Privacy Policy

Last updated: 6 October 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how SMELOC (“SMELOC”, “we”, “us”) collects, uses, shares and protects your information when you use our website, web application and mobile apps (together, the “Service”). SMELOC is a multi-vendor marketplace serving businesses and shoppers in Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

1. Information we collect

Account information — when you register, we collect your name, email address, a password (stored only as a secure hash) and, for sellers, your WhatsApp number.

Business information you provide — if you run a shop on SMELOC, we store the business details you enter: business name, address, logo, products and prices, uploaded photos and media, and the operational records you create in the app such as sales, customers, expenses, quotes, invoices and receipts.

Usage and device data — we record limited technical and usage data such as pages and products viewed, search queries, product impressions, approximate access times, IP address and basic device information, to operate and improve the Service.

Biometric login — if you enable fingerprint or face unlock, that authentication is performed entirely by your device’s operating system. Your biometric data never leaves your device and is never collected by or sent to SMELOC.

Location — we do not collect precise or GPS location. Country and town are chosen by you from a list.

2. How we use your information

  • To provide the Service: create and manage your account, publish listings, and run your shop’s tools.
  • To process and record subscriptions and related payments.
  • To show relevant listings and provide analytics, including fair ranking of businesses.
  • To keep the Service secure — detecting irregular activity and maintaining audit logs, and requiring multi-factor authentication for administrator accounts.
  • To communicate with you about your account, security and support.

3. How information is shared

With sellers/buyers. As a seller, the business details and listings you publish — including your WhatsApp number — are shown publicly so shoppers can contact you directly. Conversations happen on WhatsApp, outside SMELOC.

With service providers who help us run the Service, under appropriate safeguards: email delivery (Mailgun), application hosting (Laravel Forge), and the Apple App Store / Google Play for app distribution and, where applicable, in-app purchases.

For legal reasons where we must comply with the law or protect rights, safety and the integrity of the Service.

We do not sell your personal information.

4. Subscriptions and payments

Sellers start on a free trial and may then choose a paid subscription plan (priced per country) to keep their shop listed. A plan selected during the trial activates automatically when the trial ends. Whether your shop is publicly listed depends on your trial or subscription status.

To operate billing we store subscription records — the plan, billing period, and payment entries (amount, currency, date and any reference) — against your business account, and we may attribute a commission to the sales agent who onboarded you. We do not store full card numbers. Where subscriptions are purchased inside the mobile app, the transaction is processed by Apple or Google under their own terms and privacy policies, and we receive only confirmation of the purchase, not your payment-card details.

5. Data retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service and meet legal, accounting and security obligations. When you delete your account, the associated data is removed as described below.

6. Your rights and choices

You can access and update most of your information directly in the app. You may request a copy of your data or ask us to correct it.

Deleting your account. In the mobile app, go to Settings → Delete my account to permanently delete your account and the data it owns (your businesses and their products, sales, invoices, receipts and media). You can also request deletion by emailing us at the address below, and we will action it.

7. Security

We protect your information with encryption in transit, hashed passwords, access controls, administrator multi-factor authentication, and activity monitoring. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your data and review our safeguards.

8. Children

SMELOC is intended for businesses and adult users and is not directed to children under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

9. International operations

We operate across Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and the DR Congo, and your information may be processed in the countries where we and our service providers operate.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will revise the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, notify you of material changes.

11. Contact us

Questions or requests about this policy or your data? Email us at privacy@smeloc.com.