ChargeIndex

Privacy Policy

This notice explains how the ChargeIndex website (ChargeIndex.eu) and the ChargeIndex mobile apps for iOS and Android process personal data, in accordance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP) and — where applicable to users from the European Economic Area — the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Sections 1–7 cover the website; section 8 covers the mobile apps. We collect as little data as possible, share no data with third parties for advertising, and use no tracking or analytics tools.

1. Controller

Raphael Sutter
Pestalozzistr. 42
8032 Zürich, Switzerland
Email: support@chargeindex.eu

The operator is based in Switzerland. Because the website is offered to users in the EU/EEA, the GDPR applies to that processing under Art. 3(2) GDPR in addition to the Swiss revFADP.

2. What data we process

2.1 Server logs on page load

When you access the website, our hoster (see section 4.1) automatically processes technical access data: IP address, date and time, requested URL, HTTP status code, amount of data transferred, referrer, and user agent.

Purpose: Technical delivery, stability, and security of the website.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR — legitimate interest in operating the site securely.
Retention: As part of Netlify's standard access logging (typically up to 30 days).

2.2 Contact form

If you write to us via the contact form on the home page, we process the data you enter (name, email address, message) to answer your enquiry.

Purpose: Handling and responding to the enquiry.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (pre-contractual steps) and/or Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in communicating with users).
Retention: For as long as necessary to answer the enquiry and any follow-up correspondence. Data is deleted afterwards, unless statutory retention obligations require otherwise.

2.3 Newsletter / Market Insights Reports

If you sign up for the Market Insights Reports, we process your email address to deliver the newsletter.

Purpose: Sending the newsletter covering market developments, price trends, and related analytics.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR — consent, given by submitting the sign-up form.
Retention: Until you withdraw your consent. You can withdraw it at any time by replying to any newsletter email or by writing to support@chargeindex.eu.

3. No cookies, no trackers, no analytics

ChargeIndex.eu sets no cookies and uses neither analytics nor marketing tracking (no Google Analytics, no ad pixels, no consent banner — because no consent-requiring storage takes place).

4. Processors and third-party services

4.1 Hosting — Netlify

The website is hosted by Netlify, Inc., 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA. Netlify processes the server-log data described in section 2.1 on our behalf under a data processing agreement. Privacy policy: netlify.com/privacy.

4.2 Form delivery — Web3Forms

Submissions from the contact and newsletter forms are delivered via Web3Forms (operated by Sapling Labs Inc., 8 The Green, Suite A, Dover, DE 19901, USA). Web3Forms processes the data you enter solely to relay the message to us as an email. Privacy policy: web3forms.com/privacy-policy.

4.3 Web fonts — Google Fonts

We load the typefaces "Inter" and "JetBrains Mono" via Google Fonts (Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland). Your IP address may be transmitted to Google in the process. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR — legitimate interest in a consistent and performant typographic presentation. Privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy.

4.4 Libraries — jsDelivr (Chart.js)

To render the price charts we load the Chart.js library via the jsDelivr content-delivery network (operated by Prospect One Piotr Dąbrowski sp.k., Poland). Your IP address is transmitted to jsDelivr in the process. Privacy policy: jsdelivr.com/privacy-policy.

4.5 Price-data API (our own server)

The price and ranking data shown on the site is served by our own API backend. Requests are forwarded server-side through Netlify to that backend (proxy pattern). From the backend's perspective, the request originates from Netlify — not directly from your browser — and no personal identifier is passed along.

5. International data transfers

Netlify (USA), Web3Forms (USA), Stadia Maps (USA, used by the app for address search, see section 8.5) and Expo (USA, used by the app for over-the-air updates, see section 8.5) are located outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. Transfers are carried out on the basis of the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (Art. 46 GDPR) and, where applicable, the EU–US and Swiss–US Data Privacy Framework (Art. 45 GDPR). An equivalent level of data protection cannot be fully guaranteed in all cases.

6. Your rights

Under the GDPR and the Swiss revFADP you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you (Art. 15 GDPR)
  • Rectification of inaccurate data (Art. 16 GDPR)
  • Erasure — the "right to be forgotten" (Art. 17 GDPR)
  • Restrict processing (Art. 18 GDPR)
  • Data portability (Art. 20 GDPR)
  • Object to processing (Art. 21 GDPR)
  • Withdraw any given consent with effect for the future (Art. 7(3) GDPR)

To exercise any of these rights, a short, informal message to support@chargeindex.eu is sufficient.

7. Right to lodge a complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority.

8. The ChargeIndex mobile apps (iOS and Android)

The following applies specifically to the ChargeIndex app for iOS (distributed via the Apple App Store) and for Android (distributed via Google Play). Both apps share the same code base and process data identically; any platform-specific differences are noted below. The app helps you find high-power (HPC) charging stations, compare them by price per kWh, and plan routes. All core features work without an account; you can optionally sign in to sync your vehicle garage across devices (see section 8.4).

8.1 Location data

With your consent, the app accesses your device location (GPS) to centre the map on your position, to show charging stations near you, and to plan routes from "My location". Your position is processed on your device; when you use the nearby search or start a route from "My location", your current coordinates are transmitted to our servers without any account reference solely to answer that request, and are not stored permanently. The in-app trip companion (live progress along a planned route) processes your position exclusively on the device. You can revoke the location permission at any time: on iOS under Settings → ChargeIndex → Location, and on Android under Settings → Apps → ChargeIndex → Permissions → Location.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR — consent, given via the operating-system permission dialog.

8.2 Address search and route parameters

When you type into the address search, the text you enter is transmitted to our geocoding provider Stadia Maps (see section 8.5) to suggest matching places. When you plan a route, your inputs (start and destination coordinates, selected vehicle, battery level, charging preferences) are transmitted to our own routing service (RouteZero, see section 8.7) to compute the route. Search and route requests are sent without any account reference. We do not store these requests permanently with any personal reference; temporary server-side caches are deleted automatically after 30 days and contain no user identifiers.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR — performance of a pre-contractual measure (providing the requested functionality).

8.3 Technical connection data

When the app calls our API endpoints, standard information is processed as with any HTTP connection: IP address, user agent, and timestamp. This data is stored in server logs for a maximum of 14 days and is used solely to maintain technical security (abuse detection, error diagnosis).

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR — legitimate interest in IT security.

8.4 Optional user account and vehicle garage

You can optionally create an account and sign in to synchronise your vehicle garage (selected vehicle models and battery settings) across devices. Authentication is handled by our own identity service (ZITADEL, self-hosted at auth.chargeindex.eu on servers in the EU) — no external identity provider receives your data. When you sign in, we process: your email address, your display name, your username, and a technical user ID.

  • On your device, the app stores your session (refresh token and the profile fields above) exclusively in the operating system's encrypted keychain/keystore. Signing out deletes this session and revokes the token on the server.
  • On our servers, your garage entries (vehicle model and battery-degradation setting) are stored linked only to your technical user ID — not to your email address or name.

Access to account data held in the identity service (such as your email address) and to garage data is restricted to a small number of administrators and takes place only where necessary for operating the service or handling a support request (need-to-know) — it is not part of routine operations.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR — performance of the user agreement you enter into by creating the account.
Retention: Until you delete your account. You can delete your account at any time directly in the app (Account → Delete account); this permanently removes your account at the identity service and all garage data linked to your user ID.

8.5 Feedback and station reviews

If you send feedback via the in-app form, we process the message you write, the app version, and your platform (iOS/Android); providing a reply email address is optional and it is used solely to answer you. If you post a station review, your star rating, the review text, and the optional display name you choose are stored with the station and shown to other users; reviews are not linked to an account. To limit abuse (rate limiting, spam removal), a one-way hash of your IP address is stored alongside the review; it is used solely for this purpose and is never displayed or shared. Please do not include personal data in review texts. To have a review or feedback message deleted, email support@chargeindex.eu.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (answering your enquiry) and Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (publishing your review).

8.6 What the app does not collect

No device IDs, no advertising IDs (neither Apple's IDFA nor the Google Advertising ID), no tracking cookies, no analytics events, no crash reports, and no push notifications. Neither app requests access to contacts, photos, or other personal device data. Signing in is optional — all map, price, and routing features work without an account.

8.7 External services used by the app

To provide its functionality, the app calls the following external servers. With every call at least your IP address is transmitted to the respective provider.

  • ChargeIndex backend (chargeindex.eu) — our own server in the EU. Returns charging stations for the currently visible map area and near your position, and stores account garage data (section 8.4).
  • RouteZero routing service (route.chargeindex.eu) — our own server in the EU. Receives start/destination coordinates, vehicle ID, and battery level to compute routes with charging stops. Requests carry no account reference.
  • ZITADEL identity service (auth.chargeindex.eu) — our own, self-hosted sign-in service in the EU (section 8.4). Only used when you sign in.
  • Stadia Maps (api.stadiamaps.com) — commercial geocoding service for the address search, operated by Stadia Maps Inc., USA. Receives the search text you type and your IP address. Transfer to the USA is safeguarded as described in section 5. Privacy policy.
  • MapTiler (api.maptiler.com) — commercial map-tile service based in Switzerland. Receives the map areas you view (tile coordinates) and your IP address. Privacy policy.
  • Expo / EAS Update (u.expo.dev) — update service operated by Expo (650 Industries, Inc., USA). On app launch the app checks for over-the-air updates; Expo receives your IP address, platform, and app/runtime version — no user identifiers. Transfer to the USA is safeguarded as described in section 5. Privacy policy.

If you open directions to a charging station or share a location, the app hands the coordinates over to the map app you choose (e.g. Google Maps or Apple Maps). This only happens when you actively tap the corresponding button; from that point on, the privacy policy of the respective provider applies.

When computing routes, our backend services may enrich the result with data from publicly available sources (e.g. Open Charge Map, NAP). No personal data about you is transmitted to those sources.

8.8 Data security and minors

All connections between the app and our servers are encrypted with TLS 1.2 or higher (HTTPS only). Our servers are located in data centres in the EU. The app is intended for adult users; we do not knowingly collect data from persons under 16. The rights described in section 6 and the right to lodge a complaint in section 7 apply equally to app users.

9. Changes to this policy

We update this privacy policy whenever the legal situation or the functionality of the website or the app changes materially. The current version is always available at this URL.

Last updated: .