Privacy Policy

We collect the following categories of information:

• Account information. Email address, name, password hash, profile image, and bio you provide when you sign up or update your profile.
• Payment and payout information. Bank or mobile-wallet details and transaction records used to process orders, run escrow, and send payouts. Card details are handled by our payment processors (e.g. Flutterwave) and never stored on our servers.
• Listings and orders. Products and services you publish, orders you place, messages you exchange with other users.
• Verification information. Identity documents and contact details collected during seller onboarding to comply with KYC/AML requirements.
• Technical information. IP address, device/browser type, log data, and usage analytics gathered automatically when you visit the platform.

• To provide, maintain, and improve the platform.
• To process orders, hold funds in escrow, settle disputes, and pay out to sellers.
• To verify identity and comply with anti-fraud, AML, and KYC obligations.
• To send transactional emails (order confirmations, payouts, verification, security alerts). You can't opt out of these.
• To send product updates and marketing emails — only if you opt in. You can opt out at any time from your settings.
• To monitor for abuse and enforce our Terms of Service.

We share information only with:

• Service providers we use to run the platform — payment processors, identity-verification vendors, email and storage providers — under contractual confidentiality obligations.
• Other usersas required to complete a transaction (e.g. a seller sees a buyer's name and email when they purchase).
• Authorities when required by law or to protect rights, safety, or property.
• Successors in connection with a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, with notice to you where required.

We do not sell your personal information.

We retain account and transaction information for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period afterwards to comply with tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations. You can request deletion of your account at any time by contacting support.

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, port, restrict processing of, or delete your personal information, and to object to certain uses. You can exercise most of these rights from your account settings or by contacting support.

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, and measure how the platform is used. You can manage cookies through your browser settings; turning some off may affect functionality.

The Merchant operates across multiple African countries and may transfer your information across borders to deliver the service. We rely on appropriate safeguards required by applicable law for these transfers.

We use industry-standard measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit, hashed passwords, scoped access tokens, and audit logging. No system is perfectly secure; please use a strong unique password and notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access.

The Merchant is not directed to children under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with information, please contact us so we can remove it.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes we will notify you by email or with a prominent notice on the platform. Continued use after the effective date means you accept the updated policy.

Questions about this policy? Email privacy@themerchant.io.