This Privacy Policy explains how HotelTaxi Ltd. collects and uses personal data when you visit hoteltaxi.com, communicate with us, request or book a transfer, use our WhatsApp services, or otherwise interact with the HotelTaxi transfer marketplace.
HotelTaxi connects travellers with independent professional transfer providers. HotelTaxi is the controller of personal data used to operate its Platform. A selected transfer provider may also act as an independent controller for information it needs to perform the transport service and meet its own legal obligations.
1. Who we are and how to contact us
Controller: HotelTaxi Ltd.
Registered address: 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Customer contact line: +44 333 444 4465
Website: hoteltaxi.com
2. Personal data we collect
- Identity and contact data: name, email address, telephone or WhatsApp number and the details of other passengers included in a booking.
- Journey data: pickup and destination addresses, geographic coordinates, transfer date and time, passenger and luggage information, vehicle selection, special service requests and return journey details.
- Flight data: flight number, flight date and scheduled time where required to coordinate an airport transfer.
- Booking and transaction data: request and reservation references, supplier offers, prices, currency, selected extras, payment status, refunds and cancellation history. Full card details are entered into the payment provider's secure environment and are not stored by HotelTaxi.
- Communications: messages and information sent through WhatsApp, email, forms and customer support channels.
- Technical and usage data: IP address, browser and device information, referral URL, page interactions, advertising identifiers, security events and diagnostic logs.
- Supplier application data: company and contact details, registration and tax details, business address, service airports, fleet information and application notes where you apply to join the supplier network.
We normally receive this information directly from you. We may also receive passenger or booking information from a hotel, agency, tour operator, another person making the booking, an integrated partner, the selected transfer provider, a payment provider or WhatsApp.
If you provide information about another passenger, you must be authorised to do so and should make this Privacy Policy available to them.
3. Why we use personal data and our lawful bases
| Purpose | Information used | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Provide transfer search and booking services | Pickup and destination details, dates, times, passenger count, luggage, vehicle preferences, contact details and booking records | Performance of a contract or steps requested before entering into a contract |
| Coordinate a booked transfer | Passenger names, telephone number, journey and flight details, selected extras and relevant accessibility or service instructions | Performance of a contract and our legitimate interest in operating the marketplace safely and efficiently |
| Take and reconcile payments | Booking reference, payer details, transaction amount, currency, payment status, refunds and fraud signals | Performance of a contract, legal obligations and legitimate interests in preventing fraud |
| Provide support and service messages | Email address, telephone number, WhatsApp messages, support correspondence and call or message history | Performance of a contract and legitimate interests in resolving enquiries and maintaining service quality |
| Protect accounts, users and the Platform | IP address, device and browser information, security logs, OTP verification records and activity data | Legitimate interests in security, fraud prevention and enforcing our terms; legal obligations where applicable |
| Measure and improve the Platform | Page views, interactions, referral information, device information and aggregated performance data | Consent where required for analytics technologies; otherwise legitimate interests where permitted by law |
| Measure advertising and conversions | Advertising identifiers, campaign and referral information, event data and hashed contact identifiers where supported | Consent where required |
| Comply with law and manage disputes | Bookings, payments, communications and records relevant to a complaint, legal request or claim | Legal obligations and legitimate interests in establishing, exercising or defending legal claims |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your rights and use the information only where those interests are not overridden by your interests or fundamental rights. You may object to processing based on legitimate interests as explained below.
4. Information needed to provide the service
Pickup, destination, date, time, passenger count and relevant contact information are required to request and fulfil a transfer. Payment information is required for a paid booking. If required information is not provided, we may be unable to obtain offers, confirm the reservation, process payment or coordinate the transfer.
Please do not include health or other sensitive information unless it is genuinely necessary for the requested service. Where you provide accessibility or assistance information, we use it only to arrange the requested service and share it only with those who need it to fulfil that request.
5. Artificial intelligence and automated processing
HotelTaxi uses automated systems and natural-language tools to understand messages, translate or classify requests, identify the relevant service area, match requests with eligible suppliers and assist communication. Supplier offers may also be checked automatically for technical errors or unusual values.
These tools support the booking process; they do not remove your ability to review the route, date, vehicle and price before confirmation. You may contact us if you believe an automated process has produced an incorrect result or if you want a member of the support team to review an issue.
6. Who receives personal data
We disclose only the information reasonably needed for the relevant purpose. Recipients may include:
- the independent transfer providers invited to quote and the provider selected for your booking;
- hotels, agencies, tour operators or integrated partners involved in your booking;
- payment processors, banks and fraud-prevention providers;
- Meta and WhatsApp for WhatsApp Business communications;
- Google services used for address search, place information, routing and advertising measurement;
- analytics and advertising measurement providers, including Yandex, Meta and OpenAI Ads, where those technologies are enabled in accordance with your choices;
- hosting, database, communications, security and technical service providers acting on our instructions;
- professional advisers, insurers, auditors, regulators, courts and public authorities where disclosure is required or reasonably necessary;
- a buyer, investor or successor in connection with a genuine corporate transaction, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.
Transfer providers are independent businesses. Their handling of passenger data for the transport service may also be governed by their own privacy information.
7. International transfers
HotelTaxi operates a global marketplace. A booking may require personal data to be sent to a transfer provider in the country where the journey takes place. Some technology and communications providers may also process information outside the United Kingdom.
Where UK data protection law restricts an international transfer, we use an applicable adequacy regulation, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses, or another lawful safeguard. You may contact us for information about the safeguard relevant to your data.
8. How long we keep information
We keep personal data only for as long as needed for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, security and dispute-resolution requirements. Our normal retention approach is:
- transfer requests, confirmed bookings, invoices, payments and refund records: up to seven years after the end of the relevant financial year;
- customer support and booking communications: up to three years after the matter is closed, or longer if required for an active claim;
- uncompleted transfer requests: up to two years after the last activity;
- OTP and short-lived security sessions: until the session expires; related security logs may be retained for up to one year;
- supplier applications that do not result in activation: up to two years after the final decision;
- consent and privacy preference records: for as long as needed to demonstrate the choice and normally up to six years after it ceases to apply;
- analytics and advertising data: according to the configured retention period of the relevant provider and your consent choices.
We may retain information for longer where required by law, a regulator, fraud prevention, a legal hold or an active dispute. When identifiable information is no longer required, it is deleted or irreversibly anonymised.
9. Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have the right to request access to your personal data; correction of inaccurate data; erasure; restriction; data portability; and withdrawal of consent. You may also object to processing based on legitimate interests.
To exercise a right, email [email protected]. We may ask for information needed to verify your identity. Rights are not absolute and a lawful exemption may apply; if so, we will explain our response.
You may complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint. If you are in another country, you may also contact the competent local data protection authority.
10. Security
We use organisational and technical safeguards designed to protect personal data, including access controls, encrypted connections, restricted administrative access, security monitoring and authentication controls. No internet or messaging service can be guaranteed completely secure. Please contact us promptly if you believe your booking or personal information has been compromised.
11. Children
The Platform is intended for adults making transport arrangements. A child may travel as a passenger when included in a booking made by an authorised adult, but children should not submit booking or payment information directly to HotelTaxi.
12. Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies for security, booking functionality, analytics and advertising measurement. Details and available controls are set out in our Cookie Policy.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, providers or legal obligations change. The current version is published on this page with its effective date. Where a change materially affects how we use personal data, we will provide an additional notice where reasonably appropriate.