1620171. It connects customers with licensed home food businesses for order-ahead collection. This policy explains what we collect, why, who else is involved, and what control you have over it.
Browsing without an account
You can open the app and browse businesses, menus and pickup times without signing in. An account is only needed to place an order, save a car, or keep favourites.
What we collect
Account details
Your phone number is your account. We verify it by sending a one-time code, and we store the number so the business can reach you about an order. You may optionally add your name, and optionally connect Apple, Google, or an email address and password as additional ways to sign in. Where a password is used it is held by Firebase Authentication and is never visible to us in plain text.
Car details
If you save a car for curbside pickup (make, colour, plate), we store it so the business can find you at handoff. This is optional.
Location
With your permission, we use your device location to show nearby businesses and sort results by distance. While you have an active order-now order and are heading to the pickup, the app also shares your live position with the business fulfilling that order, so they can see you approaching and bring your order out when you arrive. This runs only during an active order, ends automatically when you arrive or the order completes, and only your latest position is stored, never a history of your movements. Scheduled pickups never share your location; they use the manual “I’m here” button instead. You can withhold or revoke location access at any time in your device settings, and arrival then falls back to the manual button. We do not track your location outside an active order.
Orders
When you place an order we store its contents, price, pickup time, any note you add, the car you selected, and its status history. Order records are shared with the business fulfilling the order.
Payments
You can pay in the app by card or Apple Pay, or with cash when you collect. Card payments are processed by Stripe. Card numbers are sent directly to Stripe and never reach our servers. We store the order amount, whether it was paid, and a payment reference so we can match the payment to your order and handle refunds or disputes. If you choose to save a card for next time, Stripe stores the card and we keep only a customer reference.
If you sell on Pick Up
To go live as a business you provide your trade licence and food permit so we can verify that you are licensed as UAE law requires. These documents are visible only to you and our verification team.
Getting paid additionally requires payout setup, which is run by Stripe. It collects your legal name, date of birth, nationality, address, Emirates ID number, bank IBAN, and images of your Emirates ID and trade licence. Those identity and bank details are transmitted to Stripe and are not stored by Pick Up. We keep only your Stripe account reference and its verification status.
Notifications
If you allow notifications, we store a device token so we can deliver order updates: a new order, acceptance, when it is ready, and arrival alerts.
What we do not do
We do not sell your data to anyone. We do not use it for third-party advertising. We do not track your location outside an active order. We never see or store your full card number.
How we use it
Only to run the service: showing nearby businesses, placing and fulfilling orders, curbside handoff, order notifications, taking payment and paying businesses, verifying sellers, preventing fraud and abuse, and answering support requests.
Who processes your data
- Google Firebase — accounts, database, file storage and server functions. Firebase may process data in Google Cloud regions outside the UAE, under Google’s own safeguards.
- Twilio — sends your sign-in verification codes by SMS or WhatsApp.
- Stripe — card payments, and seller payouts including seller identity verification.
- Expo — delivers push notifications to your device.
- Apple and Google — only if you choose to sign in with them.
Who sees what
A business you order from sees your name, phone number, order contents, your note, and your car details, because it needs them to prepare and hand over your order. Customers see a business’s public storefront, including its approximate area or exact pin as that business chose. Nobody else receives your personal data, except where UAE law requires disclosure.
Your controls
You can edit your profile, cars and sign-in methods in the app at any time. You can delete your account from Profile, then Delete account. Deletion removes your account, profile, saved cars, favourites and push token, anonymises your past orders and reviews, and closes any store you own. It cannot be undone.
You can turn notifications and location access off in your device settings at any time.
Retention
We keep account data while your account exists. Anonymised order records are retained after account deletion for the legitimate record-keeping of the businesses that fulfilled them, and to meet tax and payment obligations. Verification documents belonging to rejected or deleted seller accounts are removed within a reasonable period.
Children
Pick Up is not directed at children under 18. Accounts are for adults; minors may only use the service through a parent or guardian.
Changes
We will update this page when the policy changes and note the new date above. Material changes will be announced in the app.
Contact
Questions or requests about your data: hello@pickupapp.ae
Pistons Portal
Trade licence 1620171, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism
Office 43–44, Al Fahidi, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates