RouteHouse Privacy Policy

Provider: NextForge LLC, an Illinois limited liability company ("NextForge," "we," "us," or "our"), operator of the RouteHouse service (the "Service").

Effective date: July 21, 2026 Last updated: July 21, 2026 Version: 1.0 (interim — published pending attorney review)

1. About this Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how NextForge collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information in connection with RouteHouse — a software service for field-service businesses. It applies to our website, the RouteHouse web and progressive web application, and related services.

RouteHouse is used in two directions, and it is important to understand the difference:

Data about our business customers. When a business subscribes to RouteHouse, we collect information about that business and the people who administer or use the account. For this information, NextForge is the controller and this Policy describes how we handle it.
Data our business customers put into RouteHouse about their own customers. Our subscribers use RouteHouse to manage jobs and service records for their customers (for example, homeowners). For that information, the subscriber is the controller and NextForge acts as a processor / service provider on the subscriber's behalf. We handle that data under our agreement with the subscriber (including our Data Processing Addendum), and we use it only to provide the Service. If you are one of our subscribers' customers and have questions about your information, please contact the business you did business with; they control that data. This Policy's descriptions of our use of personal information are directed primarily at the first category.

2. Information we collect

2.1 Information you provide

Account and profile information: name, business name, email address, phone number, job title, and login credentials.
Billing information: billing contact, plan selection, and payment details. Card payments are processed by Stripe; we do not store full payment card numbers on our systems.
Customer-payment feature data: if you enable the feature that lets you collect payments from your own customers (through Stripe / Stripe Connect), the payment is processed by Stripe under its own agreements with you. We receive limited transaction metadata (such as amount, status, and reference) to reflect it in the Service; sensitive payment credentials are handled by Stripe, not stored by us.
Support and communications: information you provide when you contact us, respond to surveys, or communicate with us.

2.2 Customer Data submitted through the Service

When you use RouteHouse, you and your Authorized Users submit or generate business records, which may include personal information about your own customers — for example, customer names, service addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, job and service details, service reports and PDFs, and the content of messages you send. We process this Customer Data on your behalf to provide the Service, as described in Section 1.

2.3 Messaging data

If you enable business text messaging, we (and our messaging provider) process the phone numbers and message content needed to send and receive texts, along with delivery status and opt-out ("STOP") records. See our Messaging (SMS) Terms for details on consent and opt-out. Mobile opt-in data and consent are not shared with third parties for their own marketing.

2.4 Information collected automatically

When you use the Service or visit our website, we and our tools may automatically collect: - Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages viewed, features used, timestamps, and diagnostic/log data. - Cookies and similar technologies: used to keep you signed in, remember preferences, secure the Service, and understand usage. See Section 7.

2.5 Information from third parties

We may receive information from service providers that support us, such as our payment processor (billing and payment status) and analytics or infrastructure providers.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive categories of personal information, and the Service is not intended for children under 18.

3. How we use information

We use personal information to:

provide, operate, maintain, and secure the Service;
create and manage accounts and authenticate users;
process subscriptions, payments, and billing (including past-due notices and dunning);
send and receive messages you initiate through the Service;
provide customer support and respond to requests;
monitor, troubleshoot, and improve the Service, and develop new features;
communicate with you about the Service, including service, security, and administrative messages, and — where permitted — product updates;
detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, security, and technical issues; and
comply with legal obligations and enforce our agreements.

We process Customer Data (Section 2.2) only to provide the Service to you and as instructed by you, not for our own independent purposes, except that we may create aggregated or de-identified data that does not identify any individual and use it to operate and improve the Service.

We do not sell personal information. We share information only as follows:

Service providers (subprocessors). With vendors that help us run the Service, under contracts that limit their use of the information. These currently include, for example: Stripe (subscription billing and, where you enable it, customer-payment processing via Stripe Connect), Sent (Sent, Inc.) (text messaging), Resend (email delivery), and Railway (hosting and infrastructure). We may add, change, or replace subprocessors from time to time; a current list is available at https://www.getroutehouse.com/subprocessors or on request.
Within your organization. Customer Data is accessible to your Authorized Users according to your account configuration.
Legal and safety. When required by law, subpoena, or legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of NextForge, our users, or others.
Business transfers. In connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, subject to this Policy.
With your direction or consent. When you ask us to share information or otherwise consent.

5. Data retention

We retain personal information for as long as needed to provide the Service, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Customer Data is retained for the duration of your subscription; after termination we make it available for export for a limited period and then delete or de-identify it as described in the Terms of Service and DPA, unless longer retention is required by law. Backups are purged on a rolling schedule.

6. Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information, such as encryption in transit, access controls, and monitoring. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential and for configuring access within your organization appropriately.

7. Cookies and tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies for essential functions (such as authentication and security), to remember preferences, and to understand and improve usage. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect how the Service works. [If you use analytics or advertising cookies, describe them and any consent banner here — attorney to confirm requirements for your regions.]

8. Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or receive a copy of your personal information, or to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise rights regarding information for which NextForge is the controller (such as your account information), contact us at [email protected]. For information that a subscriber controls (their customers' data), please contact that business; we will assist our subscribers in responding to such requests as described in the DPA.

You can also: - update your account information in the Service; - opt out of non-essential marketing emails using the unsubscribe link; and - opt out of text messages by replying STOP (see the Messaging Terms).

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

9. International users

The Service is operated from the United States, and information may be processed in the United States and other countries where we or our service providers operate. If you access the Service from outside the United States, you understand your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States. [If you serve EU/UK users, your attorney should add the appropriate transfer-mechanism and legal-basis disclosures.]

10. Third-party links and services

The Service and our website may link to or integrate with third-party services. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, and we are not responsible for them.

11. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version with a new "Last updated" date and, for material changes, provide additional notice. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date means you accept the updated Policy.

12. Contact us

NextForge LLC (RouteHouse) 3209 Auburn St., Rockford, IL 61101 Privacy email: [email protected] Website: GetRouteHouse.com