SAMRU Student Eats App

Effective date: Aug 26, 2026
Last updated: Sept 2, 2026

The Students’ Association of Mount Royal University (“SAMRU,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the Student Eats app (the “App”) to help eligible students access coupons, offers, and promotions from participating SAMRU and Wyckham House vendors.

SAMRU respects student privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect through the App, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, when we may share it, and how users may contact us about their information.

SAMRU is an independent organization from Mount Royal University (“MRU”). The App is operated by SAMRU, not MRU.

1. Scope of this Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected, used, or disclosed through the App, related administrative tools, and support communications about the App.

This Policy does not apply to:

MRU systems, accounts, or services;
Google, Apple, Firebase, Supabase, or other third-party platforms used to access or support the App;
participating vendors’ own services, purchases, payment systems, or privacy practices; or
websites, apps, or services linked from the App but not operated by SAMRU.

2. What Information We Collect

We collect only the information reasonably needed to operate, secure, evaluate, and improve the App.

Account and eligibility information

When you sign in or create an account, we may collect:

your name, if provided through your sign-in method;
your MRU or SAMRU email address;
your user role, such as student, vendor staff, or administrator;
your account identifier;
eligibility information needed to confirm that you may use the App; and
authentication-related information needed to keep your account secure.

The App may use third-party sign-in services, such as Google authentication. Those services may process information under their own privacy policies.

When you use the App, we may collect:

Coupon and redemption information

coupons viewed, opened, saved, or redeemed;
date, time, and location category of redemption, such as the participating vendor or kiosk;
redemption status, including whether a vendor confirmed the redemption;
coupon limits, expiry, and usage counts;
app activity needed to prevent duplicate or improper redemptions; and
technical logs associated with use of the App.

Device, notification, and technical information

We may collect:

device type, operating system, browser, and app version;
IP address and approximate technical location derived from network information;
crash logs and performance data;
security logs;
notification preferences; and
push notification tokens, if you enable push notifications.

We do not need precise GPS location to operate the App and do not intend to collect it unless a future version clearly explains and requests consent for that feature.

Support communications

If you contact SAMRU about the App, we may collect:

your name and contact information;
the content of your message;
information needed to investigate or resolve the issue; and
follow-up notes related to your request.

3. What We Do Not Intend to Collect

The App is not designed to collect:

payment card information;
government identification numbers;
detailed academic records;
health information;
financial need information;
precise GPS location;
sensitive demographic information; or
information about purchases beyond what is necessary to confirm coupon redemption.

If a future feature requires additional information, SAMRU will update this Privacy Policy and, where required, seek appropriate consent.

4. Why We Collect and Use Information

SAMRU may collect and use information for the following purposes:

to create and manage App accounts;
to confirm eligibility to use student coupons;
to display available coupons and offers;
to process, confirm, and prevent misuse of coupon redemptions;
to provide participating vendors with only the information needed to confirm redemptions;
to send operational messages about account access, coupon expiry, app changes, security, or service issues;
to send promotional notifications about coupons or offers, where permitted and where notification settings allow;
to provide user support;
to maintain app security and prevent fraud, abuse, or unauthorized access;
to troubleshoot errors and improve app performance;
to evaluate aggregate usage trends and the effectiveness of the App;
to report on App performance using aggregated or de-identified data; and
to meet legal, regulatory, insurance, audit, or risk management obligations.

SAMRU will not use individual coupon redemption history to make decisions about a student’s academic standing, MRU services, or access to unrelated SAMRU supports.

5. Consent

By creating an account or using the App, you consent to SAMRU collecting, using, and disclosing your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

You may withdraw consent, subject to legal or operational limits, by contacting SAMRU. If you withdraw consent for information that is necessary to operate your account, you may no longer be able to use some or all App features.

You may manage push notifications through the App settings or your device settings. Some operational messages may still be sent where necessary for account security, service administration, or legal compliance.

6. Promotional Messages and Notifications

The App may send messages about coupons, vendor offers, service updates, or SAMRU programs.

SAMRU will manage promotional messages in accordance with applicable laws, including Canada’s anti-spam legislation where it applies. Where required, SAMRU will rely on valid consent and provide a way to unsubscribe or opt out of promotional electronic messages.

Turning off promotional notifications may not prevent SAMRU from sending essential service, security, or account-related messages.

7. When We Share Information

SAMRU does not sell personal information.

We may share personal information only where reasonably necessary and permitted by law, including with:

Participating vendors

Vendors may receive limited information needed to confirm or troubleshoot a coupon redemption. This may include the coupon, redemption status, time of redemption, and any confirmation details required to complete the transaction.

SAMRU should not provide vendors with broader student profiles, full redemption histories, or unnecessary contact information.

Service providers

SAMRU may use third-party service providers to host, operate, secure, authenticate, analyze, or support the App. These may include providers such as database hosting, authentication, cloud infrastructure, analytics, crash reporting, and push notification services.

These providers may process information on SAMRU’s behalf and must only use the information for the services they provide to SAMRU, subject to their contracts and applicable law.

Legal, safety, and security reasons

SAMRU may disclose information if required or permitted by law, or where reasonably necessary to:

comply with a legal obligation;
investigate misuse, fraud, or security incidents;
protect the rights, safety, or property of SAMRU, students, vendors, or others;
respond to lawful requests from regulators or authorities; or
enforce the App Terms and Conditions.

Aggregated or de-identified reporting

SAMRU may share aggregated or de-identified information with vendors, SAMRU staff, student leaders, MRU stakeholders, or partners to understand app usage, coupon performance, foot traffic trends, or student engagement.

Aggregated or de-identified reports should not identify individual users.

8. Storage and Processing Outside Canada

Some service providers may store or process personal information outside Alberta or Canada. When information is processed in another jurisdiction, it may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction.

SAMRU will take reasonable steps to ensure that service providers protect personal information appropriately.

9. Retention

SAMRU keeps personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, or as required for legal, audit, security, or operational reasons.

As a general practice:

account information may be kept while the account is active;
redemption records may be kept for up to 24 months after redemption or coupon expiry, unless a longer period is reasonably needed;
security logs may be kept as needed to protect the App and investigate incidents;
support records may be kept as needed to resolve the issue and maintain appropriate records; and
aggregated or de-identified data may be kept for longer-term reporting and planning.

When personal information is no longer reasonably needed, SAMRU will delete, anonymize, or securely retain it in accordance with applicable retention practices.

10. Security

SAMRU uses reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, loss, or modification.

These safeguards may include access controls, account permissions, authentication, encryption where appropriate, logging, staff training, vendor agreements, and limited access based on role.

No app, website, or electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users should protect their login credentials and notify SAMRU promptly if they believe their account has been misused.

11. Privacy Breaches

If SAMRU becomes aware of a privacy breach involving App information, SAMRU will assess the incident and take appropriate steps to contain, investigate, and reduce potential harm.

Where required by law, SAMRU will notify the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta and affected individuals.

12. Accessing or Correcting Your Information

You may request access to your personal information or ask SAMRU to correct inaccurate information, subject to legal limits.

Requests should be made in writing to:

Privacy Contact: [Insert Privacy Officer or position title]
Email: [Insert privacy email]
Mailing address: Students’ Association of Mount Royal University, [Insert mailing address]

SAMRU may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.

13. Deleting Your Account

You may request deletion of your App account by contacting SAMRU at studenteats.app@samru.ca.

SAMRU may contact you to verify your identity. We will delete the account and associated personal data within 30 days, except for information that must reasonably be retained for legal, security, fraud-prevention or audit purposes. Aggregated or de-identified information that can no longer identify you may be retained.

Some information may need to be retained for legal, security, audit, fraud prevention, or operational reasons. SAMRU may also retain aggregated or de-identified information that no longer identifies you.