Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

EasyMerkato (“we”, “us”, or “our”) provides a B2B marketplace mobile application and related services for suppliers and buyers in Ethiopia. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, and your choices.

Contact: easymerkato@gmail.com

2. Data we collect

Depending on how you use EasyMerkato, we may collect:

• Account data: name, email address, password (hashed), company/business name, role (supplier or buyer), and profile photo if you upload one.
• Google sign-in data: when you choose Google Sign-In, we receive basic profile identifiers from Google (such as email and name) needed to create or sign in to your account.
• Business activity data: products, orders, payments, payment proofs, ledgers, statements, prior debts, and messages or notes you enter in the app.
• Device and notifications data: device tokens used to send push notifications (via Firebase Cloud Messaging), app version, and basic diagnostic information needed to keep the service reliable.
• Support communications: emails or messages you send to our support address.

3. How we use data

• Provide, operate, and improve the marketplace, orders, ledger, and journal features.
• Authenticate users, verify email addresses, and secure accounts.
• Send transactional notifications (for example order status, payment review, and alerts).
• Respond to support requests and enforce our Terms of Service.
• Comply with applicable law and protect against fraud or abuse.

4. Legal bases and sharing

We process personal data to provide the service you request, to pursue legitimate interests in operating a secure B2B platform, and where required by law.

We do not sell your personal data. We may share data with:

• Service providers that help us host, send email, or deliver push notifications (including Google Firebase).
• Other EasyMerkato users you trade with, to the extent needed for orders, payments, and statements between your businesses.
• Authorities when legally required.

5. Retention

We retain account and transaction records for as long as your account is active and as needed for legitimate business, accounting, dispute, and legal purposes. If you request account deletion, we follow the process described on our Delete Account page, which may retain limited records where required for legal or ledger integrity.

6. Security

We use industry-standard measures such as encrypted transport (HTTPS), hashed passwords, session tokens, optional biometric/device app lock on your phone, and access controls on our systems. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.

7. Your choices

• Access or update profile information in the app (Profile).
• Disable optional app lock / biometrics in Profile → Security.
• Request account deletion via https://easy-merkato.vercel.app/delete-account or by emailing support.
• Contact us at easymerkato@gmail.com for privacy questions.

8. Children

EasyMerkato is intended for business users. It is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction).

9. Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of the service after updates means you accept the revised policy.