Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Billie is the responsible party (data controller) for the personal information described in this Policy. If you have any questions about this Policy or how we handle your information, contact our Information Officer using the details in section 12.

2. Information we collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

• Account & contact details — your WhatsApp phone number and/or email address, and any name you provide when you create an account.
• Invoice information — the invoices you send us (as PDFs or images) and the details we extract from them, such as the supplier/beneficiary name, amount, payment reference, and bank account details for the party you are paying.
• Payment & wallet information — your wallet balance, top-ups, transactions, payouts, and the status of payments processed through our payment partner. We do not store your full card or banking login credentials; those are handled directly by our regulated payment partner.
• Conversation data — the messages you exchange with Billie and the state of your in-progress requests, which we keep temporarily to run the conversation.
• Technical & usage data — information generated automatically when you interact with our services, such as IP address, device and browser type, and timestamps, used for security, fraud prevention, and to operate our infrastructure.

3. How we collect your information

• Directly from you when you message us on WhatsApp or email an invoice to us.
• From the invoices and documents you submit for payment.
• From our payment partner when you complete or attempt a payment.
• Automatically through cookies and similar technologies when you visit our website.

4. How we use your information

We process your personal information to:

• Create and manage your Billie account and wallet.
• Read and extract details from the invoices you send so you can pay them.
• Process payments, top-ups, and payouts, and issue proof of payment.
• Communicate with you about your transactions and respond to your requests.
• Detect, prevent, and investigate fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
• Comply with our legal, regulatory, and anti-money-laundering obligations.
• Maintain, improve, and secure our services.

5. Legal basis for processing

We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases under POPIA:

• Performance of a contract — to deliver the payment service you ask for.
• Legal obligation — to meet financial, tax, and regulatory requirements.
• Legitimate interests — to secure, operate, and improve Billie, balanced against your rights.
• Consent — where you have given it, which you may withdraw at any time.

6. How we share your information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with operators (processors) and partners who help us run Billie, under appropriate confidentiality and data-protection terms, including:

• Payment processing — our regulated payment partner, to collect funds and make payouts to beneficiaries.
• Messaging — the WhatsApp/Meta platform, to deliver and receive your messages.
• Invoice extraction — our AI provider, to read the contents of the invoices you submit.
• Infrastructure & hosting — cloud, storage, and database providers that host our application and data.
• Authorities & advisers — regulators, law enforcement, or professional advisers where required by law or to protect our rights.

7. Cross-border transfers

Some of our service providers may store or process information outside South Africa. Where we transfer personal information across borders, we take reasonable steps to ensure it receives a level of protection consistent with POPIA.

8. How long we keep your information

We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy, or for as long as required to meet legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations. Conversation session data is short-lived, and certain files (such as proof-of-payment documents) are automatically deleted shortly after they are generated. When information is no longer needed, we delete or de-identify it.

9. How we protect your information

We apply appropriate technical and organisational safeguards to protect your personal information, including encryption of sensitive data such as beneficiary bank account numbers, access controls, and secure, short-lived links for any private documents we share. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your information against loss, misuse, and unauthorised access.

10. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request that we correct or update inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request that we delete or destroy information we no longer have a lawful reason to keep.
• Object to certain processing of your information.
• Withdraw consent where we rely on it.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in section 12.

11. Cookies

Our public website uses only the cookies necessary to operate and secure the site. Our admin dashboard uses cookies for authentication. We do not use cookies for advertising.

12. Contact us

For any privacy questions, requests, or complaints, contact our Information Officer:

privacy@billie.africa

You also have the right to complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) at inforegulator.org.za.

13. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above. Material changes will be communicated through Billie or our website. Please review this Policy periodically.