Privacy Notice

1. Who we are

This Privacy Notice explains how Simplify Online uses personal information where we decide the purposes and means of processing.

Privacy enquiries can be sent to support@simplify-online.co.uk.

2. When this notice applies

This notice applies to website visitors, prospective customers, account owners, authorised staff users, support contacts, suppliers and other people who deal directly with Simplify.

A business using Simplify may also enter personal information about its own customers, staff, suppliers and contacts. In many of those circumstances the business using Simplify is the controller and Simplify processes that information on its behalf. Our Data Processing Terms apply to that processing.

3. Information we collect

• Account information: name, email address, login details, account role and authentication/security information.
• Business information: business name, contact details, trade/category information, settings and onboarding information.
• Subscription information: plan, trial status, billing status, payment-provider references and transaction status. Full payment-card details are normally handled by the payment provider rather than stored directly by Simplify.
• Service usage information: feature usage, page or screen activity, timestamps, account activity and aggregate product-usage statistics generated by Simplify’s own analytics and operational systems.
• Technical and security information: session information, IP address where recorded by infrastructure or security systems, browser/device information, diagnostic logs, error information and security events.
• Support and communications: messages, support requests, problem reports, feedback and records of communications with us.
• Cookie and preference information: consent choices and the information described in our Cookie Policy.

4. Information customers put into Simplify

Depending on the features used, Customer Data may include names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, customer notes, quotes, job details, schedules, invoices, payment records, expenses, receipts, attachments and related business records.

Share My Trade and subcontractor connections. If you choose to enable Share My Trade, Simplify may show the business name, selected trades, chosen business contact details and approximate distance to eligible local Simplify businesses. Your full business address is not shown through the directory. When you send or accept subcontracted work, the businesses involved receive the customer, site, work, date and cost information needed to arrange and complete that work. Sharing can be switched off in Business Settings.

The Simplify customer is responsible for deciding what information it puts into the service and for ensuring it has an appropriate lawful basis for doing so.

5. Why we use personal information and our lawful bases

Purpose	Typical lawful basis
Create and administer accounts, provide requested features and manage subscriptions.	Performance of a contract, or steps requested before entering a contract.
Authenticate users, prevent fraud, protect accounts, investigate misuse and maintain service security.	Legitimate interests in operating a secure service; legal obligation where applicable.
Process billing status and maintain financial/business records.	Performance of a contract and legal obligation.
Provide support, respond to enquiries and manage service communications.	Performance of a contract and legitimate interests in supporting and operating the service.
Run operational reporting and understand how Simplify is used so we can maintain and improve it.	Legitimate interests where appropriate. If browser storage/access requires consent, we will rely on consent for that technology.
Send optional direct marketing where we choose to do so.	Consent or legitimate interests where permitted, subject to applicable electronic-marketing rules and opt-out rights.
Establish, exercise or defend legal claims and meet regulatory/legal requirements.	Legitimate interests and/or legal obligation.

6. Simplify analytics

Simplify is building its own analytics and administrator monitoring rather than relying solely on third-party analytics. This may include information such as active accounts, feature use, screen/page activity, login or session activity, errors and general usage statistics.

We aim to collect only what is reasonably needed to operate, understand and improve the service. Server-side operational, audit and security records are assessed separately from optional browser analytics. Where a cookie or other storage/access technology requires consent, the relevant optional analytics will not be enabled until the required consent has been given.

7. Advertising and sponsored offers

Simplify may display sponsored adverts or trade offers. Where advertisers choose permitted audience criteria, such as trade categories, Simplify performs the matching internally. We do not provide advertisers with Simplify user identities, contact details, customer lists or other user-level Customer Data for targeting.

If third-party advertising or campaign-measurement technology is introduced, we will update this notice and the Cookie Policy before it is activated where required.

8. Who we share information with

We may share personal information with service providers that help us run Simplify, for example hosting/infrastructure, email delivery, payment processing, security, backup, support and professional advisers. They receive only the information reasonably necessary for their role and are subject to appropriate contractual or legal obligations.

We may also disclose information where required by law, to regulators or law-enforcement bodies where legally justified, to protect legal rights or security, or in connection with a genuine sale, reorganisation or transfer of the Simplify business subject to appropriate safeguards.

Where Simplify acts as a processor, our use of subprocessors is governed by the Data Processing Terms.

9. International transfers

Some service providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where UK data-protection law requires a transfer safeguard, we will use an appropriate mechanism, such as an adequacy regulation or approved contractual safeguards together with any required assessment.

10. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it is held, including providing the service, maintaining security, resolving disputes and complying with legal, tax and accounting requirements.

Retention periods differ by type of information. Account and Customer Data may be retained for a limited period after closure to support recovery, legal obligations and backup cycles before deletion or anonymisation. Information that must be retained by law may be kept for the required period.

11. Security

We use technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure. No online service can guarantee absolute security, so users must also protect their credentials and promptly report suspected account compromise.

12. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law may give you rights to access personal information, correct inaccurate information, request erasure, restrict processing, object to processing, receive certain information in portable form and withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions. If your request concerns information entered into Simplify by one of our business customers, that customer may be the controller and we may need to refer the request to them.

To exercise a right relating to information for which Simplify is controller, contact support@simplify-online.co.uk.

13. Complaints

Please contact us first if you have a privacy concern so we can try to resolve it. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection. Information about making a complaint is available at ico.org.uk.

14. Changes to this notice

We may update this Privacy Notice as Simplify develops or legal requirements change. The document version and last-updated date shown on this page identify the current published version. Where a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will provide additional notice where appropriate.