Privacy Policy
Venda is a mobile point of sale and inventory app for small shop owners. This policy explains, in plain language, what information the app handles, why, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have. We collect only what the app needs to record your sales, manage your stock, keep your team in sync, keep your account secure, and understand how the app is used so we can improve it. We do not sell your data, we do not show ads, and we do not track you across other companies' apps or websites. We use one privacy-respecting product analytics service (Mixpanel) to see how features are used; it never receives your name, phone number, or email.
1. Who we are
Venda ("Venda", "we", "us", "our") is operated by Venda, which is the data controller responsible for your information.
You can reach us about privacy at:
- Email: support@venda.co.tz
- WhatsApp (Help center): +255 688 837 005
- Address: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2. What this policy covers
This policy covers the Venda mobile app for Android and iOS, and the backend services that power it. It applies to shop owners and to the sellers (team members) they invite.
It does not cover any third party app, website, or payment service you reach from Venda (for example your mobile money app, or a link opened in your browser). Those services have their own privacy policies.
3. The short version
- We collect your name and phone number to create your account and sign you in with an SMS code.
- We store the shop and business data you enter: shop details, products, prices, sales, and stock.
- We use a few trusted service providers to host your data, send SMS codes, deliver notifications, and measure how the app is used.
- Your data is stored on your device (so the app works offline) and on our backend (so it syncs across devices and team members).
- We use product analytics (Mixpanel) to understand which features are used and improve the app. It contains no name, phone number, or email, and is not used for advertising.
- We do not sell your data, show you ads, track you across other companies' apps, or collect your location.
- You can edit your data in the app, export or share your reports, and delete your account whenever you want.
4. Information we collect
a. Account and identity
- Full name and phone number (in the format +255...). Your phone number is your login identity and is confirmed with a one time SMS code.
- Profile photo (optional), if you add one.
- Account status and your role in each shop (owner or seller).
b. Shop and business data you enter
This is the information you type into the app to run your shop:
- Shop details: shop name, what you sell (business type), optional shop logo, and currency.
- Products: name, optional description, optional photo, buying price, selling price, stock quantity, unit, and low stock threshold.
- Sales: sale totals, profit, item counts, payment method (cash or mobile money), optional notes, and the date and time of each sale.
- Stock movements: a record of every stock change (restock, sale, spoilage, adjustment).
- Report reminder settings: whether you want daily, weekly, or monthly SMS sales summaries for a shop.
Venda records your shop's own sales. It does not collect your customers' names, phone numbers, or card details. "Mobile money" is recorded only as a payment label, not as a customer's account or transaction details.
c. Team member data
If you invite a seller to your shop, you provide that person's name and phone number so we can send the invite and link their account. Please see Section 6 for your responsibilities when you share someone else's phone number.
We also keep audit records of who in your shop did what (for example who recorded a sale or changed a price) and when. This is shown in your shop's Audit logs and helps owners and sellers trust the numbers.
d. Photos and attachments
- Product and shop photos you take with your camera or pick from your gallery.
- Profile photo, if you add one.
- Feedback attachments (an optional image or video, up to 15 MB) if you choose to attach one when you contact support.
The app asks for camera and photo library permission only when you choose to add an image. You can decline, and the rest of the app keeps working.
e. Device and technical data
- A push notification token from Firebase Cloud Messaging, so we can deliver notifications to your device.
- App version and platform (Android or iOS), attached automatically when you send feedback so we can reproduce the issue.
- Network connection status (online or offline), used on your device to decide when to sync. We do not store your network details.
f. Product analytics (how the app is used)
To understand which features are used and where the app can be improved, we collect usage and interaction data through a product analytics service (Mixpanel). This records actions you take in the app, such as recording a sale, adding or restocking a product, inviting a seller, sharing a report, or changing your language, together with non identifying details about that action (for example a sale's total, item count, and payment type, or whether a product had a photo). It also collects basic technical properties like your app version, platform, and a random device identifier generated by the analytics service.
This analytics is tied to a stable internal account id, not to your name, phone number, or email. We do not send your name, phone number, email, customer details, or the content of your messages to the analytics service, and we do not use it for advertising or to track you across other companies' apps. Money amounts are recorded only as aggregate figures for the action, never linked to a customer.
We do not collect your precise or approximate location, your device contact list, advertising identifiers, or crash and diagnostic reports.
g. Support and account requests
- Feedback: when you contact support, we collect the category (bug, feature, or general), your message, and any attachment you add.
- Account deletion requests: if you ask to delete your account, we record the reasons you select, any free text you add, and a snapshot of your phone number so we can process and confirm the deletion (see Section 11).
h. Preferences
- Your language (English or Kiswahili). This is stored in your account preferences so the app looks the same on every device.
5. How we use your information
We use your information to:
- Create and secure your account and sign you in with an SMS code.
- Run the app: record sales, manage products and stock, and show your reports.
- Sync your data between your devices and your team members, including when you have been offline.
- Attribute actions in Audit logs so your team can see who recorded a sale or changed a price.
- Send notifications you have turned on (for example low stock alerts, a sale made, a daily summary, or a team member joining).
- Send SMS sales report reminders to a shop owner who has them enabled.
- Respond to your feedback and provide support.
- Understand and improve the app using product analytics: which features are used and where people run into trouble, so we can make Venda better.
- Keep Venda safe and working, including preventing fraud and abuse and fixing problems.
Our legal bases for using your information are: performing our contract with you (providing the app), your consent (camera and photo access, push notifications, and optional feedback attachments), our legitimate interests (keeping the service secure and reliable, understanding and improving how the app is used, and giving shop owners an audit trail), and complying with the law where it applies.
6. Inviting team members
When you invite a seller, you give us that person's name and phone number. You are responsible for making sure you have a valid reason to share their number with us and, where required, their permission. We use the number only to send the invite and to connect their account to your shop. An owner can pause or remove a seller's access at any time in the Team members screen.
7. One time SMS codes
Signing in and registering use a one time code sent to your phone by SMS. We pass your phone number and the code to our SMS provider, Beem, only to deliver that message. Codes are short lived (they expire after about 10 minutes), are limited to a few attempts, and are stored in encrypted form on our backend. They are never stored on your device.
8. Push notifications
Notifications are delivered through Firebase Cloud Messaging (a Google service). To do this, your device shares a notification token with us. You can turn notifications off at any time in your device settings, and the rest of the app keeps working.
10. Offline storage and data on your device
Venda is built to work offline. To do that, a copy of your shop's data (such as products, sales, and team members) is stored in a local database on your device, and your changes are queued and synced to our backend when you are back online. Your login session is kept in your device's secure storage.
This means some of your data lives on your phone. If your device is lost or stolen, protect it with a screen lock. Signing out or deleting the app removes the local copy from that device. The synced copy on our backend remains until your data is deleted (see below).
11. Data retention
We keep your information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the app.
When you ask to delete your account, your request is recorded and processed by a backend function. After a short grace period (which lets you cancel), your account and your shops' data are permanently deleted. We keep a minimal deletion record (including a snapshot of your phone number and the reasons you gave) for a limited time so we can confirm the deletion, handle support, prevent abuse, and meet legal requirements. Some records may also be retained where the law requires.
12. International data transfers
Your data is stored and processed on Appwrite, which we self-host on DigitalOcean, is delivered through Beem and Firebase Cloud Messaging, and usage analytics is processed by Mixpanel. These providers' servers may be located outside Tanzania. Where your data is transferred across borders, we take reasonable steps to make sure it stays protected to a standard consistent with this policy and applicable data protection law.
13. Your rights and choices
Depending on where you live (including under Tanzania's Personal Data Protection Act, 2022, and similar laws), you have the right to:
- Access and review your data. Most of it is visible directly in the app.
- Correct your data. You can edit your profile, shop, products, and prices in the app.
- Export or share your reports using the Share action.
- Delete your account and your shops' data using Settings, Data Control, Delete Account.
- Control your team. Owners can pause or remove a seller's access at any time.
- Turn off notifications in your device settings.
- Withdraw consent for camera or photo access in your device settings.
- Object to or restrict certain processing, and to lodge a complaint with your data protection authority.
To make a request, contact us at support@venda.co.tz. We may need to verify your identity (for example by confirming control of your phone number) before we act.
14. How we protect your information
- Data is sent between the app and our backend over encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS).
- Your login session is held in your device's secure storage, and SMS codes are stored encrypted.
- Access to shop data is scoped to your shop's team and your role (owner or seller), and sensitive actions are limited to owners.
- Every important action is written to an audit log.
No method of storage or transmission is completely secure, but we work to protect your information using reasonable safeguards.
15. Children
Venda is intended for shop owners and the sellers they invite, and is not directed to children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under that age. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
16. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the app. Your continued use of Venda after an update means you accept the revised policy.
17. Contact us
If you have questions, requests, or complaints about your privacy or this policy, contact us at:
- Venda
- Email: support@venda.co.tz
- WhatsApp: +255 688 837 005
- Address: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
If you are in Tanzania and are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Personal Data Protection Commission.