Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

CalcMyPay ("we", "us", "our") operates calcmypay.co.za, a South African personal finance platform providing free calculators, tools, and educational content. This privacy policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights under South African law.

By using our Site, you agree to this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site.

2. Browser-Only Processing: Your Financial Data Stays With You

This is the most important section of our privacy policy, and what differentiates us from most financial platforms:

What this means practically

• No server storage: Your inputs exist only in your browser's memory during your session
• No transmission: We don't send your numbers anywhere — not to us, not to third parties
• No database: We have no database of user financial information because we never collect it
• No account required: You can use all our tools without creating an account or providing an email
• No history: We cannot see your previous calculations — each session starts fresh

Why we chose this architecture

Financial data is sensitive. By processing everything locally, we eliminate an entire category of privacy risk. Even if our servers were compromised, attackers would find no user financial data — because it was never there. This architecture isn't just privacy-friendly; it's privacy-by-design.

3. Information We Actually Collect

While we don't collect your financial inputs, we do collect limited information necessary to operate the Site:

3.1 Information you voluntarily provide

If you contact us via our contact form, you may provide:

• Your name
• Your email address
• The content of your message

This information is used solely to respond to your enquiry and is not shared with third parties.

3.2 Automatically collected information

Like most websites, we collect standard technical information when you visit:

Data Type	Example	Purpose	Retention
IP address	196.21.x.x (anonymised)	Security, abuse prevention	30 days
Browser type	Chrome 126, Safari 17	Site compatibility	26 months
Device type	Desktop, mobile, tablet	Responsive design	26 months
Pages visited	/salary-calculator	Content improvement	26 months
Time on page	3 minutes 24 seconds	Engagement metrics	26 months
Approximate location	South Africa, Gauteng	Regional relevance	26 months
Referring URL	google.com	Traffic sources	26 months

Important: This data is aggregated and anonymised. We cannot and do not use it to identify individual users. It tells us things like "15,000 people used the salary calculator this month" — not who those people were.

4. Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by websites. We use cookies for three purposes:

Cookie Type	Provider	Purpose	Duration	Required?
Essential cookies	CalcMyPay	Basic site functionality, session management	Session	Yes
Analytics cookies	Google Analytics	Understand site usage, improve content	2 years	No
Advertising cookies	Google AdSense	Serve relevant advertisements	13 months	No

How to control cookies

• Browser settings: All browsers allow you to disable or delete cookies (find instructions in your browser's help menu)
• Google Analytics opt-out: Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
• Advertising opt-out: Visit Google Ads Settings or aboutads.info
• Do Not Track: We respect browser Do Not Track signals

5. Advertising and Google AdSense

CalcMyPay is free to use, supported by advertising revenue. We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our Site.

How Google AdSense works

• Google and its advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons to serve ads
• These ads may be based on your prior visits to our Site and other websites
• Google uses this data to show ads relevant to your interests
• We do not control which specific ads are shown — Google makes those decisions

Your advertising choices

• Opt out of personalised ads: Visit Google Ads Settings
• Opt out of third-party cookies: Visit the Network Advertising Initiative
• Use ad blockers: Browser extensions like uBlock Origin can block ads entirely
• Use private browsing: Incognito/private mode limits tracking

For more information about Google's advertising practices, visit Google's Privacy Policy.

6. Third-Party Services

We use a limited number of third-party services to operate the Site. Each has its own privacy policy:

Service	Provider	Purpose	Data Processed	Privacy Policy
Analytics	Google Analytics	Site usage statistics	Anonymous usage data	Google Privacy
Advertising	Google AdSense	Display ads	Browsing behaviour	Google Privacy
Fonts	Google Fonts	Typography	IP address (for CDN)	Google Privacy
Hosting	Cloud provider	Site infrastructure	Server logs	Provider policy

Important: We do not share your financial calculator inputs with any of these services because that data never leaves your browser. The third parties above only receive the limited technical information described in Section 3.

7. Security Measures

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect any information we process:

Technical safeguards

• HTTPS encryption: All traffic to our Site is encrypted using TLS 1.3
• Secure hosting: Infrastructure hosted with reputable providers with SOC 2 compliance
• Regular updates: Software and dependencies kept current to patch vulnerabilities
• Access controls: Limited personnel access to any collected data
• Monitoring: Security monitoring for unusual activity or attacks

Architectural protection

The strongest security measure is our browser-only architecture. Since your financial data never reaches our servers, it cannot be:

• Stolen in a data breach (it's not there)
• Accessed by unauthorised employees (we don't have it)
• Subpoenaed or legally compelled from us (we can't produce what we don't possess)
• Accidentally exposed in backups (it was never stored)

8. International Data Transfers

While CalcMyPay is a South African platform, some of our third-party service providers may process data outside South Africa:

• Google Analytics: May process data in the United States or European Union
• Google AdSense: May process data globally
• Google Fonts: CDN servers worldwide
• Hosting: May have servers in multiple regions

Safeguards for international transfers

When data is transferred outside South Africa, we rely on:

• Standard Contractual Clauses: EU-approved data transfer agreements
• Adequacy decisions: Countries with adequate data protection laws
• Provider compliance: Selecting providers with robust privacy frameworks
• Data minimisation: Transferring only necessary, anonymised data

Important context: The data transferred internationally is limited to anonymous analytics and technical information — never your financial calculator inputs, which remain on your device.

9. Data Retention

We retain information only as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected:

Data Type	Retention Period	Reason
Financial calculator inputs	None — never stored	Browser-only processing
Contact form submissions	Until enquiry resolved + 12 months	Customer service, dispute resolution
Analytics data	26 months	Trend analysis, site improvement
Server logs (IP addresses)	30 days	Security, abuse prevention
Cookie data	Per cookie policy above	Functionality, analytics, advertising

After retention periods expire, data is securely deleted or fully anonymised so it can no longer be linked to individuals.

10. Your Rights Under POPIA

South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) gives you specific rights regarding your personal information:

10.1 Your rights

• Right to access: Request a copy of personal information we hold about you
• Right to correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to deletion: Request deletion of your personal information ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to object: Object to processing of your information, including for direct marketing
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Right to data portability: Receive your information in a machine-readable format
• Right to complain: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator

10.2 How to exercise your rights

To exercise any of these rights:

1. Email our Information Officer at privacy@calcmypay.co.za
2. Clearly state which right you wish to exercise
3. Provide sufficient information for us to identify you (e.g., email address used in contact form)
4. We will respond within 30 days as required by POPIA

10.3 Practical reality

Because we collect minimal personal information — primarily anonymous analytics rather than identifiable profiles — most POPIA rights requests will relate to cookie and browser-level data rather than a personal profile. In many cases, you can exercise these rights directly through your browser settings or the opt-out links provided above.

11. Information Officer

POPIA requires organisations to designate an Information Officer responsible for compliance. Our Information Officer can be contacted as follows:

12. Complaints and the Information Regulator

If you believe we have violated your privacy rights or POPIA, you have the right to lodge a complaint with South Africa's Information Regulator:

We encourage you to contact us first at privacy@calcmypay.co.za so we can attempt to resolve any issues directly. However, you have the right to approach the Information Regulator at any time.

13. Children's Privacy

CalcMyPay is intended for adults making financial decisions. Our Site is not directed at children under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@calcmypay.co.za and we will take steps to delete that information.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes:

• We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• We may provide additional notice (such as a banner on the Site)
• Material changes will not apply retroactively to information already collected

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

15. Disclaimer

This privacy policy is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. While we strive for accuracy and POPIA compliance, you should consult a qualified attorney for legal advice specific to your situation.

16. Glossary of Privacy Terms

For clarity, here are definitions of key terms used in this policy:

Term	Definition
Personal Information	Information relating to an identifiable person (POPIA definition)
Processing	Any operation on personal information: collection, storage, use, disclosure, deletion
Data Subject	The person to whom personal information relates (you)
Responsible Party	The organisation determining the purpose and means of processing (us)
Operator	Third party processing information on behalf of responsible party (e.g., Google)
POPIA	Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (South Africa)
Information Officer	Person designated to ensure POPIA compliance
Information Regulator	South African regulatory body overseeing POPIA compliance
Cookie	Small text file stored on your device by websites
Anonymised data	Data that can no longer be linked to an identifiable person
Aggregated data	Data combined from multiple sources, showing trends not individuals
Cross-border transfer	Transfer of personal information to a country outside South Africa

17. Frequently Asked Questions

Does CalcMyPay store my financial data?

No. All our calculators run entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your salary, expenses, debt, savings, and other financial figures are never transmitted to our servers and never stored by us. When you close or refresh the page, all data is gone.

Is CalcMyPay POPIA compliant?

Yes. CalcMyPay is fully compliant with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). We collect minimal personal information, process it lawfully, and respect your data subject rights including access, correction, and objection to processing.

What cookies does CalcMyPay use?

We use three types of cookies: essential cookies for basic site functionality, analytics cookies (Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use the site, and advertising cookies (Google AdSense) to serve relevant ads. You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time.

Can I opt out of personalised advertising?

Yes. You can opt out of personalised Google advertising at Google Ads Settings or through the Network Advertising Initiative at aboutads.info. You can also disable cookies entirely in your browser settings.

Who is CalcMyPay's Information Officer?

Our Information Officer can be contacted at privacy@calcmypay.co.za. Under POPIA, the Information Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act and handling data subject requests.

How do I exercise my POPIA rights?

Email privacy@calcmypay.co.za with your request. You have the right to access, correct, delete, or object to processing of your personal information. We will respond within 30 days as required by POPIA.

Does CalcMyPay share my data with third parties?

We never share financial data because we never collect it. For the limited analytics data we do collect (anonymous, aggregated usage statistics), we use Google Analytics and Google AdSense who have their own privacy policies and compliance frameworks.

Where is my data stored?

Your financial data is never stored — it exists only in your browser session. Anonymous analytics data may be processed in the United States or European Union by Google, under standard contractual clauses and appropriate safeguards.