Privacy Policy
Last modified May 4th, 2024
Introduction
BetterGuest.io by Mochaware respects your privacy and we have created this Privacy Policy to demonstrate that commitment. As a service provider for accommodation establishments, we take the protection of information seriously. Please read this Privacy Policy, as it outlines how we use personal data that you provide to us, that we collect from you, or that is provided to us by a third party.
If you use our websites, our API or our services, either as a client, or as a guest who has made a booking with one of our accommodation establishment clients, you agree to this Privacy Policy.
We request information from you on behalf of accommodation establishments, to make your visit more productive and enjoyable and to provide you with a better service.
If you have any questions about the Privacy Policy or about your data, please contact us using the details in the Contact Us section.
Our Privacy Policy explains some of the questions you may have:
Who are we?
BetterGuest.io is a software platform offering web applications to assist our accommodation establishment clients with managing their bookings and communication with their staff and guests.
What personal information does BetterGuest.io gather?
Personal data is information that can be used to uniquely identify or contact a single person. We will receive personal information from accommodation establishments with whom visitors to our websites have made bookings, and we will collect and process information needed to facilitate such bookings, as well as for business administration in order to provide our services.
This includes personal data that guests making bookings provide to our clients, or to any online travel agency relating to a guest’s booking, or to an agent booking on a guest’s behalf. It also includes data that we, or our clients, are obliged to collect according to government regulations.
Personal data we process may include, but is not limited to: name, address, email address, phone number, ID or passport number, records of our interactions and travel information.
To help provide a better service, we usually monitor the usefulness and effectiveness of our websites and communications with you, and as such may gather user interaction information.
We will hold your personal data on our systems for as long as is reasonable for contracting, fiduciary responsibilities or statutory obligations.
How does BetterGuest.io collect your information?
We receive booking information from accommodation establishments via third party property management systems and channel managers as well as online booking engines.
We receive information from you directly when you communicate with us by phone, email or through using our websites.
Our accommodation establishment clients collect information about their guests that we store as part of our service.
When you use the services we connect to, e.g. payment providers, we collect the data required to conclude the transaction.
Automatic Information
In addition to the information which you may volunteer to us, either directly or via a third party, certain information is automatically collected whenever you interact with our websites. For example we collect technical information such as operating system and browser type and version, which we use to ensure that our websites cater for the technical needs of our users.
How does BetterGuest.io use IP Data and Cookies?
IP Data
When you visit our websites, we collect your IP address, which identifies your Internet Service Provider, but does not identify you as an individual. This information is used for the operation of our websites, and to maintain the quality of the service. Additionally, this information is used for general statistical purposes regarding the use of BetterGuest.io.
Cookies
Cookies are small elements of data stored on your computer’s hard drive or memory by your browser when you visit our websites. Each cookie contains unique characteristics so that our web server can later recognize your computer. Some of the features of our websites may not work properly or not at all if you disable the use of cookies. The information collected by cookies placed by us is anonymous and does not contain your personal Information.
How might BetterGuest.io use your information?
We use data for the purposes of facilitating communication between guests and accommodation establishments. For example we will process guest data to inform the accommodation establishment where the guest has booked as to who will be staying.
As a client, we use data to provide you with advice, notices, information, products or services you expect from us. Or to tell you about other services or goods we may offer or integrate with, that are similar or complementary to the service we’re already providing you.
We might use your information for internal operations and product improvements, data analysis or testing. Should we use information for research, statistical or survey purposes, we aggregate the data in a manner which safeguards your personal and business anonymity.
How do we process your information?
We do not own or manage our clients’ booking information, we merely provide the software platform our clients use to facilitate guest bookings and manage related business functions.
We receive booking information from accommodation establishments via third party integration, as well as from guests and our accommodation establishment clients who enter their information into our system directly.
We receive information about our accommodation establishment clients from third party integrations (such as with property management systems or channel managers) as well as from our clients who enter their information into our system directly and maintain that data themselves.
To provide these services, we must process your personal data as a guest or client, and from time to time, collect and use your personal data in order to make contact with you related to our support, training or maintenance services.
While we advise our clients on best practices regarding data collection, we recommend that guests review the privacy policy for the accommodation establishment with whom they book. Use of our products and services is based on acceptance of our Terms of Service and privacy policies.
Conditions for sharing your information
Any data in our clients’ accounts belongs to the clients. Information about our clients and their guests is an important part of our business, and we are not in the business of sharing, marketing or selling it to other companies. We will share customer information only as described below and with members of our own group, which share similar privacy policies.
BetterGuest.io gives access to guests’ personal information to the accommodation providers with whom they have chosen to enquire at or make a reservation.
Any data in our clients’ systems belongs to the client. We do not share or market any guest information. We only share or process data in a client system, with permission or written instruction from the client.
We may need to disclose personal information to our employees that require the personal information in order to do their jobs.
We may disclose account or other personal information to third parties when we believe it is necessary to enforce or comply with relevant laws, orders or regulations, our terms and conditions, our rights, contractual agreements, property and safety of our staff or users and in protection against fraudulent activities on out website.
We may need to restructure our business operations by selling one or more of our businesses, or part of a business. In such transactions, we may transfer your personal Information to a third party as a part of such merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale. We will disclose the transfer on the website. If you are concerned about your personal information migrating to a new owner, you may request us to delete your personal information.
Other than as set out above, we will not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes without your consent and you will have an opportunity to choose not to share your information.
Security of personal information
We take reasonable measures to secure your personal or payment information from accidental loss and from unauthorised access, use or alteration. Our websites and infrastructure use safeguards such as firewalls and data encryption to protect this information.
We authorise access to personal information only for those employees who require it to fulfill their job responsibilities. We require our staff to review safety protocols and implement secure processes. Our technical team monitors security standards on employee workstations.
Please be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable. We cannot control the actions of the recipients you connect to, who may forward data to other third parties or otherwise disclose it. The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Although we take efforts to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted to a website. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk.
Some of our clients store guest data and other personal information offline, via content downloaded using our software. We do not accept responsibility for data breaches in an offline software environment as we have no control over access at these locations. We recommend that clients get professional advice to ensure their infrastructure and environment is secure.
Client responsibility advisory
We reserve the right to suspend a client connection with immediate effect where we suspect that data protection policies are being violated.
What about links to third party websites?
Some pages on our websites include functionality from, and links to, third party websites such as Google Maps, FaceBook and Twitter. These websites are governed by their own privacy statements, and we are not responsible for their operations, including but not limited to their processing of personal information. We advise you to review their privacy statements before providing them with your personal information.
Transfer of personal information outside South Africa
We may transmit or transfer personal information outside South Africa to a foreign country. Personal information may be stored on servers located outside South Africa in a foreign country whose laws protecting personal information may not be as stringent as the laws in South Africa. You consent to us processing your personal information in a foreign country whose laws regarding processing of personal information may be less stringent.
Our subscriber policy
We only communicate with our clients to advise on changes or updates to our system, or to provide educational material. Email addresses and personal data that individuals consent to provide us with, is only used for contacting the individual with business related information. We do not disclose or sell private information to other parties.
Should an individual wish to no longer receive our correspondence, they can unsubscribe at any time.
Keeping data accurate and up to date
We will try to keep the personal information we collect as accurate, complete and up to date as is necessary for the purposes explicitly defined in this policy. From time to time we will request you to update your personal information on our system.
You are able to review or update any personal information that we hold on you by accessing your account online, by emailing us, or by phoning us. Please note that in order to better protect you and safeguard your personal information, we take steps to verify your identity before granting you access to your account or making any corrections to your personal information.
Retention of personal information
We will only retain your personal information for as long as we determine is necessary to fulfill the purposes explicitly set out in this policy, or a period reasonably required in the legitimate interest of our business activities.
Limitation
We are not responsible for, give no warranties, nor make any representations in respect of the privacy policies or practices of linked or any third party websites.
Revisions to this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy may change periodically so please review this page from time to time for updates. If you continue using our products or services after we make changes, it is deemed to be an acceptance of those changes.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns arising from this Privacy Policy or the way in which we handle personal information, please contact us at:
BetterGuest.io
Tel: +27 21 762 1409
Address: 2 Smithers Road, Kenilworth, 7708, South Africa
Email: info@swiftly.co.za
Access to information
Read our Access to Information or PAIA manual to help you know how you may get access to records.
BetterGuest.io Privacy Policy