Privacy Policy

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to everyone who uses TipEasy, including service workers who create a tipping profile (“Workers”), people who leave a tip (“Tippers”), and visitors to our website.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us

• Workers: your name, contact details (cellphone number and/or email) and profile information; your South African ID or passport number and, optionally, a photo of your ID document, used to verify your identity and help prevent fraud; and the bank account details needed to receive your tips. Your cellphone number also acts as your login: we send a one-time verification code by SMS to that number each time you sign in, and we use it for service messages such as letting you know when a payout is on its way to you.
• Tippers: the tip amount and any optional thank-you message you choose to add (your message is shown to the Worker you tipped). Card and payment details are entered with our payment provider and are never collected or stored by TipEasy.
• Waitlist: the email address and/or phone number you provide to request early access.

Information we collect automatically

• Basic technical and usage data such as device type, browser, approximate location and pages visited, collected through cookies and analytics to keep the service secure and improve it.

3. How we use your information

• To create and manage Worker profiles and process tips.
• To route payouts to Workers through our payment provider.
• To sign you in securely, by sending a one-time code by SMS to your registered cellphone number and verifying it before creating a session.
• To send Workers service messages by SMS, such as a summary when the day’s tips are paid out.
• To verify a Worker’s identity and help prevent fraud and the misuse of the platform.
• To respond to your enquiries and provide support.
• To operate, secure, maintain and improve the platform.
• To comply with our legal, regulatory and accounting obligations, including the prevention of fraud.

4. Payments and third-party processors

Tips are processed and settled by our third-party payment provider (Ozow), and routed to the Worker by electronic funds transfer (EFT) to their bank account — TipEasy does not store or have access to your card or banking credentials, and does not take custody of tip funds on your behalf. Your payment information is handled by the payment provider under its own privacy policy and security standards.

5. How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with:

• Service providers who help us run TipEasy (for example our payment provider, our SMS gateway provider used to deliver one-time login codes and service messages such as payout notifications, and cloud hosting and infrastructure providers), under appropriate confidentiality and data-protection obligations.
• Authorities or third parties where required by law, to enforce our terms, or to protect the rights, safety and property of TipEasy, our users or the public.

6. Storage, transfers and security

Your information is stored on secure cloud infrastructure, which may involve processing or storage outside South Africa. Where information is transferred across borders, we take reasonable steps to ensure it remains protected by a comparable level of safeguards. We apply appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information against loss, misuse and unauthorised access, though no method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

7. How long we keep your information

We keep personal information only for as long as necessary to provide the service and to meet our legal, tax and accounting obligations, after which it is deleted or anonymised. One-time SMS login codes are stored only briefly (in encrypted/hashed form) to verify sign-in and expire shortly after they are sent.

8. Your rights under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Request that we correct, update or delete your personal information.
• Object to the processing of your personal information.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@tipeasy.co.za.

9. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep the service working, to remember your preferences, and to understand how the platform is used. You can control cookies through your browser settings, though some features may not work properly if you disable them.

10. Children

TipEasy is not intended for use by children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date above. Material changes will be communicated through the platform where appropriate.

12. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, email us at privacy@tipeasy.co.za.

See also our Terms & Conditions and POPIA Notice.