Privacy policy.

This Privacy Policy describes how Vela ("we", "our", "us") collects, uses, and shares information when you use our mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service"). By using the Service, you agree to the practices described here.

1. Information we collect

We collect the following categories of information:

• Account information: name, email address, profile photo (if provided via Google or Apple sign-in), country, and location.
• Profile information: birth month and year, currency preference, language preference, interests (wardrobe / skincare / makeup), and the reasons you signed up.
• Catalogue content: items you add to Vela — names, brands, photos, colours, materials, sizes, prices, purchase dates, notes, barcodes, and any other metadata you choose to provide.
• Usage data: wear logs, outfit and routine compositions, trips, packing lists, and other activity within the app.
• Technical data: device type, operating system, IP address, time zone, and general analytics about how you interact with the Service.
• Payment data: processed by our payment partners (Stripe and/or Apple). We don't store full card numbers — only the subscription state and minimal identifiers required to manage your plan.

2. How we use your information

• To provide, maintain, and improve the Service.
• To personalise recommendations — for example, packing lists, outfit suggestions, and shopping prompts based on the items you own and the trips you plan.
• To process subscription payments and manage your account.
• To send service-related communications (account verification, billing, important updates) and, with your permission, marketing emails. You can unsubscribe from marketing at any time.
• To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security issues.
• To comply with legal obligations.

3. Aggregate insights

We may produce aggregated and anonymised insights from Vela usage — for example, trends in colour preferences, popular materials, or wardrobe composition by season or region. These insights are statistical in nature and do not identify any individual user.

We may share or sell these aggregate insights to brand partners, retailers, or researchers. We do not sell personal data tied to your identity (your name, email, photos, or specific catalogue items).

4. How we share your information

We share information with:

• Service providers who help us run Vela — cloud hosting (Vercel), database (e.g. Neon / Turso), image storage (e.g. Cloudflare R2), email delivery, payment processing (Stripe, Apple), and analytics.
• Authentication providers when you sign in (Google, Apple) — they receive only what's needed to confirm your identity.
• Legal authorities if required by law, court order, or to protect our rights and the safety of users.
• An acquirer in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business.

We do not share your personal information with advertisers for the purpose of targeting you with their ads outside of Vela.

5. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Export your catalogue and usage data in a portable format.
• Correct inaccurate data.
• Delete your account and associated personal data.
• Object to certain processing (including the use of your data for aggregate-insight products).
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@velatheapp.com.

6. Data retention

We retain your personal data while your account is active. If you delete your account, we delete or anonymise your personal data within 30 days, except where we're legally required to retain it (for example, financial records for tax purposes).

7. Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data — encryption in transit, secure cloud infrastructure, and access controls. No system is perfectly secure, but we treat your data with care and notify you promptly in the event of a material breach.

8. Children

Vela is not directed at children under 13 (or under 16 in the EU/UK). We don't knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we'll delete it.

9. International transfers

Vela operates from the UK. If you're outside the UK, your data may be transferred to and processed in countries with different data-protection laws. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll notify you by email or via the app before they take effect.

11. Contact us

Questions? Email hello@velatheapp.com.