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Shelve Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 9 August 2026

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Introduction

Shelve App Ltd (“Shelve”, “we”, “our” or “us”) operates the Shelve mobile application, the website at shelveapp.com, and related products and services (collectively, the “Service”).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store and protect personal information when you use Shelve.

Shelve is currently available to users in New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

By creating a Shelve account, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy and agree to our Terms of Service.

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Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you use Shelve and the features you choose to use.

Account Information

A Shelve account is required to use the app.

When you create or maintain an account, we may collect:

  • your email address;

  • your name, which is required on Android and optional on iOS;

  • authentication information; and

  • other profile or account information you choose to provide.

You may sign in using email authentication or Sign in with Apple.

If you use Sign in with Apple, we receive information that Apple makes available based on your choices and account settings. This may include a private relay email address if you choose to hide your email address.

We use third-party authentication services to securely support account creation and sign-in.

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User Content

We collect information that you choose to create, upload, import, store or otherwise provide through Shelve (“User Content”).

Depending on the features you use, User Content may include:

  • recipes and recipe information;

  • pantry items and pantry information;

  • grocery lists;

  • meal plans;

  • notes;

  • photographs and images;

  • uploaded documents, including PDFs;

  • videos; and

  • other information or content you choose to provide through the Service.

You retain ownership of your User Content as described in our Terms of Service.

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Camera, Photos and Documents

Some Shelve features allow you to capture or upload images and documents.

If you choose to use these features, Shelve may request permission to access:

  • your device camera;

  • your photo library; or

  • files or documents you choose to upload.

We use these permissions to provide the feature you request.

Shelve does not use these permissions to generally access your camera, photo library or documents independently of the functionality you choose to use.

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Household Information

Household sharing is available through certain Premium functionality.

If you create or participate in a shared household, Shelve may process information and User Content shared between authorised household members, such as:

  • pantry items;

  • recipes;

  • grocery lists;

  • meal plans; and

  • other information made available within the shared household.

Depending on the functionality available, authorised household members may be able to view, add, edit or delete shared information.

If you invite another person to a household, you currently provide their name and email address manually. Shelve does not access your contacts or address book to obtain this information.

We use the invitee's name and email address to facilitate the invitation and household-sharing functionality.

If an invitation is not accepted, we do not retain the invitee's information indefinitely and will delete it when it is no longer reasonably required for the invitation.

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Subscription and Payment Information

Shelve offers a Free tier and an optional Premium subscription.

How your Premium subscription is processed depends on the platform you use.

Android: Premium subscriptions purchased through Shelve on Android are processed by a third-party payment processor.

iOS: Premium subscriptions purchased through the Shelve iOS app are processed through Apple's In-App Purchase system.

Shelve does not store your full payment card details.

Depending on the platform and payment method, we may receive limited subscription or transaction information necessary to manage Premium, such as:

  • subscription status;

  • transaction or subscription identifiers;

  • payment confirmation;

  • subscription dates; and

  • related billing information.

Your payment provider or platform may separately collect and process payment and account information in accordance with its own privacy practices.

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Device, Technical and Usage Information

When you use Shelve, we may automatically collect technical and usage information such as:

  • IP address;

  • device type or model;

  • operating system;

  • app version;

  • device or application identifiers;

  • feature usage;

  • interactions with the Service;

  • crash information;

  • performance information; and

  • diagnostic information.

We use this information to operate, secure, troubleshoot, understand and improve the Service.

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Analytics and Session Information

We use third-party analytics, performance-monitoring and troubleshooting services to understand how Shelve is used and identify technical issues.

These services may process technical and usage information and may provide session-replay functionality that helps us understand technical problems and how users interact with the app.

Where session-replay functionality is used, we configure masking designed to prevent sensitive and user-entered content from appearing in session recordings.

We use this information for purposes such as:

  • identifying bugs and crashes;

  • diagnosing technical problems;

  • understanding feature usage;

  • monitoring performance; and

  • improving the usability and reliability of Shelve.

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Communications

If you contact us, we may collect the information contained in your communication, including your email address and anything else you choose to provide.

Support enquiries are currently handled through our email inbox.

We may retain communications where reasonably necessary to respond to your enquiry, resolve issues, maintain appropriate business records or comply with legal obligations.

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Information We Receive From Other People

Most personal information we collect comes directly from you or is automatically generated when you use the Service.

In some circumstances, we may receive information about you from another Shelve user.

For example, a Premium user may provide your name and email address when inviting you to join a shared household.

We use information received in this way only for the relevant purpose, such as facilitating the household invitation, and handle it in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.

Where required by law, we will take reasonable steps to notify you about the collection of personal information we receive about you from another source.

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How We Use Information

We may use personal information to:

  • create, authenticate and manage your Shelve account;

  • provide the features and functionality you choose to use;

  • store and synchronise your recipes, pantry information, grocery lists, meal plans and other User Content;

  • provide household-sharing functionality;

  • process and manage Premium subscriptions;

  • provide AI-powered and automated features;

  • send app reminders and app-update notifications;

  • communicate with you about Shelve;

  • respond to support requests and feedback;

  • operate, maintain and secure the Service;

  • understand how the Service is used;

  • diagnose bugs, crashes and technical issues;

  • improve the performance, usability and reliability of Shelve;

  • prevent fraud, abuse and unauthorised access;

  • enforce our Terms of Service; and

  • comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

We may also use aggregated or de-identified information where it no longer reasonably identifies an individual.

Shelve does not sell or rent your personal information.

Shelve does not provide your personal information to third parties for those third parties' own marketing or advertising purposes.

Shelve does not currently use your personal information or activity for personalised marketing.

 

Artificial Intelligence Services

Some Shelve features use third-party artificial intelligence services.

When you choose to use a Shelve feature that requires AI processing, information relevant to your request may be sent to an AI service provider for processing.

Depending on the feature, this may include:

  • recipe text and recipe information;

  • photographs or other images;

  • uploaded documents;

  • pantry information;

  • grocery lists; and

  • other User Content reasonably relevant to the feature you have chosen to use.

We provide this information to our AI service provider only as reasonably necessary to provide the relevant AI-powered functionality and operate and support the Service.

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AI Training

Shelve does not use your User Content to train artificial intelligence models.

We use AI services and data controls under which User Content submitted by Shelve is not used to train the AI provider's models.

We do not opt in to using Shelve User Content to train or improve third-party general-purpose AI models.

The fact that information is not used for model training does not necessarily mean that an AI provider never processes or temporarily retains information. Information submitted to an AI provider may be processed and retained in accordance with our service arrangements, applicable settings and the provider's applicable data-handling practices.

For more information about the limitations of AI-generated outputs, please see our Terms of Service.

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Push Notifications

Shelve may send push notifications for purposes such as:

  • app reminders; and

  • app updates.

We use a third-party push-notification service to deliver these notifications.

For this purpose, the service receives information necessary to identify the relevant device and deliver the notification.

We do not provide your User Content to the push-notification provider for the purpose of delivering notifications.

You can manage push-notification permissions through your device settings.

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Product Update Emails

We may send you emails about Shelve product updates.

We use a third-party email communications provider to help deliver these emails.

We do not currently use your personal information or activity to individually target product-update emails based on your behaviour within Shelve.

You may unsubscribe from product-update emails using the unsubscribe method provided in the email.

We may still send communications that are reasonably necessary for your account, subscription, security, legal matters or operation of the Service where appropriate.

 

How We Share Information

We disclose personal information only where reasonably necessary to operate Shelve, provide functionality requested by users, comply with legal requirements, or for another purpose permitted by applicable law.

We may share or otherwise make personal information available to trusted third-party service providers that process information on our behalf or help us provide the Service.

These may include providers of:

  • cloud hosting, storage and infrastructure;

  • authentication and account services;

  • analytics, performance monitoring and troubleshooting;

  • payment and subscription processing;

  • artificial intelligence and automated processing;

  • push notifications;

  • email and other communications;

  • website hosting and analytics; and

  • other technical and operational services necessary to provide Shelve.

We require service providers to handle personal information consistently with their role in providing services to us and subject to appropriate privacy, security and contractual safeguards where required.

We may also disclose personal information:

  • where required by law, regulation, court order or another lawful request;

  • where reasonably necessary to investigate fraud, abuse, security incidents or unlawful activity;

  • to protect the rights, property or safety of Shelve, our users or others;

  • in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, sale of assets or similar corporate transaction; or

  • where you direct or authorise us to disclose the information.

We do not sell or rent your personal information.

We do not provide your personal information to third parties for those third parties' own marketing or advertising purposes.

 

Shared Households and Privacy

Information you place in a shared household may be visible to other authorised household members.

Depending on the functionality available, other household members may be able to view, add, edit or delete shared content.

You should only add information to a shared household if you are comfortable sharing that information with the other authorised members.

Shelve does not control how another household member uses information that they can legitimately access through the household feature outside of the Service.

You can manage household participation through the functionality Shelve makes available.

 

Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to provide functionality and understand how visitors use the website.

We use third-party website analytics services for these purposes.

These technologies may collect information such as:

  • browser and device information;

  • IP address;

  • pages viewed;

  • interactions with the website; and

  • visit and session information.

You may be able to control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

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Advertising

The Free tier of Shelve may include advertising.

We may use third-party advertising services to provide advertising within the Service.

At present, Shelve does not use personal information or user activity for personalised advertising or cross-service behavioural advertising.

We do not provide personal information to third parties for those third parties' own advertising or marketing purposes.

If our advertising practices change in a way that involves additional collection, disclosure, personalised advertising, device advertising identifiers or cross-service tracking, we will update this Privacy Policy and implement any permissions, notices or consent mechanisms required by applicable law or the relevant platform.

Premium is intended to be provided without the advertising displayed as part of Free, as described in our Terms of Service.

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Data Storage and International Processing

Shelve is a New Zealand company, but we use service providers that may operate, store information or process information in other countries.

As a result, personal information may be transferred to, stored in or processed outside New Zealand or outside the country in which you live.

Privacy and data-protection laws in those countries may differ from those in your country.

Where required by applicable law, we take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas processing and disclosures are subject to appropriate privacy and data-protection safeguards.

 

Data Retention and Deletion

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and for legitimate legal, accounting, security and operational requirements.

 

User Content

You may delete individual User Content, such as recipes, pantry information, grocery lists, photographs or uploaded documents.

When you delete User Content, it is deleted from Shelve's active systems.

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Account Deletion

You may delete your Shelve account.

When you delete your account, your personalised app data is deleted from Shelve's active systems.

Residual information may temporarily remain in system backups. Backup information is not maintained as active personalised account data and is handled through our normal backup lifecycle and security processes.

We may retain limited records where reasonably necessary for:

  • tax or accounting requirements;

  • legal or regulatory obligations;

  • fraud prevention;

  • security;

  • resolving disputes;

  • establishing or defending legal claims; or

  • other legitimate compliance purposes.

Where information is no longer reasonably required, we delete, anonymise or otherwise securely dispose of it as appropriate.

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Subscription Records

Limited subscription, payment and transaction records may be retained where required for accounting, tax, financial, fraud-prevention, dispute-resolution or legal purposes.

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Effect of Account Deletion on Premium

If you use Android, deleting your Shelve account also cancels your Shelve Premium subscription.

If you subscribe through Apple's In-App Purchase system on iOS, deleting your Shelve account does not automatically cancel your Apple subscription. You must separately cancel the subscription through your Apple Account or Apple's subscription-management functionality.

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Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards designed to protect personal information.

These measures may include:

  • encrypted transmission;

  • access controls;

  • authentication controls;

  • secure cloud infrastructure;

  • monitoring and logging;

  • restricted access to systems and information; and

  • other reasonable security measures appropriate to the nature of the information we process.

However, no internet-based service, transmission method or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

If we become aware of a privacy breach, we will assess and respond to it in accordance with applicable law, including any applicable notification requirements.

 

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights concerning your personal information.

These may include rights to:

  • request access to personal information we hold about you;

  • request correction of inaccurate personal information;

  • request deletion of certain personal information;

  • withdraw consent where processing depends on consent;

  • object to or restrict certain processing where applicable; and

  • make a complaint to an applicable privacy or data-protection authority.

Shelve does not currently provide an in-app tool for downloading a complete copy of your account data.

You can contact us to exercise applicable privacy rights at:

hello@shelveapp.com

We may need to take reasonable steps to verify your identity before responding to certain requests.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy limits privacy rights available to you under applicable law.

 

New Zealand, Australia and United States Users

Shelve is currently made available in New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

We handle personal information in accordance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and other privacy and data-protection laws applicable to Shelve and its processing activities.

Users in Australia or the United States may have additional rights under applicable federal, state or territory laws.

The availability and scope of particular privacy rights depend on the applicable law and, in some cases, factors such as the nature and scale of our activities.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to limit a privacy right that cannot lawfully be limited.

 

Users Under 16

Shelve is not intended for children under 16 years of age, and you must be at least 16 to create and use a Shelve account.

Shelve does not collect users' dates of birth.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.

If you believe that a child under 16 has provided personal information to Shelve, please contact us at hello@shelveapp.com so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

 

Third-Party Links and Services

Shelve or our website may contain links to websites or services operated by third parties.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites or services that we do not control.

We encourage you to review the privacy information provided by those third parties before providing personal information to them.

 

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to:

  • Shelve's features;

  • our technology or service providers;

  • our data practices;

  • applicable laws or regulatory requirements; or

  • our business.

If we make a material change to how we collect, use or disclose personal information, we will provide reasonable notice where required or appropriate, such as through the app, by email or through the Service.

The date at the top of this Privacy Policy indicates when it was last updated.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

 

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or how Shelve handles personal information, please contact:

Shelve App Ltd
Suite 15630, Unit A, Ground Floor
26 Hobson Street
Auckland 1010
New Zealand

Email: hello@shelveapp.com

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