Privacy Policy

Who We Are

TradeBooks is a business management application for UK sole traders, operated by TradeBooks. We are the data controller for personal data you provide when using the service.

For any privacy questions or data requests, contact us at support@tradebooks.uk. We aim to respond within 5 working days.

What Data We Collect

We only collect data that is necessary to provide the TradeBooks service:

• Account data — your email address and encrypted password, used to identify your account
• Business data — your business name, trade type, logo and profile details you choose to enter
• Financial data — invoices, quotes, expenses, transactions and tax figures you enter into the app
• Client data — names, phone numbers, email addresses and notes about your clients that you enter
• Job data — diary entries, job descriptions, dates and notes you create
• Enquiry data — messages submitted through your public enquiry link by potential customers
• Device data — browser type and device type, used only for technical support and error diagnosis

We do not collect payment card details — these are handled directly by Stripe and never pass through our systems.

Our Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following:

• Contract performance — processing your account, financial and business data is necessary to deliver the TradeBooks service you have signed up for
• Legitimate interests — sending service notifications, diagnosing technical errors, and improving the app based on how it is used
• Legal obligation — retaining certain records as required by UK law

How We Use Your Data

• To provide the TradeBooks service and sync your data across your devices
• To process your subscription payments via Stripe
• To power AI features — when you use quote generation, receipt scanning or payment chasers, the relevant content is sent securely to Anthropic's API for processing
• To send important service updates and notifications (not marketing without your consent)
• To respond to support requests you submit
• To diagnose and fix technical errors

AI Feature Processing

When you use AI-powered features in TradeBooks (quote builder, receipt scanning, payment chaser, contract generator), the relevant content — such as a job description, receipt image, or client name — is sent to Anthropic's API for processing.

Anthropic processes this data on our behalf under a Data Processing Agreement. Anthropic does not use API data to train its models. Data sent to Anthropic is not stored beyond the duration of the request. Receipt images are compressed before transmission and are not retained after processing.

By using AI features in TradeBooks, you consent to this processing. You can use TradeBooks without using AI features — they are optional.

Third Party Data Processors

We share data only with the service providers necessary to operate TradeBooks. All processors are bound by GDPR-compliant Data Processing Agreements.

We do not share your data with advertisers, data brokers or any third party for marketing purposes.

How Long We Keep Your Data

• Active account — we retain your data for as long as your account is active
• After account deletion — your data is retained for 90 days to allow recovery, then permanently deleted
• Subscription records — payment and subscription records may be retained for up to 7 years to comply with UK financial regulations
• AI-processed content — not retained after processing is complete

Cookies

TradeBooks uses only essential cookies required for authentication and session management. These cookies are necessary for the app to function and cannot be disabled.

We do not use advertising cookies, analytics cookies, or any third-party tracking cookies. No cookie consent banner is shown because no non-essential cookies are set.

Your Rights Under UK GDPR

As a UK data subject you have the following rights. To exercise any of them, email support@tradebooks.uk — we will respond within 30 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you are unhappy with how we handle your data.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will notify you by email and update the "last updated" date at the top of this page. The latest version is always available at tradebooks.uk/privacy and within the app under Settings.