Privacy Policy – SmartBeggar

This Privacy Policy explains how the SmartBeggar project (“SmartBeggar”, “we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses and protects information when you:

• visit smartbeggar.com, and/or
• use the SmartBeggar mobile applications (iOS and Android).

SmartBeggar is a personal, transparency-based project run by an individual, not a company or charity organisation.

If you have any questions, you can contact us at:
Email: smartbeggar.official@gmail.com

⸻

1. Data we collect

We collect only the minimum amount of information needed to run the website, understand how people use it, operate the mobile apps and show basic project updates.

a) Information you provide directly
You may choose to share information with us, for example:
• When you contact us by email or social media
• When you send us feedback about the project or the app

This can include your name or nickname, email address and the content of your message.

b) Information collected automatically on the website
When you visit smartbeggar.com, basic technical information may be collected automatically, such as:
• IP address and rough location (country/city level)
• Browser type, device type and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on the site and referring page
• Date and time of your visit

This information may be collected through:
• Our hosting provider (Netlify or a similar service), which keeps standard server logs
• Simple analytics or performance tools, if enabled in the future

We use this information only in aggregated or pseudonymous form to understand how the site is used and to improve it.

c) Information collected in the mobile app
The SmartBeggar mobile app is designed to avoid collecting personal data.

The app does not ask you to create an account, does not collect your name, email address or precise location, and does not access your contacts, photos or other personal content on your device.

Inside the app we may process:
• An anonymous installation identifier (a randomly generated token stored in our database) used to:
– count active app installations and
– enable global notifications to groups of users
• Technical error logs in case of crashes, to improve stability

This identifier is not linked to your real identity and is not combined with other data to track you as a person.

d) Third-party services

We use a small number of external services to run the project:

1. Hosting and infrastructure (e.g. Netlify or similar)
• Used to host the website and related assets.
• Their servers may log technical information (IP address, browser, date/time of access).

2. App stores (Apple App Store, Google Play)
• These platforms may provide us with basic, aggregated statistics about installations and usage (for example: number of installs, approximate region).
• We do not receive information that directly identifies individual users from these stores.

3. Shopify (store and checkout)
• The in-app shop is powered by Shopify. When you open the shop, content is displayed in a secure web view.
• Shopify may collect data necessary to operate the cart and complete an order (for example: items in cart, shipping details, payment method), according to its own privacy policy.
• We do not receive or store your full payment details (card numbers, bank details, etc.).
• Shopify may use cookies needed for the functioning of the cart and checkout. These cookies are controlled by Shopify and are not used by us to track users for advertising.

4. Social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube)
• Links and buttons in the app or on the website may lead to external social media profiles.
• These platforms may collect their own data about you according to their own privacy policies.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these third-party services.

⸻

12. Newsletter and Email Communication

We offer an optional newsletter that provides updates about the SmartBeggar project, new features, community news and general information related to the project. Subscribing to the newsletter is entirely voluntary.

a) Information we collect
When you subscribe to the newsletter, we collect:
• Your email address
• The date and time of your subscription
• Technical information used by our email provider (for example: confirmation status, delivery status)

We do not collect your name or any additional optional profile information unless you explicitly provide it.

b) How we use your email
Your email address is used solely to:
• Send you updates related to the SmartBeggar project
• Inform you about new app features or roadmap milestones
• Share community announcements or important project information

We do not use your email for advertising, profiling or selling data to third parties.

c) Email service provider (MailerLite)
We use MailerLite to operate the newsletter.
MailerLite processes your email address on our behalf and provides tools for:
• Managing subscriber lists
• Delivering emails
• Checking basic delivery and open statistics
• Handling unsubscribe requests

MailerLite may process your data on servers located inside or outside the EU/EEA. They operate under GDPR-compliant terms, including Standard Contractual Clauses where required.

d) Legal basis (EU/EEA visitors)
We process your email for the newsletter based on:
• Your consent – given when you subscribe to the newsletter
You can withdraw your consent at any time.

e) How to unsubscribe
Every email sent through the newsletter contains an Unsubscribe link.
You can unsubscribe by:
• Clicking the link included in the footer of each email, or
• Contacting us directly at smartbeggar.official@gmail.com

When you unsubscribe, your email is removed from the active mailing list. We may retain minimal records required by law or for preventing accidental re-subscription without your consent.

f) Data retention
Your email address is kept for as long as you remain subscribed.
If you unsubscribe, your address is deleted or irreversibly anonymised in our mailing system.

⸻

2. How we use your data

We use information only for the following purposes:
• To operate and maintain the website and mobile apps
• To understand in a general way how people use the site and app (traffic, popular sections, basic analytics)
• To respond to messages you send us
• To show anonymised or aggregated statistics about the SmartBeggar project
• To send global notifications to users who have the app installed (using anonymous tokens and push notification services)
• To keep the project safe, prevent abuse and detect technical issues

We do not sell your data to anyone.
We do not share data with “data brokers”.
We do not use your data to target ads.

⸻

3. Legal bases (for visitors from the EU/EEA)

If you are in the European Union or European Economic Area, we process information based on:
• Legitimate interest – to operate the site and apps, keep them secure and understand how they are used (server logs, basic analytics, anonymous installation identifiers).
• Consent – when you voluntarily choose to contact us via email or social media, or when you decide to purchase a physical product through Shopify.
• Legal obligations – to comply with applicable laws, if required.

⸻

4. Sharing of data

We may share data only in limited situations:
• With service providers who host the website or provide basic infrastructure and analytics, under appropriate data protection agreements
• With Shopify, when you decide to open the shop and complete a purchase (Shopify acts as the store platform and payment processor)
• When required by law, court order or government authority
• To protect our rights, safety or the rights and safety of others

We do not share your information with advertisers or unrelated third parties.

⸻

5. International transfers

Because we use global services (such as hosting providers, app stores and e‑commerce platforms), your information may be processed in countries outside your own, including outside the EU/EEA.

Where this happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards offered by those providers (such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent mechanisms) to help protect your information.

⸻

6. Data retention

We keep information only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Policy:
• Server logs and technical data – usually kept for a limited period for security, troubleshooting and analytics
• Emails and messages – kept as long as needed to handle communication, or longer if necessary for legal reasons
• Installation identifiers and anonymous statistics – kept as long as needed to operate the app and understand its usage
• Order-related information – stored according to Shopify’s policies and retained by us only in aggregated form for project records and accounting, where applicable

When data is no longer needed, it is deleted or anonymised.

⸻

7. Your rights (EU/EEA visitors)

If you are in the EU/EEA, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
• Right to access – to know what information we hold about you
• Right to rectification – to correct inaccurate information
• Right to erasure – to request deletion of your information, where applicable
• Right to restriction – to limit processing in certain cases
• Right to object – to certain types of processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to data portability – to receive your data in a structured format, where technically possible

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at:
smartbeggar.official@gmail.com

We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

⸻

8. Cookies and similar technologies

Website
At this stage, smartbeggar.com uses only basic, essential cookies or similar technologies necessary to:
• Serve the website correctly
• Maintain basic security and performance

If we later add analytics, experiments or similar tools that use cookies, we will update this Policy and, where required, ask for your consent.

In-app shop (Shopify)
When you open the shop inside the SmartBeggar app, Shopify may set its own cookies and similar technologies needed to run the cart and checkout. These cookies are managed by Shopify and are subject to their privacy policy. We do not access these cookies and do not use them for tracking or advertising.

The SmartBeggar app itself does not set cookies in your browser and does not track you across other apps or websites.

⸻

9. Children’s privacy

SmartBeggar is not directed at children under 16.
We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

⸻

10. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
The “Last updated” date at the top shows when it was last revised.

Significant changes will be highlighted on the website or communicated via our channels.

⸻

11. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle data, please contact:

SmartBeggar Project Owner
Email: smartbeggar.official@gmail.com