Privacy Policy

Last updated January 28, 2025

Thank you for using Churchease "the App", provided by Churchease ("we," "us," or "our"). This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information when you use our App. By accessing or using the App, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

We may collect and store the following types of personal information when you use our App:

Information provided by you, such as your name, email address, church affiliation, and other contact details when you register for an account or use certain features of the App.
Information about your church's members, activities, events, and communications within the App.
Transactional information related to any purchases made within the App.
Usage information, including your interactions with the App, content viewed, and features accessed.

SMS & Phone Number Information

Churchease collects mobile phone numbers provided by church members and administrators for the purpose of enabling church-related text message communications. These messages may include service reminders, event notifications, announcements, follow-ups, and urgent church alerts.

Phone numbers used for SMS messaging are collected only after members explicitly opt in through church-managed registration forms, visitor intake forms, or event sign-up forms within the Churchease platform.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

To communicate with you regarding updates, announcements, and other relevant information about the App.
To process transactions and send transactional notifications.
To personalize your experience and recommend features that may be of interest to you.
To monitor and analyze usage patterns to enhance the App's performance and user experience.
To facilitate church-related SMS communications sent on behalf of churches using the Churchease platform, in accordance with member consent.

How We Protect Your Information

We employ industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no data transmission or storage method can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

Sharing Your Information

We do not share your personal information with third parties except as described below:

Churchease does not sell or share mobile phone numbers collected for SMS messaging with third parties for marketing purposes.

With your consent: We may share your information with third parties if you give us your consent to do so.
Service Providers: We may engage third-party service providers to assist us in delivering our services. These providers are obligated to protect your information and are prohibited from using it for any other purpose.
Legal Compliance: We may disclose your information to comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or governmental requests.

Your Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access & data export:You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you — including directly in the mobile app via "My Data & Privacy".
Correction: You can request corrections or updates to inaccurate information.
Erasure:You can request that your personal data be removed. Your request is reviewed and actioned by your church, which is the controller of your data. Records the law requires us to keep (such as financial and Gift Aid records) are anonymized or retained rather than deleted — see "Account & Data Deletion" below.
Opt-Out: You can opt out of receiving SMS messages at any time by replying STOP to any message. You may also contact your church administrator for assistance.

Account & Data Deletion

You have the right to request deletion of your Churchease account and associated personal data at any time. This section explains how to submit a deletion request, what data will be deleted, and our retention policies.

1How to Request Account Deletion

You may request deletion of your account and personal data using one of the following methods:

Option A: Use "My Data & Privacy" in the Mobile App

The Churchease mobile app lets you exercise your data rights directly:

Open the app menu and tap "My Data & Privacy"
Choose "Download my data" to receive a copy of your personal data, or "Request data erasure" to ask for your personal data to be removed
Confirm your request

An erasure request is sent to your church administrator, who reviews and actions it. You can track the status of your request on the same screen.

Option B: Contact Your Church Administrator

Your church manages your membership data directly within Churchease. Church administrators can remove your information from their member roster.

Option C: Email Churchease Support

If you cannot reach your church administrator, or if the church is no longer active, submit your deletion request via email:

Email: [email protected]

Subject: Account Deletion Request

Please include:

Your full name
Email address associated with your account
⛪Name of your church (if applicable)

2What Data Will Be Deleted or Anonymized

When your erasure request is processed, the following data is either permanently deleted or anonymized (stripped of anything that identifies you) so it can no longer be linked to you:

Account profile information (name, email, phone number, address)
Church membership and group associations
Communication history (messages, emails sent through the platform)
Event registrations and attendance records
Profile photos and uploaded media
Preferences and application settings

3What Data May Be Retained

Certain data may be retained for legal, financial, or security purposes as required by law:

Financial transaction records (donation history, payment records) — retained for 7 years for tax and accounting compliance. These records are anonymized, not deleted: the amounts and dates are kept, but they are no longer linked to your name or contact details.
Gift Aid records (UK churches) — Gift Aid declarations and submitted HMRC claims are retained for the period HMRC requires and cannot be deleted on request within that period
Audit trail records — records of changes to financial and account data are kept as an immutable audit trail; personal identifiers within them are minimized where possible
Legal compliance records — retained as required by applicable laws
Anonymized/aggregated analytics data — which cannot be used to identify you

Retained financial records will have personal identifiers minimized to only what is legally required.

4Retention Period & Processing Time

Mobile App Requests

Erasure requests raised in the app are sent to your church administrator and processed within 30 days. Data export requests are prepared and made available for you to download.

Email/Admin Requests

Deletion requests submitted via email are processed within 30 days of receipt. You will receive an email confirmation once complete.

Backup Removal

Data in backup systems will be permanently removed within 90 days of the deletion request.

Data Deletion Contact

For all data deletion requests or questions about your personal data:

[email protected]

Please include "Account Deletion Request" in your email subject line for faster processing.

Changes to Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting a notice on our website or within the App.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at [email protected].

Children's Ministry Disclaimer

Churchease is not a medical or healthcare service. Allergy information shown on children's check-in labels and roster screens is provided by parents and guardians and is displayed for caregiver convenience only.

The church and its volunteers remain responsible for safe handling of every child. Always verify medical information directly with the parent or guardian before administering food, medication, or activities.

Additional Terms for Canadian Users

For Canadian users, this Privacy Policy is subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). You have the right to access your personal information, request corrections, and withdraw consent. If you have concerns or complaints about our data handling practices, you can contact the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

For users in the European Union, this Privacy Policy is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We are the data controller of your personal information. You have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, and object to the processing of your personal data. You can also lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe we have violated your rights under GDPR.