FAQ
Questions and answers
Short answers to what people ask most. Anything missing? Write to info@platepursuit.ch.
Is Plate Pursuit free?
Yes. No ads, nothing to buy, no paid version.
Do I need to download an app?
No. Plate Pursuit runs in your browser. You can add it to your home screen like an app, without an app store: get the app.
Which plates can I scan?
Only plates you see yourself, on the road or in a car park. Screens, magazines and photos from the internet do not count.
How are points calculated?
From the real odds of the plate in its canton: how many plates there are, how low the number is, and how rare its pattern is. Bonuses come on top. Every step is explained in the rules.
Why does my plate score so low?
Most plates are ordinary: half of all plates score under 13 points. That is what makes a find worth 1'000 points feel like something.
Can people cheat?
Plates can only be saved from a real scan. The scanner signs what it reads, and the database refuses anything unsigned. Each plate counts once per player.
Can I scan while driving?
No. Never use the app while driving. As a passenger, go ahead.
Who sees my plates and photos?
Only you. The leaderboard shows your username, your number of plates and cantons, and your points, never a plate number or a photo. Details on the privacy page.
Where is my data stored?
The website runs at Infomaniak in Switzerland. Your account, plates and photos are stored with Supabase in Zurich. To read a plate, the photo is sent once to Plate Recognizer, which turns it into text, keeps it for 30 days on servers in the USA, then deletes it.
What is planned next?
- Plates read in Switzerland. Our own server: your photos stay in the country.
- A native app. iPhone first, then Android.
- Special plates. Green, blue, diplomatic, military: a collection of their own.
My plate is in someone's photo. What can I do?
Write to info@platepursuit.ch with proof that the plate is yours. Every photo of it is deleted, and no new ones can be saved.
Where do the numbers come from?
From the Federal Statistical Office: vehicles registered per canton (cars, buses, trucks). They are updated every January.
How do I delete my account?
Write to info@platepursuit.ch from the email address of your account. Your account, plates and photos are deleted.
Why no Italian?
We would rather not publish Italian we cannot check ourselves. Until then, your browser can translate every page.