Privacy Policy

This policy explains what information SwiftPesa collects when you use swiftpesa.co.ke, why we collect it, who we share it with and the choices you have. We have tried to write it plainly. If anything is unclear, email [email protected].

Who we are

SwiftPesa (swiftpesa.co.ke) is an independent personal-finance website run from Kenya by Sarah Andrew. For the purposes of Kenya's Data Protection Act, 2019, SwiftPesa is the data controller for the personal data described here. You can reach us at [email protected].

The short version

• You can read every guide and use the free calculators without an account and without giving us your name.
• We use cookies for analytics and advertising. Google and other ad partners may use cookies to show you ads based on your visits to this and other websites. You can opt out (see Advertising).
• If you buy something from the Toolkit, we keep your phone number and order details so we can deliver what you paid for.
• We never ask for your M-Pesa PIN, and we never sell your personal data.

Information we collect

Information collected automatically

When you visit the site, our hosting and security providers receive standard technical information: your IP address, browser and device type, the page you asked for, the page that referred you, and the time of the request. This is used to deliver pages, keep the site secure and fix errors. Server logs are kept for a short period and then deleted.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand which guides are read, how visitors find us and which countries they come from. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar identifiers. We see aggregated reports, not who you are. You can read how Google uses this data or install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

We use Microsoft Clarity to see how pages are used (for example where people tap, how far they scroll and where a page is confusing), through heatmaps and session replays. Clarity masks text you type into forms. Microsoft's privacy statement explains how it handles this data.

The "Ask SwiftPesa" chat assistant

If you use the chat assistant, we store your question and the page you asked it from, so we can improve answers and find guides people need. Your question is sent to Google's Gemini service to generate the answer. We do not store your name or IP address with your question; your IP address is held briefly in memory to prevent abuse. Please do not type personal details such as ID numbers, phone numbers or PINs into the chat.

Toolkit purchases

When you buy a Toolkit product, we collect:

• the phone number you pay from,
• the product and the details you enter to create it (for example feed ingredients or house measurements),
• the payment status and the M-Pesa transaction reference.

Payments are processed by IntaSend, a licensed payment service provider, through Safaricom M-Pesa. IntaSend receives your phone number and the amount so it can send the payment request to your phone. We never see or store your M-Pesa PIN. We keep order records so we can deliver your purchase, re-send it if you lose it, answer disputes and meet tax and accounting obligations.

Some tools work differently:

• M-Pesa statement analyzer: your statement is read inside your own browser. The file is never uploaded to our servers. We store only a fingerprint of the statement so your purchase stays unlocked.
• House construction cost planner: if you choose to upload a photo of a house plan, the image is sent to Google's Gemini service to read the room sizes, and is not kept by us after the reading is done.

Push notifications

If you agree to browser notifications, our provider OneSignal stores a subscription identifier for your browser so we can tell you about new guides. You can switch notifications off at any time in your browser settings.

Translation

If you choose another language from the language menu, the page text is sent to Google Cloud Translation to be translated.

Emails you send us

If you email us, we keep your email address and message so we can reply and follow up.

Cookies and similar technologies

Cookies are small files stored by your browser. We and our partners use them for:

• Essential functions: remembering your theme (light or dark), your chosen language, Toolkit purchases you have unlocked, and when to show the notifications invitation. These are stored in your browser and are not used for advertising.
• Analytics: Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity, as described above.
• Advertising: Google AdSense and other ad partners, as described below.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you block them, the guides will still work, but some features (such as remembered settings) may not.

Advertising

SwiftPesa is free to read because it shows ads. We use Google AdSense and may work with other advertising partners.

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites.
• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
• You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google's My Ad Center (or Ads Settings). You can also opt out of some third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalised advertising at www.aboutads.info and www.youronlinechoices.eu.
• If you opt out, you will still see ads, but they will be less related to your interests.

Read how Google uses information from sites that use its services and Google's advertising policies.

Where the law requires it (for example for visitors in the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland), we ask for your consent before personalised ads are shown.

Ads are selected by the ad networks, not by us. An ad on SwiftPesa is not a recommendation. Nobody pays us to be recommended inside a guide.

How we use information

We use the information above to:

• deliver the site, the calculators and the Toolkit products you buy,
• understand which guides help people and improve them,
• answer your questions and corrections,
• send notifications you asked for,
• show ads that keep the site free,
• prevent fraud and abuse, and
• meet our legal, tax and accounting obligations.

Our legal bases under the Data Protection Act are your consent (for example notifications and personalised ads), performance of a contract (Toolkit purchases), our legitimate interests in running and improving a free website, and compliance with the law.

Who we share information with

We share information only with the service providers that help run the site, and only as much as they need:

• hosting, content delivery and security providers,
• Google (Analytics, AdSense, Gemini and Cloud Translation),
• Microsoft (Clarity),
• IntaSend and Safaricom (payments),
• OneSignal (notifications), and
• our database and file storage providers.

We may also disclose information if the law requires it, or to protect the rights and safety of our readers, ourselves or others. We do not sell your personal data.

Where your data is stored

Some of our providers store data outside Kenya, including in the European Union and the United States. Where data leaves Kenya, we rely on providers that apply appropriate safeguards, as the Data Protection Act requires.

How long we keep it

• Server logs: a short period, usually days.
• Chat questions: kept to improve answers and guides, without your name or contact details.
• Toolkit orders: as long as needed to deliver and support your purchase and to meet tax and accounting rules, usually up to 7 years.
• Emails: as long as needed to deal with your message.
• Analytics and advertising data: according to Google's and Microsoft's retention settings.

Your rights

Under Kenya's Data Protection Act, 2019 (and similar laws elsewhere), you have the right to:

• be told how your data is used (this policy),
• access the personal data we hold about you,
• have inaccurate data corrected,
• have your data deleted where we no longer need it,
• object to or restrict some uses, including direct marketing, and
• withdraw consent at any time.

To use any of these rights, email [email protected]. For a Toolkit order, include the phone number used and the order code so we can find it. We will reply within 30 days. If you are not happy with our answer, you can complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

Children

SwiftPesa is written for adults. It is not directed at children under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them.

Links to other websites

Our guides link to banks, regulators, revenue authorities and other websites so you can check facts at the source. Those sites have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for them.

Changes to this policy

We will update this policy when the site or the law changes. The date at the top of this page shows the latest version. Significant changes will be highlighted on the site.

Contact

SwiftPesa, Kenya. Email: [email protected]