Privacy Policy

01 Introduction

ChargeArena is an EV Charge Point Operator (CPO) operated by ChargeArena Private Limited ("ChargeArena," "we," "us," or "our"). We deploy and operate high-power DC fast charging stations across Maharashtra and provide an app-less charging experience powered by our affiliated payments stack, AmpPay.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information from EV drivers, site hosts, franchise partners, and visitors to chargearena.in. It is published in accordance with Rule 3(1) of the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act").

By using our charging service or website, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

02 Information we collect

2.1 Information drivers provide

• Mobile number — to authenticate your session and send receipts, OTPs, and status updates over SMS.
• UPI handle — used by AmpPay to initiate the payment and the residual-balance refund. We do not see or store your UPI PIN.
• Vehicle information (optional) — make, model, connector type. Helps us improve compatibility coverage and recommend nearby stations.
• Email address (optional) — only if you choose to receive itemised receipts or sign up for franchise/site-host communications.

2.2 Information generated by your session

• Station identifier, bay number, session start/end timestamps.
• Energy dispensed (kWh), applicable tariff, total amount paid and refunded.
• Charger telemetry (connector status, fault codes, power profile) — used for operations and safety, not for individual profiling.
• Transaction reference IDs from AmpPay and the underlying payment gateway.

2.3 Technical information

• Device type, operating system, and browser used to access our charging web app.
• IP address and approximate location (city-level) derived from it.
• Usage logs, error logs, and diagnostic information necessary to operate the platform.

2.4 What we never collect or store

03 How we use your information

• Service delivery — authenticate you, start and monitor your charging session, dispense the energy you paid for, and refund any unused balance to your original payment method.
• Communication — send session updates, receipts, refund confirmations, and operational alerts over SMS, email, and in-browser notifications.
• Site host settlement — calculate the site host's revenue share (₹1.50–₹2.00 per unit dispensed) and disburse it on the next business day.
• Reconciliation — match transactions across the charger, AmpPay, the payment gateway, and the YoCharge discovery network where applicable.
• Customer support — diagnose issues you raise via phone, email, or our multilingual AI voice agent.
• Product improvement — analyse aggregate, anonymised session patterns to improve uptime, hardware reliability, and the driver experience.
• Legal and regulatory compliance — satisfy obligations under the IT Act 2000, DPDP Act 2023, Companies Act 2013, GST law, MERC Orders, and BEE/MoP EV guidelines.
• Fraud prevention — detect and block fraudulent transactions, unauthorised access, and abuse of the charging infrastructure.

04 When we share information

4.1 With our payments partner, AmpPay

To process your payment and any refund, we share the session's transaction metadata (amount, timestamps, session ID) with AmpPay. AmpPay then routes the transaction to its RBI-licensed payment gateway partners.

4.2 With RBI-licensed payment gateways

Through AmpPay, transactions are processed by Kotak Bank and CCAvenue. They handle the payment instrument; their own privacy policies govern that handling.

4.3 With site hosts

Site hosts receive only the aggregated, anonymised data necessary to verify their revenue share — units dispensed per day, total revenue accrued, settlement amount. They do not receive your name, phone number, vehicle details, or any other identifier.

4.4 With discovery networks (YoCharge)

If you discover a ChargeArena station through a third-party network app (ChargeZone, Statiq, Tata Power EZ, JioBP, OEM apps for Maruti, Mahindra, Hyundai, etc.), session metadata is shared with that network through YoCharge so the session reconciles in the app you started it from. The third-party app's privacy policy governs its handling of your data.

4.5 With government, regulators, and law enforcement

We disclose information when required by a valid court order, subpoena, RBI/BEE/MERC directive, MSEDCL request, or other lawful demand under Indian law. We will challenge requests we believe to be overbroad or unlawful.

4.6 With trusted service providers

Cloud hosting, SMS gateways, email delivery, analytics, customer-support tooling, and AI voice support (Sarvam AI, OpenAI, Twilio) — each bound by contractual confidentiality and data-protection obligations.

05 Data security

We protect your information with industry-standard measures including:

• TLS/SSL encryption for all data in transit between your device, our chargers, and our servers.
• Encryption at rest for stored personal data.
• Hardened cloud infrastructure with role-based access controls and audit logging.
• Tokenisation of payment references — we store transaction IDs, not card or UPI credentials.
• Periodic security reviews and penetration testing.
• Mandatory access training for all personnel with access to personal data.

No system is perfect. If we ever experience a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and the Data Protection Board of India in accordance with the DPDP Act.

06 Data retention

We retain personal information only as long as required to:

• Deliver and reconcile the charging service you used.
• Comply with statutory record-keeping obligations — typically seven (7) years for financial and tax records under the Companies Act and the Income Tax Act.
• Resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and defend legal claims.

After the retention period, we delete or irreversibly anonymise the data.

07 Your rights under the DPDP Act, 2023

As a Data Principal under Indian law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Update your contact and vehicle details.
• Erase your personal data, subject to our statutory retention obligations (e.g., financial records).
• Withdraw consent for non-essential processing at any time.
• Nominate a person to exercise these rights on your behalf in the event of death or incapacity.
• File a grievance with our Grievance Officer (see Section 12).
• Approach the Data Protection Board of India if you are dissatisfied with our response.

To exercise any of these rights, email support@amppay.in from the address or phone associated with your account. We will respond within thirty (30) days.

08 Cookies and similar technologies

Our website and charging web app use:

• Essential cookies and local storage — required to keep your session active during a charge and to remember your last-used station. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics — privacy-respecting analytics (no third-party advertising trackers) to understand how our site is used. You can opt out via your browser settings or by using the Do Not Track signal, which we honour.

We do not run advertising trackers, cross-site profiling, or social-media tracking pixels.

09 Third-party links

This website may link to external sites — government portals, regulators, partners. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. Please review their policies before sharing personal information.

10 Children's privacy

ChargeArena's services are intended for users aged eighteen (18) and above. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under eighteen. If you believe a minor has provided us information, please write to support@amppay.in and we will delete it.

11 Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated in advance via email (if we hold your email) or a prominent notice on this page. Continued use of our service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12 Grievance Officer

In compliance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the DPDP Act, 2023, we have designated a Grievance Officer to address concerns about your personal data.

13 Governing law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of India, including the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and applicable Rules. Any disputes arising from this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts at Nashik, Maharashtra.

14 Contact us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or our handling of your data:

• Email · support@amppay.in
• Phone · +91 99201 89625
• Post · ChargeArena Private Limited, Maharashtra, India