Privacy Policy
App summary. EchoBooks helps registered retail merchants in Kinshasa record daily sales, expenses, supplier receipts, and credit invoices by sending WhatsApp messages and photos of handwritten documents. The service processes those messages and returns confirmation summaries over WhatsApp.
Contact. Privacy requests: [email protected]
1. Who we are
EchoBooks (“we”, “us”, “our”) provides a WhatsApp Business messaging integration and backend processing service for authorized business users (“merchants”). This policy explains what information we collect through the WhatsApp channel, Meta platforms, and our backend, how we use it, and your choices.
2. Scope
This policy applies to:
- the EchoBooks WhatsApp Business conversation;
- our webhook/API backend that receives Meta WhatsApp events;
- related hosted pages such as this privacy policy and status pages.
It does not replace Meta’s or WhatsApp’s own privacy policies for their platforms.
3. Information we collect
Depending on how you use EchoBooks, we may process:
- WhatsApp identifiers: phone number / WhatsApp ID used to message our business number.
- Message content: text you send (for example exchange rates or confirmation replies).
- Media: images or documents you send (for example handwritten invoices, delivery notes, cash or expense reports).
- Business profile data we store for operations: merchant company name, registered WhatsApp number, preferred currency, and daily exchange rate (“taux”).
- Conversation state: session status and temporary metadata needed to continue a multi-step dialogue (for example awaiting confirmation of a parsed document).
- Technical logs: webhook delivery metadata, timestamps, and error logs used to operate and debug the service.
- Derived data: OCR/parsed line items, partner names, totals, and matching references to inventory or business contacts.
We do not intentionally collect payment card numbers through WhatsApp. Please do not send unnecessary sensitive personal data in chat or images.
4. How we use information
- authenticate that your WhatsApp number belongs to a registered merchant;
- prompt for and store the daily exchange rate when needed;
- download media from Meta’s APIs and extract bookkeeping data with OCR / AI models;
- match products and partners against the merchant’s catalog;
- send replies, summaries, and confirmation prompts on WhatsApp;
- maintain conversation continuity and prevent unauthorized access;
- operate, secure, and improve reliability of the service;
- comply with legal obligations when required.
5. Legal bases (where applicable)
Where GDPR or similar laws apply, we process data on the basis of contract performance (providing the bookkeeping messaging service to merchants), legitimate interests (security, debugging, service improvement), and, where required, consent.
6. Sharing and processors
We use service providers as processors to run EchoBooks. Categories include:
- Meta / WhatsApp: message delivery, webhooks, and media APIs.
- Cloud hosting: application hosting (for example Render).
- Database: operational data storage (for example Supabase / Postgres).
- AI providers: OCR and embedding services used to parse documents and match inventory (for example Google Gemini and OpenAI).
- ERP / accounting systems: when connected for merchant catalog sync or future posting of confirmed entries.
We do not sell personal information. We share data only as needed to provide the service, with processors under appropriate arrangements, or when required by law.
7. International transfers
Our processors may process data in regions outside your country of residence. Where required, we rely on appropriate transfer safeguards offered by those providers.
8. Retention
We retain WhatsApp conversation operational data, images used for parsing, and parsed summaries for as long as needed to provide the merchant bookkeeping service, resolve disputes, meet legal requirements, and maintain security logs. Temporary conversation metadata may be overwritten when a flow completes. Merchants may request deletion (see below).
9. Security
We use access controls, HTTPS for public endpoints, environment-based credentials, and least-privilege service keys where practical. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure; please protect access to your WhatsApp Business device and accounts.
10. Your choices and data deletion
Registered merchants may request:
- access to operational data linked to their WhatsApp number;
- correction of merchant profile fields;
- deletion of conversation history, images, and related bookkeeping caches we control.
To request deletion or privacy support, email [email protected] with the subject “EchoBooks Data Deletion”, your registered company name, and the WhatsApp number used with the service. We will verify the requester is authorized for that merchant account before acting.
Stopping WhatsApp messages alone does not automatically erase stored historical records. Meta account settings may also control how WhatsApp itself handles chat content.
11. Children’s privacy
EchoBooks is a business tool for merchants and is not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
12. App permissions and WhatsApp login / dialogue
When you interact with our WhatsApp Business channel, Meta may authenticate delivery through WhatsApp’s platforms. EchoBooks then uses your WhatsApp number to identify the merchant account and continue a structured dialogue (for example asking for the daily taux, requesting a document photo, and confirming a parsed summary). Declining required steps or messaging from an unregistered number may result in limited or no service.
13. Changes
We may update this policy as the product evolves. The “Last updated” date above will change when we publish revisions. Continued use of the WhatsApp service after an update means you acknowledge the revised policy.
14. Contact
EchoBooks Privacy
Email: [email protected]