Legal

Privacy Policy

How Parkva collects, uses, and shares information across the platform, including plate reads, payments, and text messages.

  • We collect what the platform needs to work. For staff that is business contact details; for a driver it is the plate, the vehicle, and the name, email, phone, and unit you give us when you register.
  • Card details go straight to our payment processor. Parkva does not store a raw card number.
  • Plate reads and their images are shared with the property and the enforcement provider for that lot. Operators are not allowed to use them for unrelated marketing.
  • Your phone number is used for messages about your own parking. We do not share your number or your text-message consent with anyone for marketing.
  • You can ask for your information to be shown, corrected, or deleted. How you do that depends on whether you signed yourself up or a property manager added you to a roster.

This box is Parkva’s plain-English summary. It is not the policy, and where the two read differently the text below is the one that counts.

Last changed
Reviewed

Carried over from the platform policy with no changes to the text.

Parkva respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our websites, use our mobile applications, or interact with our parking management software platform (the “Services”).

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways depending on how you interact with the Services:

1.1 Operator Information (B2B)

For property managers, towing operators, and staff, we collect business contact information, account credentials, employment roles, and configuration data necessary to operate the Parkva platform.

1.2 End-User Information (Consumers)

For individuals parking at a managed facility, we collect:

  • Vehicle Data: License plate numbers, state of issuance, vehicle make/model/color, and VIN (if provided).
  • Personal Data: First and last name, email address, phone number, and unit/apartment number (if registering as a resident).
  • Payment Data: Payment card details (processed securely via our PCI-compliant third-party payment processor; Parkva does not store raw credit card numbers on our servers).

1.3 Account Creation at Checkout and Registration

When you pay for a monthly parking subscription or register as a resident at a property using the Parkva platform, we create (or activate) an account keyed to the email and/or phone number you provide. This account allows you to later sign in at app.parkva.com/login, access receipts, manage vehicles and passes, update billing, and receive notifications.

Controller vs. processor relationship: Parkva is the data controller for subscribers (direct signup at monthly checkout) and for staff users. For residents invited by a property manager onto their roster, the property manager is the data controller and Parkva processes resident data on their behalf. This distinction affects how deletion requests are handled — see Section 9.

One-time parking purchases: Paying for a single parking pass, ticket, or boot release does not create a persistent login account. A minimal record is retained to deliver your receipt and comply with payment/tax record requirements; you can retrieve past receipts via the Parkva “find my receipts” lookup tool using your email or phone without creating an account.

1.4 Automated and LPR Data

  • License Plate Recognition (LPR): We collect time-stamped location data and images of your vehicle and license plate captured by Operator-controlled LPR cameras (mobile or fixed).
  • Usage Data & Cookies: We collect IP addresses, browser types, device identifiers, and platform interaction metrics to ensure system security and functionality. We use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to analyze trends, administer the website, and track users’ movements around the site.

1.5 Mobile App Permissions

When you use the Parkva mobile app, certain features require access to device capabilities that iOS or Android will prompt you to authorize. Access is requested only when needed and you may revoke any permission at any time from your device’s system settings.

  • Camera: When you use the app in a patrol or enforcement role, the app accesses your device’s camera to capture license plate images and enforcement evidence photos. Camera access is requested only when you initiate a scan or photo capture.
  • Location: With your permission, the app collects your device’s location while the app is open to auto-detect which property you are patrolling. Location is not collected when the app is closed or running in the background.
  • Photo Library: With your permission, the app may access photos you select from your library to attach as evidence to violation reports or enforcement records. The app does not browse or upload photos you have not explicitly selected.
  • Push Notification Tokens: If you enable push notifications, we collect and store a device token from your phone’s operating system push notification service to deliver transactional notifications such as patrol assignments, payment receipts, and account activity. You can disable notifications at any time from your device’s settings.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

  • To authenticate users and provide access to the platform.
  • To process parking payments, subscriptions, and issue digital permits.
  • To facilitate the Operator’s ability to enforce parking rules (e.g., verifying active permits via LPR scans).
  • To communicate transactional updates (e.g., payment receipts, expiring passes).
  • To assist Operators in the identification of unauthorized vehicles and the collection of unpaid citations.
  • To monitor system health, prevent fraud, and improve our software.

3. Data Sharing and Disclosure

Because Parkva acts as the technology conduit between End-Users and Operators, data sharing is inherent to the Service:

3.1 Sharing with Operators

Your vehicle data, payment status, active permits, and LPR images are shared with the specific Operator (and their authorized enforcement contractors) managing the property where you park. Operators require this data to enforce lot rules. Operators are strictly prohibited by Parkva from using your data for unrelated third-party marketing.

3.2 Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating our platform, such as payment processors, SMS and email delivery providers, and cloud hosting providers.

We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court, government agency, or under the DPPA).

4. SMS Consent & Telecom Compliance

Parkva strictly protects your mobile phone number and SMS opt-in data. We do not share your mobile information or SMS consent with third parties, affiliates, or Operators for marketing or promotional purposes. Your phone number is used strictly for transactional communications related directly to the Parkva platform.

5. LPR Data Retention and Privacy

License Plate Recognition data is treated as sensitive information. Parkva retains LPR images and associated location data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy (e.g., validating a parking session, processing an appeal, or resolving a citation dispute). Operators utilizing the Parkva platform may have their own independent data retention schedules dictated by local municipal laws.

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by Parkva. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such third-party sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any linked websites you visit.

7. Data Security and International Transfers

We implement commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures to secure your personal information from accidental loss and unauthorized access. This includes encryption in transit (HTTPS) and at rest. The Services are hosted and operated primarily in the United States. By using the Services, you consent to the transfer, processing, and storage of your information in the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your country of residence.

8. Children’s Privacy

Our Services are not intended for or directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete it.

9. State-Specific Privacy Rights

Depending on your U.S. state of residence (such as California, Texas, Colorado, or Virginia), you may have specific rights regarding your personal information, including the right to request access, correction, or deletion of your data.

How you exercise these rights depends on your relationship with Parkva:

  • Subscribers and staff users: You can delete your account directly from your profile (Settings → Delete my account). This cancels any active subscriptions and anonymizes your personal information.
  • Residents invited by a property manager: Your property manager is the data controller. Contact them directly to exercise your deletion right. If you’ve moved out and the property manager is unresponsive, you can also self-disassociate from that property directly (Settings → Delete my account → I no longer live here). Self-disassociation immediately revokes your vehicle authorizations at that property; the property manager is notified after the fact.
  • One-time parking buyers: No durable account exists. Your receipt-lookup entries are retained for 12 months and then automatically removed. Contact us using the information in Section 10 for earlier deletion of specific records.

Financial records we are required to keep under tax and legal hold are anonymized (name, email, phone, address are removed) rather than erased. Parking citations issued to your vehicle remain enforceable against the license plate after account deletion — they are tied to the plate, not your Parkva account, and may be referred to collections or reported to your state DMV independent of your Parkva account status.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

  • Email: info@parkva.com
  • Mailing: Parkva, 980 N Michigan Ave Ste 1090 PMB 542750, Chicago, Illinois 60611-4521