Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Ka-ching Savings ("we," "us," "our," or "Company") is committed to protecting your privacy in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable South African laws.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our grocery price comparison platform at kachingsavings.co.za.

Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with our practices, do not use our platform.

2. What Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Do Not Need to Provide

Ka-ching Savings does not require user registration or login. You can use our platform freely without creating an account or providing personal information.

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

• Analytics Data: Via Google Analytics 4, we collect:
  • Pages visited and time spent
  • Device type, browser, operating system
  • General location (country/region, not street address)
  • Traffic source (how you arrived at our site)
• Cookies: We use Google Analytics cookies to track usage patterns. You can disable cookies in your browser settings.
• IP Address: Your IP address is logged by our web server for security and troubleshooting purposes.

2.3 Information You Voluntarily Provide

• Store Voting & Reviews: If you submit a store rating or review, we collect:
  • Your rating (1-5 stars)
  • Your review text (optional)
  • Your IP address (to prevent spam)
  • No name, email, or personal identifiers required
• WhatsApp Signup (if enabled): If you opt-in to newsletter updates, we collect:
  • Your WhatsApp phone number (required)
  • Opt-in timestamp

2.4 Third-Party Data

We do not purchase, receive, or use personal data from third-party data brokers.

3. How We Use Your Information

Legal Basis for Processing

Under POPIA, we process information on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: You consent by using our platform and accepting this policy
• Legitimate Interest: We have a legitimate interest in improving our service and preventing fraud
• Legal Obligation: We comply with South African and international laws

3.1 Analytics & Service Improvement

We use analytics data to:

• Understand user behavior and improve platform features
• Identify popular stores and product categories
• Detect and fix technical issues
• Optimize mobile and desktop experience

3.2 Store Ratings & Reviews

Your ratings and reviews are displayed publicly to help other shoppers make informed decisions. We may moderate or remove reviews that are:

• Spam, profanity, or offensive
• Defamatory or false
• Unrelated to the store

3.3 WhatsApp Communications (If Enabled)

If you subscribe to updates, we use your number to send you:

• Weekly specials alerts
• New store additions
• Platform updates

You can unsubscribe at any time by replying "STOP" to any message.

3.4 What We Do NOT Do

• We do not sell your personal data to third parties
• We do not share your data with advertisers or data brokers
• We do not use your data for marketing without consent
• We do not profile you for behavioral advertising

4. Who We Share Your Information With

4.1 Service Providers

We share limited data with trusted third parties only as necessary:

• Google Analytics: Receives anonymized analytics data (no personal identifiers)
• Hetzner (Web Hosting): Hosts our servers in Germany; subject to GDPR compliance
• Retailer Partners (Future): We may share store performance metrics (anonymized) to help retailers improve their specials offerings

4.2 Legal Obligations

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government authority in South Africa.

4.3 No Cross-Border Data Transfers

Your data is stored on EU-based servers (Hetzner, Germany) which comply with GDPR. Any international transfer is governed by adequate safeguards.

5. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject, you have the right to:

• Access: Request what personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Ask us to correct inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your data (right to be forgotten) — except where legally required to retain
• Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data
• Portability: Receive your data in a portable format
• Withdraw Consent: Opt-out of WhatsApp updates or analytics tracking
• Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

How to Exercise Your Rights

Send a request to:

We will respond within 20 business days in compliance with POPIA Section 24.

6. Data Security

6.1 Security Measures

• HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
• Server-side access controls and firewalls
• Regular security audits and vulnerability scanning
• No storage of payment information (we don't process payments)
• Strict employee access controls

6.2 Data Retention

We retain information only as long as necessary:

• Analytics data: 12 months (automatically purged by Google)
• Store reviews: Until deleted by user or flagged as inappropriate
• WhatsApp subscribers: Until you unsubscribe
• Server logs: 30 days for security purposes

6.3 Data Breach Notification

If we experience a data breach affecting your personal information, we will:

• Notify affected users within 7 days
• Report to the Information Regulator of South Africa
• Take immediate remedial action

7. Cookies & Tracking

7.1 Cookies We Use

• Google Analytics 4 Cookies: _ga, _ga_XXXXXXXXXX (persist for 2 years)
• Session Cookies: For platform functionality (deleted when you close browser)

7.2 Your Cookie Choices

You can:

• Disable cookies in your browser settings
• Opt-out of Google Analytics via Google's opt-out browser add-on
• Clear cookies from your browser manually

7.3 Third-Party Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4, which is governed by Google's Privacy Policy.

8. Children's Privacy

Ka-ching Savings is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that a child has provided information, we will delete it immediately.

Parents/guardians concerned about their child's data should contact us at privacy@kachingsavings.co.za.

9. Third-Party Links

Our platform links to retailer websites and external services. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their privacy policies before sharing information with them.

10. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) & International Compliance

While Ka-ching Savings is based in South Africa, we respect GDPR (EU), CCPA (California), and PIPEDA (Canada) principles for international users:

• Minimal data collection
• Clear opt-out mechanisms
• Data portability rights
• Transparent privacy practices

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "Last Updated" date at the top indicates the most recent revision.

Significant changes will be communicated via email (if you've subscribed) or a prominent notice on our website.

12. Contact Information

For privacy-related questions, requests, or complaints:

Your privacy is important to us. By using Ka-ching Savings, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

© 2026 Ka-ching Savings. All rights reserved.