Butu Privacy Policy
Last updated: 19 October 2026. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data Butu collects, how we use it, and the choices you have.
Introduction
Butu (“Butu”, “we”, “us”) operates a mobility and delivery platform in Nigeria that connects riders with drivers, customers with restaurants and merchants, and senders with delivery partners. This policy applies to the Butu customer app and the Butu Driver, Partner, Food Delivery and Courier apps, as well as this website. By using Butu you agree to the practices described here.
Information we collect
- Account details — your name, phone number, email address (if provided) and profile photo.
- Location data — your saved pickup/drop-off and delivery addresses and, with your permission, your device location while you use ride, food, courier, car-hire or shuttle features. Drivers and delivery partners share live location while a trip or order is in progress so you can track it on the map.
- Trips, orders & activity — your ride bookings, food and parcel orders, shuttle seat bookings, car-hire reservations, cart and how you browse within the app.
- Payment information — your chosen payment method (cash, card or wallet) and, for drivers/partners, payout details. Card payments are processed by our payment providers; we do not store your full card or bank-account numbers.
- Communications — in-app chat messages, ratings and reviews, and call metadata. Calls between you and a driver, restaurant or delivery partner are connected through Butu so your phone number is not shown to the other party.
- Camera & documents — for drivers, partners and delivery partners, photos and identity, vehicle and registration documents you upload for verification.
- Device & technical data — device identifiers, app version, language preference and push-notification tokens.
How we use your information
- Create and manage your account and show you nearby drivers, restaurants, shuttle routes and services.
- Book, fulfil and complete your rides, orders, shuttle seats and car-hire reservations, and connect you with drivers and delivery partners.
- Calculate fares and delivery fees, process payments and issue receipts.
- Send trip and order updates, chat messages and service notifications.
- Provide customer support and resolve disputes.
- Keep the platform safe — verify drivers and partners, and prevent fraud and abuse. Our SOS/emergency features let you share your trip and raise an alert.
- Understand usage so we can improve and develop Butu.
How we share information
- With drivers, restaurants and delivery partners — only the details needed to complete your trip or order (such as your name, pickup/delivery address and order contents).
- With service providers — hosting, maps, payment, messaging and calling providers (including Google Maps for maps and place search, and Firebase for notifications) who process data on our behalf under confidentiality obligations.
- For legal and safety reasons — where required by law, or to protect the rights and safety of our users and the public.
- We do not sell your personal data.
Location & background location
With your permission, Butu uses your device location to set your pickup point, show nearby drivers and restaurants, calculate fares and enable live trip and order tracking. The Butu Driver, Food Delivery and Courier apps collect a driver's or delivery partner's location in the background while they are online so riders and customers can track an active trip or delivery, so trips can be dispatched fairly, and for safety. Location is not collected in the background when the driver or delivery partner is offline. You can grant or revoke location access at any time in your device settings.
Notifications
With your permission we send push notifications for trip and order status, new trip/job requests (for drivers and delivery partners), chat messages and important service updates. You can turn notifications off in your device settings, but you may then miss time-sensitive trip or delivery alerts.
Data retention
We keep your personal data while your account is active. When you delete your account we remove your personal data, except records we must keep for legal, tax, accounting and fraud-prevention reasons:
| Trip, order & invoice records | Up to 7 years (statutory financial/tax requirement), then deleted. |
|---|---|
| Fraud / safety records | Up to 12 months where required to prevent abuse, then deleted. |
See our Account & Data Deletion page for how to delete your account.
Your rights and choices
- Access & correct — view and update your profile details in the app.
- Delete — request account and data deletion at any time (see the deletion page).
- Location — grant or revoke location access in your device settings.
- Notifications — opt out of promotional notifications in the app or device settings.
Security
We protect your information using encryption in transit and access controls that limit who can see your data. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work continuously to safeguard your information.
Children’s privacy
Butu is not directed to children under 18 (or the age of majority in your state). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will remove it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page with a new “last updated” date. Please review it periodically.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your data? Email support@butu.com.