Privacy Policy

Your privacy, in plain terms

Your trust is the whole point of TrusTrade — so we're upfront about what we collect, why, and the control you have over it.

TrusTrade is a "responsible party" under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). We process your personal information lawfully, responsibly, and only for the purposes described here. We do not sell your personal data — ever.

South Africa's Information Regulator oversees POPIA compliance and can be contacted at inforegulator.org.za. This policy works alongside our Terms of Service.

Information we collect

We collect the minimum we need to run the marketplace and keep it safe. Depending on how you use TrusTrade, that may include:

• Identity information — your full name, ID or passport number, and date of birth.
• Contact information — email address, phone number, and physical address.
• Verification information — copies of ID documents, proof of address, and photos submitted for verification.
• Financial information — bank account and payment details (card payments are processed through TradeSafe or approved gateways; we don't store full card numbers).
• Transaction data — listings, purchase history, auction and bid records, payment references, and dispute records.
• Communication data — messages sent through TrusTrade messaging.
• Technical data — IP address, device and browser details, login timestamps, and usage data collected automatically.
• Support records — your conversations with our support team.

How & why we use it

We only use your personal information for clear, lawful purposes:

• To register and manage your account.
• To verify the identity of sellers (and buyers where applicable).
• To facilitate and record transactions, including payments and disputes.
• To meet our legal obligations under POPIA, ECTA, the CPA, FICA, and other applicable laws.
• To investigate disputes, fraud reports, and suspected illegal conduct, and to keep the platform safe.
• To communicate with you about your account, transactions, and platform updates.
• To send marketing only where you've given prior consent (in line with section 69 of POPIA).
• To improve our services through anonymised usage analysis.

We won't use your information for anything incompatible with these purposes without first getting your consent.

Cookies & tracking

TrusTrade uses cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, secure your session, and gather anonymised statistics that help us improve the platform.

• Essential cookies — needed for core features like logging in and keeping your session secure.
• Preference cookies — remember choices such as your light or dark theme.
• Analytics cookies — help us understand how the platform is used, in aggregate.

You can control or clear cookies through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may affect how parts of the platform work. We don't use cookies to sell your data.

Who we share it with

We share personal information only where it's needed to run the service or meet our legal duties — with:

• TradeSafe — to facilitate escrow payments and verify transaction parties.
• The Courier Guy and other approved couriers — to arrange and track shipments.
• Payment service providers and gateways — to process payments.
• Our service providers and technology partners — who process data on our behalf under data processing agreements.
• Law enforcement, courts, and regulators — where required or permitted by law.
• Professional advisers such as lawyers and auditors — under confidentiality obligations.

We never sell your personal information for marketing or commercial purposes, and we take reasonable steps to ensure any third party we share with handles your data in line with POPIA.

Your rights & choices

POPIA gives you real control over your personal information. You have the right to:

• Be notified when your personal information is collected.
• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction or deletion of inaccurate or outdated information.
• Object to processing where you have grounds to do so.
• Withdraw consent at any time, where we relied on your consent (this doesn't affect processing that already happened).
• Complain to the Information Regulator if you believe your POPIA rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer at privacy@trustrade.co.za and we'll help you.

How long we keep it & how we protect it

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected, or as the law requires. Transaction and auction records are kept for at least five years to meet legal and regulatory requirements. Seller verification documents are kept while your account is active and for as long afterward as the law or unresolved disputes require.

We use reasonable, appropriate technical and organisational safeguards — including encryption, access controls, and regular security reviews — to protect your information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Keeping your account safe

Protecting your information is a partnership. You play an important part by keeping your account secure:

• Use a strong, unique password and never share your login details, one-time PINs, or banking PINs with anyone.
• Be alert to scams — TrusTrade will never ask for your password, PIN, or full banking details.
• Keep sensitive negotiations and agreements inside TrusTrade messaging.
• Report anything suspicious using the in-app reporting tools so we can act quickly.

You're responsible for activity carried out through your account, so let us know immediately if you suspect unauthorised access.

Children's privacy

TrusTrade is intended for adults. You must be at least 18 (or the age of majority where you live) to create an account, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we've collected information from a child without proper consent, we'll take steps to delete it.

Changes to this policy

As TrusTrade grows and the law evolves, we may update this policy. When changes are material, we'll make reasonable efforts to let you know through the platform or by email, and we'll always update the "last updated" date at the top. Continuing to use TrusTrade after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact our Information Officer

Have a privacy question, or want to exercise one of your rights? Reach out and we'll point you in the right direction:

• Privacy / Information Officer — privacy@trustrade.co.za
• General support — support@trustrade.co.za
• Information Regulator (South Africa) — inforegulator.org.za
• Website — www.trustrade.co.za