Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

PALSTOP LTD (“PalStop”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is the developer and operator of ScorePal and the PalStop website.

PALSTOP LTD is the data controller for personal information processed directly by us.

Email: [email protected]

You can contact us at [email protected] if you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled.

2. What this policy covers

This Privacy Policy applies when you:

• use the ScorePal mobile application;
• visit the PalStop website;
• purchase or restore ScorePal Pro;
• share or import match information;
• contact PalStop for support; or
• use another related service provided by PALSTOP LTD.

This policy describes the information processed by PalStop and the third-party services used to operate, support and improve ScorePal.

3. ScorePal accounts

ScorePal does not currently require you to create a PalStop user account or provide an email address to use its core scoring features.

Purchases are associated with the relevant Google Play account and device services rather than a separate ScorePal account.

Because ScorePal does not currently provide PalStop user accounts, there is no ScorePal account that needs to be deleted. You can delete locally stored ScorePal information using the controls available within the app, by clearing the app’s data or by uninstalling the app.

This section will be updated if account functionality is introduced in the future.

4. Information stored on your device

ScorePal is designed as a primarily local-first application. Its core scoring information is normally stored on your device.

Depending on how you use ScorePal, this may include:

• player names;
• team names;
• locally generated participant identifiers;
• match details;
• scores and results;
• match history and statistics;
• current or unfinished games;
• app settings and preferences;
• custom games or sports;
• fishing records and photos you choose to capture or select; and
• other information you choose to enter.

This information is used to provide ScorePal’s scoring, history, statistics and match-management features.

Core records are stored locally. They can leave your device through sharing, support communications and device backups. Error reports may also contain record fragments as explained in section 7.

You should only enter information about another person where you are entitled to do so. Avoid entering unnecessary sensitive or confidential information.

5. Device backups

ScorePal does not disable Android's default app backup or define custom backup exclusions. Depending on your Android version, device and backup settings, locally stored records, preferences, fishing photos and the cached purchase token and entitlement information may be included in cloud backups or device-to-device transfers.

Deleting app data or uninstalling ScorePal does not necessarily delete backups or exported files. Backed-up information may be restored when the app is reinstalled or transferred to another device.

PalStop does not operate or control your device provider's backup service. Manage backups through your device or operating-system account.

6. Firebase Analytics

ScorePal enables Google Firebase Analytics automatically in release builds to understand app usage and improve the product. It is enabled for both free and Pro users. The app does not provide a separate Analytics collection switch or wait for the advertising consent form before enabling Analytics.

Analytics may process app-instance and advertising identifiers, app lifecycle and interaction events, device and app information, approximate location derived from IP addresses, and automatically recorded purchase events. ScorePal also sets a free-or-Pro tier property.

ScorePal does not add player names, team names or match text as custom Analytics events or parameters. Automatic SDK collection still applies.

Google processes Analytics information under its applicable terms. Advertising privacy choices should not be treated as a switch that disables all Firebase collection.

7. Firebase Crashlytics

ScorePal enables Google Firebase Crashlytics automatically in supported mobile release builds, for both free and Pro users, to diagnose failures and improve reliability. The app does not provide a separate Crashlytics collection switch.

Reports can include exception messages, stack traces, diagnostic logs, app and device information, installation identifiers and context such as the current screen, sport, free-or-Pro tier, participant type, match phase, timer state and orientation. Sport context can include a user-entered custom game name or an imported sport identifier.

The app does not deliberately set player or team names as custom crash-report fields. However, it forwards error details without a general redaction step. Errors encountered while reading or restoring saved records can contain fragments of stored or user-entered information. Crash reports therefore cannot be guaranteed to contain only technical information.

Google processes this information through Firebase Crashlytics and its supporting installation and session services.

8. ScorePal Pro and Google Play purchases

ScorePal implements ScorePal Pro as a one-time, non-consumable Google Play purchase. Purchase availability depends on Google Play and the purchase-verification service.

Google Play handles the payment transaction. ScorePal's purchase-verification request does not contain payment-card details.

To validate or restore Pro access, the app sends the product identifier and Google Play purchase token over HTTPS to PalStop's purchase-verification service hosted on Google Cloud Run. The service uses the configured Android package name to check purchase status with Google's Android Publisher API and returns whether the entitlement is active. Network infrastructure also processes technical information needed to deliver the request, such as the connecting IP address.

Verification can occur when purchasing, restoring, starting or resuming the app, and during periodic entitlement checks. A purchase token, product identifier and verification and last-seen timestamps are stored locally to maintain and recheck access. A previously verified entitlement can remain available offline unless it is subsequently verified as inactive.

The verification service's application logs record a generated request identifier, status, outcome and duration, and may record an upstream error status. Its application logging excludes purchase tokens, request bodies and IP addresses; hosting-provider logs are separate. It also temporarily holds hashed purchase tokens for request-rate limits.

This processing supports entitlement validation, restoration and protection against invalid purchase claims. Google's privacy policy and Google Play terms apply to information processed directly by Google.

9. Advertising and privacy choices

The free Android version of ScorePal includes banner and interstitial advertising provided by Google AdMob through the Google Mobile Ads SDK. Whether an advert is shown depends on consent eligibility, available inventory, screen size and the app's advertising rules.

Banner adverts can appear at the bottom of the Sports, match setup, People, participant profile, History, Current Games, app and match settings, fishing setup and fishing competition setup screens. They are suppressed during live scoring, including settings opened during a live match, and are not placed on Pro, match-details or editor screens. Banners are hidden when the keyboard is open, the route is not current or the app is in the background, and on screens too small for a supported banner.

A full-screen interstitial may appear when you use Back to return to the app's home screen from a newly completed match's details. The match must have lasted at least two minutes. Interstitials are limited to at most one every ten minutes, and the next eligible completed-match exit after an interstitial is skipped. An advert must already be loaded; navigation does not wait for an advert to load. Ordinary History or imported-match details do not trigger this placement.

When ScorePal recognises an active Pro entitlement, it suppresses banner and interstitial advertising. Pro does not disable Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics or purchase verification, and does not erase information previously processed by advertising services.

Google states that its Mobile Ads SDK collects and shares IP addresses, app and advert interactions, diagnostic information, and device or account identifiers, including the Android Advertising ID where available. These are used for advertising, measurement and fraud prevention. An IP address can be used to estimate general location. Availability and use of identifiers depend on device settings and applicable privacy signals. You can manage your Advertising ID through Android settings.

ScorePal uses Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) to request advertising privacy information in Android release builds and display a consent form when UMP requires one. The app's explicit advertising SDK initialisation and new advert requests are gated on UMP reporting that ads may be requested. UMP may use an existing choice from a previous session. This does not mean that all Google services wait for consent: a consent-information request itself communicates with Google before a form can be displayed, and Firebase starts separately as explained above.

For users in the UK, EEA and Switzerland, the form and choices available depend on the European regulations message configured for ScorePal in AdMob. The app does not force all requests to be non-personalised. Ad serving may be personalised, non-personalised or limited according to the choices and privacy signals applied by Google; permission to request ads does not itself mean consent to personalised advertising.

The current mobile More sheet and wide-screen More menu do not expose a control to reopen advertising privacy choices. The app therefore does not currently provide a reliably accessible in-app route to change or withdraw an earlier advertising choice. You can contact [email protected] about your information, but a support request or an Android Advertising ID change is not a replacement for withdrawing consent through Google's consent form.

Google's Privacy Policy also explains its processing. Advertising privacy choices do not delete previously collected information or turn off the separate Firebase services described above.

10. Match sharing, exporting and importing

ScorePal may allow you to share, export or import match information.

When you choose to share a match, the selected information may be placed into a file, link, QR code, message or another supported sharing format.

Match export and sharing features run when you select them. They generate JSON files, result images, QR images or import links for the system sharing or save interface. Import links contain the match payload itself; they do not upload the match to a PalStop sharing server.

A match-data export serialises the match record, including player or team names, participant and match identifiers, scores, settings and other match fields. Result images contain a rendered summary. Review the selected format carefully: a data file or QR code can contain more information than a visible score summary.

If you share information through a messaging, email, cloud-storage or file-sharing service, that provider’s privacy practices will also apply.

Once information has been sent to another person or third-party service, PalStop cannot control how that recipient subsequently uses or shares it.

Review information carefully before sharing it. ScorePal uses system file interfaces for import and export, and the camera or photo picker when you choose a fishing photo. Selected photos are copied into app storage. Any device permissions or access choices are handled by the relevant system interface. Opening privacy or store-rating links uses an external app or browser, whose provider may process the resulting request.

11. Support communications

If you contact PalStop for help or support, we may receive information including:

• your email address;
• your name, if you provide it;
• the content of your message;
• device, operating-system or app-version information;
• screenshots, videos or files you choose to provide;
• purchase information needed to investigate a purchase problem; and
• any other information you choose to include.

We use this information to respond to your enquiry, investigate problems, provide support and improve our services.

Please avoid sending information that is not needed to deal with your enquiry.

12. Information processed when you visit our website

When you visit the PalStop website, limited technical information may be processed automatically by our website hosting, security and infrastructure providers.

This may include:

• your IP address;
• browser type;
• device type;
• operating system;
• requested pages;
• date and time of access;
• referring website or page;
• security and error information; and
• information required to deliver and protect the website.

This information is used to provide the website, maintain security, prevent misuse, investigate technical problems and understand website performance.

The PalStop website is delivered through Cloudflare. Cloudflare may process request, security and network-error information to deliver and protect the website. Its Privacy Policy describes its handling of information.

The website loads fonts from Google Fonts. Google receives technical information required to deliver those resources, including your IP address and browser information.

13. Cookies and similar technologies

The website page code does not set cookies or include analytics or advertising trackers. Hosting and security services may use technologies needed to deliver or protect the website. This is separate from the advertising and Firebase services in the ScorePal app.

We will not use non-essential analytics, advertising or profiling cookies without providing the information and consent choices required by applicable law.

If the website’s use of cookies changes, this policy and any required cookie controls will be updated.

14. Why we process information

Depending on the information and the circumstances, PalStop may rely on the following lawful bases:

Providing a service or performing a contract

We may process information when necessary to provide a requested service, validate a ScorePal Pro purchase, restore an entitlement or respond to a service-related request.

Legitimate interests

We may process limited information where necessary for our legitimate interests in operating, supporting, securing and improving ScorePal and the PalStop website.

When relying on legitimate interests, we consider the effect of the processing on users and limit the information used to what is reasonably necessary.

Consent

We may rely on consent where it is legally required. You can withdraw your consent for future processing, although this does not make earlier processing unlawful.

Legal obligations

We may process or retain information where necessary to comply with a legal, regulatory, accounting or law-enforcement obligation.

15. Service providers

PalStop uses selected service providers to operate, secure, support and improve ScorePal and the PalStop website.

Depending on the features in use, these may include:

• Google Firebase Analytics;
• Google Firebase Crashlytics and its supporting installation and session services;
• Google AdMob, Google Mobile Ads and Google UMP for advertising and privacy choices;
• Google Play and Google Play Billing;
• Google Cloud Run for PalStop’s purchase-verification service;
• website hosting and infrastructure providers;
• Cloudflare for website delivery and security;
• Google Fonts for website fonts; and
• email and support-service providers.

These providers may process limited information on PalStop’s behalf or independently under their own terms, depending on the service.

PalStop remains responsible for ensuring that its use of service providers is appropriate and consistent with applicable data-protection requirements.

We do not sell personal information.

16. International transfers

Some of PalStop’s service providers operate internationally. Information processed through those providers may be transferred to or accessed from countries outside the United Kingdom.

Where required, PalStop uses appropriate safeguards for international transfers. These may include adequacy regulations, approved contractual safeguards or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

17. How long information is retained

Information stored locally in ScorePal generally remains on your device until you delete the relevant record, clear ScorePal’s application data or uninstall the app. Information may remain in a device backup until that backup is deleted or expires under the backup provider’s rules.

Analytics, diagnostic and advertising information is retained under the relevant Google service settings and retention arrangements. Device advertising and consent settings do not necessarily delete previously collected information.

The app retains its local verified purchase cache until it is cleared or verification establishes that the entitlement is inactive. The verification server uses an in-memory rate-limit window that resets on a subsequent request after one minute, or when the process ends. Application and infrastructure logs have separate retention arrangements.

Support communications are retained only for as long as reasonably necessary to deal with the enquiry, maintain appropriate business records and meet applicable legal requirements.

Website security and technical logs are retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for security, troubleshooting and operational purposes.

When information is no longer required, it will be deleted, anonymised or allowed to expire in accordance with the relevant system’s retention arrangements.

18. Security

PalStop takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect information handled through its services.

These measures may include:

• using encrypted HTTPS connections for information transmitted to PalStop services;
• restricting access to systems and service accounts;
• limiting the information collected;
• using reputable service providers;
• monitoring technical errors and security events; and
• maintaining and updating software and dependencies.

No method of electronic storage or transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

19. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law may give you the right to:

• request access to your personal information;
• have inaccurate or incomplete information corrected;
• request deletion of your information;
• restrict how your information is processed;
• object to certain processing;
• receive certain information in a portable format;
• withdraw consent where processing relies on consent; and
• complain to a data-protection regulator.

These rights may be subject to legal conditions or exemptions.

To make a request, email [email protected].

We may need to request information to confirm your identity before responding to certain requests.

Please note that PalStop may be unable to access or identify information stored only on your device. Locally stored information can be managed through ScorePal or your device settings.

20. Complaints

If you are concerned about how PalStop handles personal information, please contact us first at [email protected] so that we can investigate.

You may also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

Information Commissioner’s Office
Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

21. Children

ScorePal is a general-purpose scoring application. It is not designed to collect children’s contact details or require users to provide their age as part of its core scoring functionality.

Users should not enter unnecessary sensitive or confidential information about a child into player, team or match records.

If you enter or share information relating to another person, including a child, you are responsible for ensuring that you are entitled to use and share that information.

If PalStop becomes aware that personal information has been provided to us inappropriately, we will take reasonable steps to address the situation.

22. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when ScorePal or other PalStop services change, or where updates are required for legal, regulatory, security or technical reasons.

The latest version will be published at:

https://palstop.com/privacy/

The “Last updated” date at the top of the page will show when the policy was most recently changed.

Where a material change affects how ScorePal handles personal information, we will provide additional notice where appropriate.

23. Contact us

For privacy questions, requests or complaints, contact:

Email: [email protected]