Privacy Policy

1. Who is responsible for your information

TapNation (Pty) Ltd is the responsible party for personal information processed through TapNation. Privacy, access, correction and deletion enquiries can be sent to info@tapnation.co.za.

2. Information we process

Tippers

• The tip amount, transaction status, time, worker recipient, and payment-provider references needed to create, verify and reconcile a tip.
• A South African mobile number when a tipper consents to creating or reusing the payment-provider customer profile required for checkout. TapNation stores a keyed hash and the last four digits for matching and support; the payment provider receives the number to operate its customer and checkout service.
• TapNation does not collect card credentials in its own forms. Card and wallet details are entered in the payment provider's checkout.

Workers and payout recipients

• Name, contact details, role, location, profile image and band or profile assignment.
• Identity, bank-account and onboarding information needed to verify a recipient and enable payouts. Full identity and bank details are kept in restricted temporary onboarding storage while provider setup is completed; TapNation retains limited provider references, verification state and masked details for ongoing payout operations and audit.
• Tip balances, payout status, payout history and provider reconciliation records.

Organisation administrators

Account identity, email address, organisation membership, permissions, and security or audit events needed to operate the TapNation administration service.

WhatsApp balance service

• Meta sends TapNation the sender identifier, message identifier and command content needed to answer a WhatsApp request.
• TapNation uses the raw values only while processing the request. Our messaging identity and audit tables store keyed hashes rather than raw WhatsApp numbers, provider identifiers, message text, activation codes or PINs.
• New workers choose a private PIN during secure band registration and activate from the matching approved WhatsApp number. Older or reset accounts may instead receive a short-lived fallback activation code. The bot cannot change banking or payout details.

Website enquiries and technical information

If you contact us, we process the details and message you submit. Our hosting and security services may also process limited technical information such as request time, browser information, IP-derived security keys, error logs and rate-limit events to deliver and protect the service.

3. Why we process information

• To activate bands and maintain accurate worker profiles.
• To create, verify and reconcile tips without requiring tippers to create TapNation accounts.
• To verify payout recipients, calculate balances and administer payouts.
• To provide worker balance access through a securely linked WhatsApp number.
• To prevent fraud, rate-limit abuse, investigate errors, keep financial records and protect users.
• To answer support or business enquiries and meet legal or regulatory duties.

We process information with the person's consent where required, to provide requested services, to meet legal obligations, and for legitimate operational and security purposes permitted by applicable law. A tipper mobile number is not treated as marketing consent.

4. Who receives information

We disclose only what is reasonably required to:

• Kwik: operate payment customer profiles, checkout, transaction verification, recipient verification and payouts.
• Meta and WhatsApp: deliver inbound commands and TapNation's replies through WhatsApp.
• Supabase and Netlify: host the application, database, functions, files and website.
• Authorised organisation administrators: manage workers and review payment or payout information belonging to their organisation.
• Professional advisers, regulators or authorities when disclosure is required or legally permitted.

TapNation does not sell personal information.

5. Public information

A worker's public tipping profile may show their name, role, location, profile image and non-monetary tip readiness information. It does not expose their balance, bank details, identity number, phone number, payout identifiers or messaging credentials.

6. Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described above, subject to financial, tax, dispute, fraud-prevention, audit and other legal retention duties. Restricted temporary onboarding records are removed after successful provider setup where the workflow permits. Financial and transaction records may need to be retained even after a profile or messaging link is removed.

WhatsApp links remain until the worker unlinks, an administrator revokes access, or TapNation removes the service. Minimal hashed security and audit records may be retained to prevent replay, investigate failures and demonstrate safe operation.

7. Security

We use role-based access controls, organisation separation, restricted server functions, provider signature checks, rate limits, short-lived activation codes, keyed hashes, PIN lockouts and audit records. No online service can guarantee absolute security, but we limit access and information exposure according to the risk.

8. International processing

Some service providers may process information outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we require processing to remain connected to the stated purpose and use contractual, technical or legal safeguards appropriate to the service and applicable law.

9. Your choices and rights

Subject to the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), you may ask whether we hold your personal information and request access, correction, deletion, restriction or an objection to processing where applicable. You may also withdraw consent, although this does not invalidate processing that was lawful before withdrawal or records we must retain.

See our Data Deletion Instructions for the request process. We may need to verify identity before acting so that another person cannot access or delete your information.

10. Updates and contact

We may update this policy when our service or legal duties change. The effective date above will identify the current version. Questions can be sent to info@tapnation.co.za.