Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Ticket Trove Africa ("we," "us," or "our"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our event ticketing platform and services.

By using Ticket Trove Africa, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.

2. Data Controller Information

Ticket Trove Africa is the data controller responsible for your personal information. For questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Create an account (name, email address, password)

• Purchase tickets (name, email, phone number, payment information)

• Update your profile (display name, phone number, profile photo, bio, location)

• Contact us (name, email, message content)

• Create or manage events (organization details, event information)

3.2 Payment Information

When you make a purchase, we collect:

• M-Pesa phone number for payment processing

• Transaction receipt numbers and payment status

• Order details (tickets purchased, quantities, pricing)

Note: We do not store your M-Pesa PIN or full payment credentials. All payment processing is handled securely by Safaricom M-Pesa.

3.3 Automatically Collected Information

When you use our services, we automatically collect:

• Device information (device type, operating system, browser type, user agent)

• Usage data (pages viewed, features accessed, time spent, clickstream data)

• IP address and approximate location (country, city)

• Session information (session IDs, login timestamps)

• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

3.4 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from:

• Firebase Authentication (Google) when you create an account

• M-Pesa payment confirmations from Safaricom

• WhatsApp Business API delivery status from Meta

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

4.1 Service Delivery

• Process ticket purchases and generate digital tickets

• Deliver tickets via WhatsApp and email

• Manage your account and authenticate your identity

• Process payments through M-Pesa

• Send order confirmations and ticket delivery notifications

4.2 Communication

• Send transactional messages (order confirmations, ticket delivery, payment status)

• Provide customer support and respond to inquiries

• Send event updates and important service announcements

• Deliver marketing communications (with your consent)

4.3 Platform Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve our services

• Develop new features and functionality

• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents

• Troubleshoot technical issues and bugs

4.4 Legal Compliance

• Comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements

• Enforce our Terms & Conditions

• Respond to legal requests and prevent illegal activities

5. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Contract Performance: Processing necessary to fulfill our contract with you (ticket delivery, payment processing)

• Consent: When you have given explicit consent (marketing communications, optional data collection)

• Legitimate Interests: For fraud prevention, security, service improvement, and business analytics

• Legal Obligations: To comply with laws, regulations, and legal processes

6. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We share your personal information with the following third-party service providers:

6.1 Essential Service Providers

• Firebase (Google): Authentication and user account management

• Safaricom M-Pesa: Payment processing for Kenyan transactions

• WhatsApp Business API (Meta): Ticket delivery via WhatsApp messages

• Resend: Transactional email delivery (ticket confirmations, receipts)

• Cloudflare: CDN services, image storage, and ticket PDF storage

6.2 Event Organizers

When you purchase tickets, we share necessary information with event organizers:

• Your name, email, and phone number (for event entry and communication)

• Ticket purchase details (ticket type, quantity, order ID)

• QR code validation data (for event check-in)

6.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law or in response to:

• Court orders, subpoenas, or legal processes

• Government investigations or regulatory requests

• Protection of our rights, property, or safety

• Emergency situations involving danger to person or property

6.4 Business Transfers

If Ticket Trove Africa is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.

7. WhatsApp Communication

We use WhatsApp Business API (operated by Meta) to deliver your tickets and send important transactional messages.

7.1 What We Send via WhatsApp

• Digital ticket PDFs immediately after purchase

• Order confirmation messages

• One-Time Passwords (OTPs) for event entry verification

• Important event updates from organizers

7.2 How WhatsApp Processes Your Data

When we send messages via WhatsApp:

• Your phone number is shared with Meta's WhatsApp Business API

• Message delivery status is tracked (sent, delivered, read)

• Messages are end-to-end encrypted by WhatsApp

• Meta may collect metadata about message delivery

Note: Meta's use of your data is governed by WhatsApp's Privacy Policy. We recommend reviewing it at https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy

7.3 Alternative Delivery Methods

We also send tickets via email to ensure you receive them even if WhatsApp delivery fails. You can always access your tickets by logging into your account on our website.

7.4 Opting Out of WhatsApp Messages

While WhatsApp is our primary ticket delivery method, you can opt out by:

• Contacting us at support@tickettroveafrica.com

• Updating your notification preferences in your account settings

Important: Opting out of WhatsApp messages may delay ticket delivery. You will still receive tickets via email.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information:

• Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest

• Access Controls: Strict access controls and authentication requirements

• Secure Storage: Data stored in secure, industry-standard databases

• Payment Security: M-Pesa payments processed through Safaricom's secure infrastructure

• Regular Audits: Security assessments and vulnerability testing

• Staff Training: Employees trained on data protection and privacy practices

While we use reasonable security measures, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

Retention Periods:

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for 3 years after deletion

• Ticket Purchases: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes

• Payment Records: Retained for 7 years as required by Kenyan law

• Communication History: Retained for 2 years after last interaction

• Technical Logs: Retained for 90 days for security and troubleshooting

• Marketing Consent: Retained until you withdraw consent

After the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymize your personal information. Some information may be retained in anonymized form for statistical analysis and service improvement.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Under GDPR and the Kenya Data Protection Act, you have the following rights:

10.1 Right to Access

You can request a copy of all personal information we hold about you.

10.2 Right to Rectification

You can update or correct inaccurate personal information through your account settings or by contacting us.

10.3 Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")

You can request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements (e.g., tax records, payment history).

10.4 Right to Restrict Processing

You can request that we limit how we use your personal information in certain circumstances.

10.5 Right to Data Portability

You can request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

10.6 Right to Object

You can object to processing of your personal information for direct marketing or based on legitimate interests.

10.7 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

10.8 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:

• Email: privacy@tickettroveafrica.com

• Subject Line: "Privacy Rights Request"

We will respond to your request within 30 days. For security purposes, we may ask you to verify your identity before processing your request.

10.9 Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe we have not handled your personal information properly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (Kenya) or your local data protection authority.

11. International Data Transfers

Ticket Trove Africa operates primarily in Kenya, but our service providers may process data in other countries:

• Firebase (Google) - United States and global data centers

• WhatsApp (Meta) - United States and global infrastructure

• Cloudflare - Global CDN network

When we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission

• Data Processing Agreements with service providers

• Compliance with applicable data protection laws

12. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience:

12.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for authentication, security, and basic functionality

• Performance Cookies: Help us understand how you use our service and improve performance

• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings

• Analytics Cookies: Track usage patterns and gather statistical information

12.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling essential cookies may affect platform functionality.

13. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately at privacy@tickettroveafrica.com, and we will delete it promptly.

Parents or guardians may purchase tickets on behalf of minors, but the account holder must be 18 or older.

14. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy

• Notify you via email or through a prominent notice on our platform

• Obtain your consent if required by law

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 48 hours and resolve all data rights requests within 30 days.