What we collect
Account information
When you create an account, we collect your name, email, username, and birthday. If you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive your name and email from those providers.
Phone number
If you choose to enable SMS-based features (such as phone-number sign-in, two-factor verification, or SMS plan invites), we collect your mobile phone number. Phone numbers are only collected with your explicit consent at the moment you opt in inside the app — we do not collect phone numbers from any other source.
Location
With your permission, we collect your location while you are actively using the app, to show nearby venues and verify check-ins. We do not track your location in the background.
Calendar
With your permission, we read your device calendar to import dining reservations into your planner. This data stays on your device and is never uploaded to our servers.
Usage data
We collect how you interact with the app — venues you view, check-ins, saves, and search queries — to personalize recommendations and improve the product.
Smart search queries
When you use smart search, your query is sent through our servers to Anthropic, the provider of the language model that powers it. Anthropic does not train on Been There queries. We log queries on our servers to improve search quality.
Photos
Photos you upload for check-ins or your profile are stored securely in our cloud. You can delete them any time from your profile.
Purchases
If you subscribe to BT+, the purchase is processed by Apple through in-app purchase and managed by RevenueCat, our subscription provider. We receive your subscription status and a purchase identifier so we can unlock BT+ features — we never receive or store your payment card details.
Plans and the discovery feed
Plans you build are private by default — only you can see them. If you publish a plan or share its link, the plan title, venues, times, and responses become visible to anyone with the link and may appear in the in-app discovery feed alongside editor picks and plans from members you follow. Editor plans are labeled as staff; member plans appear under the author's username. You can switch any plan back to private from its detail screen, which removes it from the feed and breaks any shared link.
How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide and maintain the Service
- Show you personalized venue recommendations
- Verify check-ins at venues
- Power smart search and editorial summaries via Anthropic
- Deliver our newsletter, if you subscribe
- Process subscription payments for BT+
- Improve and develop new features
- Prevent fraud and abuse
SMS messaging
Been There operates an SMS messaging program through Twilio to deliver phone-number sign-in codes, two-factor verification codes, and plan-related notifications (for example, when a friend RSVPs to a plan you created).
How you opt in
You opt in to SMS by entering your phone number inside the Been There iOS app — either during sign-up, when enabling two-factor authentication, or when adding a phone number from Settings → Account. Before submitting your number, the app shows the following consent language:
"By providing your phone number, you agree to receive SMS messages from Been There for verification codes and plan notifications. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe or HELP for help."
We do not collect phone numbers through web forms, third-party lists, or any source other than the in-app opt-in described above.
Message types and frequency
- Verification codes: sent when you sign in with a phone number or enable two-factor authentication.
- Plan notifications: sent when someone responds to a plan you created, or when a plan you RSVP'd to is updated.
- Frequency: message frequency varies based on your activity. We do not send marketing or promotional SMS.
Cost
Message and data rates may apply, depending on your mobile carrier and plan. Been There does not charge you for SMS messages.
Opt-out and help
You can stop receiving SMS at any time by replying STOP to any message from us. You will receive a final confirmation message and no further texts. To re-subscribe, reply START. For help, reply HELP or email hey@beenthere.social.
Carrier disclaimer
Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Supported carriers include AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and most regional U.S. carriers.
Sharing of mobile information
We do not sell, rent, or share mobile phone numbers or SMS opt-in consent with any third party for marketing or promotional purposes. Phone numbers are shared only with our SMS delivery provider (Twilio) for the sole purpose of sending the messages described above, and only as needed to operate the Service.
How we share your information
We do not sell your personal information. We share only:
- With other users: your display name, username, avatar, and check-in activity per your privacy settings.
- Published plans: if you publish a plan or share its link, the plan title, venues, times, and responses are visible to anyone with the link and may surface in the Been There discovery feed.
- Service providers: Supabase, Google Places, Mapbox, Apple, RevenueCat, and Anthropic — each processes data on our behalf under strict confidentiality.
- Legal: we may disclose information if required by law, or to protect our rights, safety, or property.
Data retention
We retain account information as long as your account is active. You can delete your account and its associated data at any time from within the app (Settings → Account), or by writing to hey@beenthere.social. We delete your data within 30 days of an account-deletion request, except where we are required to retain certain records to comply with the law.
Data security
TLS in transit, encryption at rest, secure authentication, and row-level security on our database.
Your rights
Wherever you live, you can:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate information
- Delete your account and associated data
- Revoke location and calendar permissions any time
- Export your data
If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you also have the right to object to or restrict certain processing, to withdraw consent at any time (without affecting processing already carried out), and to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. To exercise any of these rights, email hey@beenthere.social and we will verify your request against your account.
Legal bases (EEA/UK)
If you are in the EEA or UK, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:
- Contract: to provide the Service you signed up for — your account, plans, check-ins, and the BT+ subscription.
- Consent: for location, calendar access, SMS, and push notifications, which you grant and can revoke at any time.
- Legitimate interests: to secure the Service, prevent fraud and abuse, and improve our features.
- Legal obligation: where we must retain or disclose data to comply with the law.
International data transfers
Been There is operated from the United States, and the service providers listed above process data in the United States and other countries. If you access the Service from outside the U.S., your information will be transferred to and processed in the U.S. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards — such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses — for these transfers.
California privacy rights
If you are a California resident, the CCPA and CPRA give you the right to know what personal information we collect, to access, delete, and correct it, and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. In the past 12 months we have collected the categories of personal information described in What we collect, for the purposes described in How we use your information.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising — and we have not done either in the past 12 months. To exercise your California rights, email hey@beenthere.social; we will verify your request against your account.
Children
The Service is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Last updated" date.
Contact
Questions? Write to hey@beenthere.social.