1. Who we are
ChinaPie (“we”, “us”) offers travel discovery and trip-planning tools to visitors worldwide, not to one country. This policy covers chinapie.ai (including /zh/), related APIs, accounts, saved plans and reports, community, chat widgets we configure, and the ChinaPie / PaiPai iOS app when available.
For the personal data we decide to collect — account, saved trip, payment-status metadata, messages you send us — ChinaPie is the controller. Hosting, email, payments, sign-in, chat, and AI providers process that data for us. A privacy law can apply because of where you are, not only where the company or servers sit.
The EU GDPR is one example: it can apply when the service is offered to people in the EEA even if we have no EU office. The UK and some US states have their own rules.
We follow the rule that covers you. ChinaPie is not an emergency, medical, legal, immigration, police, or embassy service.
2. Scope
This policy covers personal information we process when you browse the site, create an account, generate or download trip reports, invite friends, pay for a one-time Plus unlock, contact us, use optional live chat, or use the iOS app features that send data to our servers. It does not cover third-party sites or apps we link to (booking partners, payment processors’ own portals, app stores, social networks). Those services have their own policies.
3. Information we collect
Account data: email address, display name (if provided), password hashes or SSO identifiers (Apple or Google sign-in handled via our auth providers), and session cookies. Trip & product data: places you save, plan setup preferences, generated report content you save, invite codes and referral progress, and one-time Plus unlock / payment status metadata.
Communications: messages and contact details you send to [email protected] or through configured chat widgets (which may include name and WhatsApp if you choose to provide them). App / scan inputs (when you use them): chat text, images you voluntarily upload for scanning, and optional trip context you enter. If you allow it, the iOS app reads precise location only while the app is open, to suggest your trip city and nearby stops you planned; that location is not used for advertising.
Technical data: IP address, device/browser type, approximate locale, pages viewed, referrers, and diagnostic logs needed for security and reliability. We do not require passports, full payment card numbers, or government IDs to use core web planning features—please do not upload those unless a specific flow explicitly asks and explains why.
4. How we use information
We use personal information to: (a) provide and improve Discover / Plan / Travel-ready features; (b) authenticate accounts and prevent abuse; (c) generate, store, and let you download Free or Plus trip reports; (d) process one-time Plus unlocks and record payment status via our payment provider; (e) operate invite / referral progress; (f) respond to support and partnership requests; (g) send transactional messages (e.g. account or delivery notices) and, only with appropriate consent or as allowed by law, product updates; (h) measure site performance and content usefulness with analytics; (i) secure our services and comply with legal obligations. We do not sell personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
5. AI processing
Some features (for example, plan refinement, chat assistance, or image-to-structure extraction in the app) send the content you submit to our servers and may be processed by AI model providers acting as processors on our behalf. Outputs can be imperfect—always verify bookings, prices, opening hours, and legal requirements yourself.
Do not submit secrets (PINs, full card numbers, passport MRZ) into AI chat or scan flows unless a product screen expressly requires a limited field for a stated purpose.
6. Cookies and similar technologies
We use essential cookies for login sessions, security, and language preference. We may use analytics cookies or similar technologies to understand traffic and feature usage.
See our Cookie Policy for more detail. You can control cookies through your browser settings; blocking essential cookies may break sign-in or account features.
7. Sharing and processors
We share personal information with service providers that help us operate ChinaPie under contracts that limit use to our instructions, such as: cloud hosting and databases, email delivery, payment processing (e.g. Stripe for one-time Plus unlocks), authentication / SSO providers, AI inference providers, analytics, CDN, and customer-messaging tools we configure. We may disclose information if required by law, to protect rights and safety, or in connection with a corporate transaction (merger, acquisition) subject to appropriate safeguards.
We do not sell personal information.
8. International transfers
ChinaPie is offered worldwide, so your information may be processed outside the country where you live. No single country — including China — is on every other country’s “adequate protection” list.
Where a law requires a transfer tool before data moves (for example EU standard contractual clauses, controller to processor, or a Chinese cross-border contract or assessment when those rules apply to us), that tool has to exist first, and the contracts must not contradict each other. Signing up records that you agree to the Terms and have read this policy; it is not a substitute for those contracts, and it does not appoint a local representative.
We have not appointed an EU representative under GDPR Article 27. If the number of people we serve in a region makes a local representative mandatory, we will appoint one and update this page. Email [email protected] for a copy of the transfer terms that apply to you, or to exercise a privacy right.
9. Retention
We keep account and saved report data while your account remains active and as needed to provide the service. Payment records are retained as required for tax, accounting, and dispute resolution.
Server logs and short-lived chat or session data may be kept for a limited period for security and continuity (for example, temporary chat continuity windows in the app). When you request deletion, we delete or anonymize personal data we control unless a longer retention is required by law.
10. Security
We use industry-standard measures such as encrypted transport (HTTPS), access controls, and hashed passwords for email accounts. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure; please use a strong unique password and protect your device.
11. Your rights and choices
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export personal data, or to object to / restrict certain processing. You can: update account details where the product allows; decline optional device permissions in the app; control cookies in your browser; unsubscribe from marketing emails; and email [email protected] to request access or deletion of information we control.
In the PaiPai iOS app, Me → Account → Delete account removes the app sign-in and the profile we store for that sign-in. It does not cancel an Apple in-app purchase, and it does not delete a separate chinapie.ai website login. We may need to verify your request.
Some data must be kept for legal or security reasons. If you use SSO (Apple or Google), also manage permissions in that provider’s account settings.
12. Children
ChinaPie is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact [email protected] and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
13. “Do not sell” / advertising
We do not sell personal information as commonly defined under US state privacy laws, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. Limited analytics and affiliate attribution may apply as described in our Cookie Policy and Affiliate disclosures on relevant pages.
14. Changes
We may update this policy when products or legal requirements change. We will revise the “Effective / Last updated” date at the top.
Material changes may also be highlighted on the site or by email when appropriate. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised policy.
15. Contact
All support, billing, privacy, press, and partnership requests use one address: [email protected]. We do not publish a separate sales or legal inbox. If a regulator or court needs operator details, email that address and we will provide them.
