Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

PayTools.co.za ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and any other applicable South African privacy legislation. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights as a data subject.

By using PayTools.co.za, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. Calculator Data — What We Do NOT Collect

All calculations performed on PayTools.co.za — including salary figures, years of service, leave days, UIF contributions and any other values you enter into our calculators — are processed entirely within your web browser. This data is never transmitted to our servers, never stored, and never logged.

We have no access to the numbers you enter into any calculator. When you close or navigate away from a calculator page, your data is gone permanently.

3. Information We Do Collect

3.1 Contact Form Submissions

When you submit the contact form on PayTools.co.za, we collect the information you provide: your name, email address, and message content. This information is processed through Formspree (a third-party form processing service) and delivered to our email inbox. We use this information solely to respond to your enquiry.

We do not add you to any mailing list without your explicit consent.

3.2 Website Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use our site — which pages are visited, how long people stay, and which tools are most used. Google Analytics collects anonymised usage data including browser type, device type, approximate geographic region, and pages visited. It does not collect personally identifiable information through our implementation.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

We also use Ahrefs Web Analytics, a cookie-free analytics service that does not collect personal data. It reports aggregate traffic statistics such as page views and referring sites without tracking individual visitors.

3.3 Cookies

PayTools.co.za uses minimal cookies necessary for site functionality and analytics (Google Analytics). We do not use tracking cookies for advertising purposes. Ahrefs Web Analytics does not use cookies. You can control cookie behaviour through your browser settings.

3.4 Advertising

We may display advertisements through Google AdSense. Google AdSense may use cookies to serve relevant ads based on your browsing behaviour. For more information on how Google uses data from advertising, see Google's Privacy & Terms.

4. How We Use Your Information

• To respond to enquiries submitted via the contact form
• To understand how our tools are being used so we can improve them
• To monitor site performance and identify technical issues
• To comply with legal obligations

5. Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share information with:

• Formspree — for contact form processing. Their privacy policy is available at formspree.io.
• Google — for analytics and advertising as described above.
• Ahrefs — for cookie-free website traffic analytics as described above.
• Law enforcement or regulatory authorities — where required by South African law.

6. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations)
• Object to the processing of your personal information
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at admin@paytools.co.za. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with POPIA requirements.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect any personal information we hold. Our website is served over HTTPS (SSL encryption). Contact form data is transmitted securely via Formspree.

8. Data Retention

Contact form submissions are retained in our email inbox for as long as necessary to respond to your enquiry and for a reasonable period thereafter for reference. Analytics data is retained by Google in accordance with their data retention policies.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites including SARS, the Department of Labour, and the CCMA. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

10. Children's Privacy

PayTools.co.za is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact the Information Regulator

If you believe we have not handled your personal information correctly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

• Website: www.justice.gov.za/inforeg
• Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za

13. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions or to exercise your POPIA rights, contact us at:
admin@paytools.co.za
Or use our contact form.