Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy describes how Helopay Ltd. collects, uses, and protects personal information that we receive from our customers in connection with the payment gateway and payment technology solutions we provide. Helopay helps African businesses accept and manage payments online, through cards and mobile money. We value the privacy of our customers and parties who use our website, applications, services, and tools.
Helopay Ltd. ("Helopay", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our payment gateway services, website, and related platforms.
We provide technology that enables businesses to collect and disburse payments across Africa in a simple, secure, and reliable manner. This policy applies to all users of our services, including merchants, partners, and visitors to our website.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect from our customers and business partners in order to provide our payment processing services, and how that information is used, stored, and protected.
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully, together with any other notices we may provide on specific occasions when we collect or process personal data, so that you are fully aware of how and why we use your data.
To provide our payment gateway and payout services, we collect the following categories of personal information:
- Business registration information, including company name, tax ID, and incorporation documents
- Business owner and authorized signatory identification (name, government ID, proof of address)
- Contact information including email addresses, phone numbers, and physical business addresses
- Bank account details and mobile money wallet information for payout processing
- Transaction history, including payment volumes, customer data, and settlement records
- Technical data such as IP addresses, device information, and browser types when using our platform
- Correspondence and communication records with our support team
We may need to request specific information from you to verify your identity and business legitimacy, and to ensure your right to access your personal data or exercise any of your other rights. This is a security measure to protect against fraud and ensure that personal data is not disclosed to unauthorized parties.
We may also contact you for additional information to process your request efficiently. Failure to provide requested information may delay or prevent us from providing our payment services.
Helopay collects and uses personal information for the following business purposes:
- Process payments, card transactions, and mobile money transfers securely across African markets
- Prevent, detect, and investigate fraud, financial losses, and illegal activities using internal and third-party screening tools
- Comply with legal obligations including anti-money laundering (AML), Know-Your-Customer (KYC), counter-terrorism financing (CFT), and sanctions screening requirements
- Create and manage merchant accounts, verify identities, and respond to inquiries
- Process settlements, chargebacks, refunds, and dispute resolution activities
- Verify identity information through public and restricted government databases to meet regulatory obligations
- Improve our platform, services, and user experience through analytics and feedback
- Communicate service updates, security alerts, and policy changes
Helopay does not sell, trade, or rent personal data to third parties. We only share or disclose your personal information as necessary to provide our payment services or as required by law.
We may disclose your information to:
- Law enforcement agencies, regulatory authorities, courts, or other statutory bodies in response to lawful requests
- Banking partners, payment processors, and mobile network operators (M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Airtel Money, etc.) to complete transactions
- Fraud prevention and anti-money laundering agencies for compliance screening
- Government databases and identity verification services to fulfill KYC requirements
- Service providers, vendors, and agents who work on our behalf (customer support, security, analytics) under strict confidentiality agreements
- Financial institutions and card networks (Visa, Mastercard) as necessary for payment processing
- Our subsidiaries, affiliates, and partners involved in delivering Helopay services
By law, we must retain basic customer information (including identity, financial, and transaction data) for a minimum of 7 years after account closure or transaction completion. Helopay is legally required to retain data to process transactions, ensure settlements, handle refunds, detect fraud, and comply with tax, reporting, and regulatory guidelines in Kenya and other African jurisdictions where we operate.
- As long as reasonably necessary to provide our payment services to you
- For the duration your merchant account is active and while we have your consent
- For the period required to comply with legal, tax, and regulatory obligations
- As needed to verify your information with financial institutions and payment networks
- The terms of our contract with your business and the purpose for which data was obtained
- Statutory retention requirements under Kenyan law and other applicable regulations
- Whether you request deletion of personal data, provided no investigation or contractual obligation requires retention
- Whether Helopay has another lawful basis for retaining the information beyond the original purpose
We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal data from accidental loss, unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure. Access to your personal data is limited to employees, agents, contractors, and third parties who require it for their job responsibilities and are bound by confidentiality obligations.
As a PCI-DSS certified payment gateway, Helopay implements strict access controls, security protocols, and industry standards including encryption and firewall technologies. Your card information and personal data are stored securely in our servers. We perform regular security updates to maintain alignment with industry standards and regulatory requirements for the African payments ecosystem.
Helopay maintains records of personal data processing activities and has procedures to honor your data subject rights under applicable law, including:
- Right to access your personal data (data subject access request)
- Right to request correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated personal data
- Right to request restriction of processing or erasure of your personal data
- Right to data portability — moving your data from Helopay to another provider
- Right to object to direct marketing and request restricted processing
- Right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting previous lawful processing
We may update this Privacy Policy as our technology evolves, as we expand into new African markets, or as required by law. If we materially change how we use or share personal data previously collected, we will provide notice or obtain consent as required by law. The current version of this Privacy Policy will always be available on our website with the effective date.
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If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, need clarification, wish to exercise your data privacy rights, or would like to report a concern, please contact us at:
