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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 9 October 2026 · Version 2026-09-28.2

This policy explains how MENOVA TECHNOLOGY L.L.C ("we"), owner of the Menova platform, collects, uses and protects data, in line with the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021), the Saudi PDPL and international best practice.

Data we collect

  • Restaurant account data: name, email, phone, business details and VAT number.
  • Restaurant guests' data when ordering: name, mobile, delivery address and location if voluntarily shared.
  • Technical data: IP address, browser type and security logs used to protect accounts.
  • We never store card data; payments are processed by certified (PCI-DSS) payment providers.

How we use data

  • To run the digital menu and receive and deliver orders.
  • To send order notifications via WhatsApp, SMS or email.
  • For the restaurant's loyalty program and reports.
  • To prevent fraud and protect accounts (lockout, two-factor authentication, activity log).
  • We do not sell data or share it for advertising.

App notifications

  • When you install the Menova app and allow notifications, we store a device token (from Google Firebase) only to send your order status: accepted, ready, rider on the way or at your door, and late-order credits.
  • We never send ads through notifications. You can turn them off in your phone settings; the token is deleted when you sign out or delete your account.

Roles

  • The restaurant is the "controller" of its guests' data; Menova is a "processor" acting on its instructions.
  • We control account-holder data to provide the service and billing.

Security

  • Encrypted transport (HTTPS/HSTS) and AES-256-GCM encryption of sensitive keys.
  • Passwords are hashed with bcrypt and cannot be read by anyone.
  • Rate limiting, account lockout after failed attempts and an audit trail for every sensitive action.

Retention & deletion

  • Data is kept for the life of the subscription; a restaurant can request full deletion of its account and data.
  • Verification codes and reset links are deleted automatically after expiry.

Your rights

  • Access, correct, delete and port your data, and object to processing.
  • Privacy contact: hello@menova.ae

Customer accounts & Azeema gifts

  • When you sign up with your phone we keep only your number and name, verified with a code sent by SMS (or WhatsApp).
  • For gifts, the sender sees only the gift status (sent, opened, collected) — never the recipient's location or details. The restaurant sees the first name and phone number for handover only.
  • Secret gifts: the sender's name is kept on record but not shown to the recipient, who can report any abuse.
  • SMS and WhatsApp messages we send relate to your orders and gifts only; no marketing without your consent.

Restaurant offers on WhatsApp

  • If you tick "Send me offers on WhatsApp" when ordering, we record your consent (date, phone and restaurant) and only that restaurant may send you offers, such as a comeback offer after a while away.
  • We send at most one comeback offer every 30 days, and every offer message includes a link to stop offers instantly without affecting your orders.

Delivery tracking, group orders & invites

  • During delivery the rider’s location is shared with you only while your order is out for delivery, and we stop showing it once delivered. Rider and courier locations are kept only on the active order.
  • In group orders the names you enter and the items you pick are visible to others in the same group cart only.
  • Invite links carry a code, not your phone number; the restaurant sees who invited whom only to issue the reward.

Ring & Menova apps

  • We store your visits and rewards per restaurant to run the ring; each restaurant sees only your visits there.
  • In the Menova app we store your device’s notification token to notify you about orders and gifts; it is removed when you sign out.
  • You can delete your account from the app at any time; your number and name are erased and your devices removed, while past orders stay with restaurants as financial records without being linked to you.

Restaurant directory & location

  • When you use "Near me" your browser asks for permission and distances are calculated on your device only; we do not send your location to our servers, store it or share it.
  • Favorites and "Recently visited" are stored in your browser only.
  • The directory shows the restaurant's public details (name, logo, address, location, hours, published reviews); a restaurant can stop being listed at any time.

Where you came from (links & codes)

  • When you open a restaurant menu through its smart link or short code (e.g. menova.ae/L482) we record only the "channel" you came from (Google Maps, the restaurant door, a table, the code, Instagram, WhatsApp, the directory or the app) as a statistic for the restaurant.
  • The channel is linked to you only on your own order, so the restaurant knows where the order came from. We use no advertising trackers or third parties.
  • If the Menova app is installed the link opens it directly; otherwise the menu opens in your browser. What happens inside Google Maps or Instagram is governed by those platforms’ policies.

Ratings & the Stars League

  • When you rate an order we store the stars, tags, comment and dish ratings linked to the order; only your first name is shown publicly.
  • We keep your phone number with the rating for one purpose: guaranteeing "one vote per number" in the Stars League and preventing manipulation. It is never shown to anyone, including the restaurant, through the rating.
  • The restaurant may reply publicly under your rating.

Complaints & suggestions

  • Complaints are private and never published unless you tick “Let the restaurant publish my message” when sending; the restaurant then decides whether to publish it on its page with its reply, under your first name only and never your phone or email, and may remove it at any time. Urgent health complaints are never published.
  • They reach the restaurant concerned (or the Menova team if about the platform), with the order number if you linked it, and your phone or email only if you entered it.
  • We analyse the text automatically to flag urgent health issues and alert the restaurant immediately, without sharing it with anyone else.
  • The follow-up link is secret and yours; whoever holds it sees only the message and the reply.

Restaurant staff face clock-in

  • If a restaurant turns on face clock-in, recognition runs on a fixed tablet inside the restaurant, and we store a numeric face print (numbers, not a photo) only to record that employee’s clock in/out at that restaurant, after they consent on the tablet.
  • The face print is used for nothing else and never shared. It is deleted when the restaurant or the employee asks, and automatically when the employee is deactivated. Employees can always use their PIN instead.
  • A small snapshot is kept with each record for the supervisor to review and is deleted automatically after 60 days. The restaurant is responsible for its staff data; Menova processes it on the restaurant’s behalf.

Curbside pickup & deals

  • We store the pickup cars you add (make, colour and plate, up to 3) in your account so staff can spot your car; they are deleted with your account.
  • "Tell the restaurant when I arrive" runs on your phone only: it compares your location with the restaurant’s and sends us nothing but an "I’m here" signal and the parking spot you pick.
  • Automatic deals are calculated from your order at that moment; we use no tracking to show them.

Food Passport & travel mode

  • The Food Passport is fully optional and created by you: we store your diets (halal, vegetarian…) and food allergies on your device, and in your account if you’re signed in, for one purpose only: marking the dishes that suit you in menus and the restaurant directory.
  • We never share your passport with restaurants or anyone else. A restaurant only sees the allergies you choose to tell the kitchen with your order (shown in red on the order); you can turn this off or remove it from any dish.
  • You can clear your passport at any time, and it is deleted with your account.
  • Whether a dish suits you is based on the ingredients the restaurant declared; it is an aid, not a medical guarantee.
  • Travel mode uses your phone’s time zone (and your location if you allow it) to know the country; it is calculated on your device only and we do not store your movements.

Menova Rank & seals

  • Menova Rank is calculated from your completed orders, ratings and invites over the last 12 months; a restaurant only sees your rank with your order there.
  • Your membership number is given with your first completed order and stays yours; the first 1,000 numbers are Founding members. Your first name appears on the public founders list only if you choose, and you can turn it off at any time.
  • Seals (VIP, Verified, Critic, Menova Ambassador) are granted only by Menova centers after an in-person ID check; we do not photograph or copy IDs, and record only that the check happened, who did it and when.
  • You choose how your seal shows at each restaurant: shown, discreet (the restaurant knows you are a distinguished guest without your name, and “Distinguished guest” is written on the order, receipt and guest list) or hidden. Your phone number stays with the restaurant for the order and delivery only.
  • Every time restaurant staff open the details of a seal holder’s order it is logged with the staff member’s name and time. Restaurants cannot search for seal holders or export a list of them.
  • A creator verification request stores the platform, handle and approximate follower count you enter, for verification only. Seals are valid for one year and can be withdrawn by a Menova center.

Consent records

  • We keep the version of every policy you accepted and when, to protect both parties in case of a dispute.

Cookies

  • We only use essential cookies for sign-in, language and cart. No advertising trackers.