Tjop Tjop is operated by [YOUR FULL NAME / REGISTERED BUSINESS NAME] ("we", "us", "Tjop Tjop"), currently operating in [an individual capacity / as a registered business — delete one], based in [CITY], South Africa. Under POPIA, we are the Responsible Party for the personal information described in this policy.
Contact for anything privacy-related: [YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS].
| Category | Examples | When |
|---|---|---|
| Account details | First name, surname, email address, cell number, password (never stored in plain text — see §10) | When you create an account |
| Google account info | Name, email address, profile photo | Only if you choose "Continue with Google" |
| Bill & spending data | Restaurant name, line items, prices, tip amount, who claimed what, totals | Every time you scan or split a bill |
| Budget data | Your self-set monthly food budget | If you choose to set one |
| Device notification token | A code identifying your device for push notifications | Only if you tap "Turn on notifications" |
| Usage data | Pages visited, general device/browser type, approximate region (via standard hosting logs) | Automatically, from anyone using the app |
What we deliberately don't keep: the photo of your receipt. It's sent once to our AI provider to read the text off it, and the image itself is discarded immediately after — we only keep the resulting text (restaurant name, items, prices).
What we do not currently do: sell your information, share it with restaurants or advertisers, or use it to target you with offers. If we ever build features like personalised merchant offers, they will be opt-in and this policy will be updated before that happens — not after.
Under POPIA, we process your information because: (a) it's necessary to provide you the service you signed up for — splitting bills, tracking spend — and (b) where it isn't strictly necessary (like push notifications), we ask for your explicit consent first, which you can withdraw at any time.
We use a small number of infrastructure providers to run Tjop Tjop. They process data on our behalf under their own security and privacy commitments — we don't sell or rent your information to anyone.
| Provider | What they handle | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Google Firebase | Sign-in, account database, your journal & budget data | Operator |
| Anthropic (Claude AI) | Reads the text off a bill photo, momentarily | Operator |
| Vercel | Hosts the web app | Operator |
Some of the providers above may process or store information on servers located outside South Africa. POPIA requires us to tell you this, and to make sure your information stays protected when it crosses a border. Each provider we use is bound by its own data-processing and security terms that provide a comparable standard of protection to POPIA. By creating an account, you consent to this transfer — if you're not comfortable with that, please don't create an account.
We keep your account and journal for as long as your account is active. If you ask us to delete your account (email us — see §15), we'll delete your personal information within [30 days], except where we're required to keep something for legal reasons (e.g. financial record-keeping).
Under POPIA, you have the right to:
To use any of these rights, just email us — see §15.
POPIA treats direct marketing by electronic means as something you must actively opt into. That's exactly how we've built it: notifications are off by default, and only turn on when you tap "Turn on notifications" yourself. You can turn them off again at any time in the same place, or by changing your browser/device notification permissions.
Tjop Tjop isn't intended for anyone under 18. We don't knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has created an account, please contact us and we'll remove it.
We use your browser's local storage for basic app function — for example, remembering that you arrived via a pilot-testing link. We don't use third-party advertising or tracking cookies.
If we materially change how we handle your information (for example, before introducing merchant offers), we'll update this page and let existing account holders know before the change takes effect.
[YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS]
If you're unhappy with how we've handled a privacy concern, you can complain to South Africa's Information Regulator. (Verify current contact details at inforegulator.org.za before publishing, as these can change.)
Complaints: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za
General enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001