Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how NearPe (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, shares, stores and protects personal data when you use our website https://nearpe.in, our mobile application and our partner APIs (together, the “Platform”). It is published under the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDP Act”).

By creating an account or using the Platform you agree to this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform. This Policy should be read together with our Terms & Conditions and Refund & Cancellation Policy.

1. Who we are

NearPe is a digital services platform for retailers, distributors, business partners and their customers. Through the Platform, users can recharge mobile and DTH connections, pay utility bills, apply for new or corrected PAN cards (through NSDL / Protean and UTIITSL), use identity and document verification services, open NSDL Payments Bank accounts as a Business Correspondent agent, and use our APIs. For the personal data described in this Policy, NearPe is the “Data Fiduciary” under the DPDP Act.

2. Data we collect

Type of data	What it includes
Account details	Name, mobile number, email address, username, date of birth, business / shop name, address, city, state and PIN code. Your password and wallet PIN are stored only in hashed (unreadable) form.
KYC and identity documents	PAN, Aadhaar number (stored masked wherever possible), GSTIN, photographs or scans of identity documents and a photo you choose to upload, when KYC is required by law or by our banking / service partners.
Transaction data	Details of recharges, bill payments, PAN applications, verification requests, account-opening requests and wallet transactions: amounts, operator / biller, customer or account numbers, order and reference numbers, status and time.
Payment data	When you add money, the payment is handled by a licensed payment gateway. We receive only the transaction reference, amount and status. We never see or store your card number, CVV, UPI PIN or net-banking password.
Bank details	Bank account number, IFSC and account holder name, only if you provide them for settlements or refunds.
Device and usage data	IP address, device model, operating system and app version, login time, and logs of API requests, which we keep for security, fraud prevention and troubleshooting.
Communications	Messages, complaints and support tickets you send us, and records of OTPs and notifications we send you (the OTP itself is never stored in readable form).

3. Data we do not collect

Our mobile app does not access your contacts, SMS inbox, call logs, microphone or location, and does not track you across other apps or websites. We do not use your data for third-party advertising, and we do not sell your personal data to anyone.

4. How we use your data

• To create and manage your account, verify your identity (KYC) and let you log in securely (including OTP verification).
• To process the services you request, such as recharges, bill payments, PAN applications, verifications and account opening, and to send you receipts and status updates.
• To maintain your wallet, calculate charges, commissions and taxes (GST / TDS), and to process refunds.
• To prevent, detect and investigate fraud, misuse and security incidents.
• To provide customer support and resolve complaints and disputes.
• To meet our legal obligations, such as record keeping under tax, anti-money-laundering and IT laws, and answering lawful requests from authorities.
• To send you service messages about your account and transactions. We send promotional messages only if you have not opted out, and you can opt out at any time.

We process your data on the basis of your consent, to perform the services you ask for, and to comply with law, as permitted by the DPDP Act.

5. Who we share it with

We share only the data needed for each service, and only with:

• Service providers who complete your request: PAN services (NSDL e-Gov / Protean and UTIITSL, through authorised service partners), telecom and DTH operators, Bharat BillPay (BBPS) billers and operating units, NSDL Payments Bank for account opening, and identity-verification providers.
• Payment gateways and banks that process payments you make to your wallet.
• Communication providers that deliver SMS OTPs, emails and notifications for us.
• Hosting and IT service providers that store and run the Platform for us, under confidentiality obligations.
• Your network on the Platform: if you were added by a distributor or partner, they can see your name, contact details and transaction summary for the purpose of managing their network and commissions.
• Government, regulators and law enforcement when required by law, court order or a lawful request, or to protect the rights, property or safety of our users and the public.
• A successor business, if our business is merged, acquired or restructured, subject to this Policy.

Each of these parties may use your data only for the purpose for which we share it.

6. Data of your customers

Retailers, partners and API users often enter details of their own customers (for example, a PAN applicant’s name, date of birth and mobile number, or a mobile number to recharge). When you do this, you confirm that you have the customer’s consent to share that data with us for the requested service, and that you will use any results only for that purpose. We process such customer data only to complete the requested service and keep it as described in section 7.

7. How long we keep it

• Account and KYC data: for as long as your account is active, and after closure only as long as the law requires.
• Transaction, wallet and invoice records: at least 8 years, as required by tax laws and the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 and its rules, even after your account is closed.
• Security logs and API request logs: generally up to 1 year, longer if needed to investigate an incident.

When the retention period ends, we delete the data or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

8. How we protect it

• All data travels over encrypted HTTPS connections.
• Passwords, wallet PINs and OTPs are stored only in hashed form. Aadhaar numbers are masked (only the last 4 digits shown) wherever possible.
• Two-factor login (OTP), wallet PIN for money actions, IP whitelisting and secret keys for API partners.
• Access to personal data is limited to staff and partners who need it, under confidentiality obligations.

No system is 100% secure. If a data breach affects you, we will inform you and the Data Protection Board of India as required by the DPDP Act. Please keep your password, PIN, OTP and API keys secret; we will never ask for them by phone or email.

9. Your rights

Under the DPDP Act you have the right to:

• Access a summary of your personal data and how we process it.
• Correct or update inaccurate or incomplete data. You can edit most profile details yourself, or contact us.
• Erase your data and close your account (see section 10), subject to the legal retention in section 7.
• Withdraw consent at any time. This does not affect processing already done, but we may be unable to continue providing services that need that data.
• Nominate another person to exercise your rights in case of death or incapacity.
• Raise a grievance with our Grievance Officer, and if you are not satisfied, with the Data Protection Board of India.

To use any of these rights, write to us using the details in section 14. We may ask you to verify your identity first.

10. Deleting your account

You can ask us to delete your account and personal data at any time:

• Online: go to Delete Account, enter your registered mobile number and confirm with the OTP we send. You do not need to install the app.
• In the app: open Profile → Delete Account.
• By email: write to care@nearpe.in from your registered email with the subject “Delete my account”.

We close the account and delete or anonymise your personal data within 30 days. Records we must keep by law (section 7) are kept securely for the required period and then deleted. Any wallet balance is refunded as described in our Refund & Cancellation Policy.

11. Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies only, to keep you logged in and to protect your session. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. If you block cookies in your browser, you may not be able to log in.

12. Children

The Platform is meant only for people aged 18 years or above. We do not knowingly create accounts for, or collect data from, anyone under 18. If you believe a child has given us personal data, contact us and we will delete it. Data of a minor that a retailer enters for a PAN application is processed only for that application, on the basis of the parent or guardian’s consent obtained by the retailer.

13. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top shows the latest version. If we make important changes, we will notify you in the app, on the website or by SMS / email before they take effect.

14. Grievance Officer & contact