Privacy policy

Hire A Trade ("we," "our," or "us") operates a professional services marketplace connecting consumers with verified service providers. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our platform — including our website, mobile-optimized interface, real-time chat, booking, and Premium subscription features.

By creating an account or using Hire A Trade, you acknowledge you have read and understood this policy. We are committed to full transparency — if you ever have questions, we're always reachable.

We use your information strictly to operate, improve, and protect the Hire A Trade platform. Specifically:

• Create and manage your account
• Match consumers with service providers
• Bill providers for Premium through our payment partners
• Send booking confirmations, reminders, and updates
• Enable real-time messaging between users
• Detect and prevent fraud using AI-powered risk scoring
• Check provider IDs, licences and certifications
• Manage subscription plans and premium features
• Comply with legal and tax obligations
• Send transactional emails (via SendGrid)
• Improve our platform and develop new features
• Send marketing communications (with your explicit consent)

We do not sell your personal information. We only share data in the following limited circumstances:

Other platform users

Profile details, ratings, and booking information shared as necessary to fulfill a service booking or look into a problem report.

Payment partners

When a provider pays for Premium, the payment partner they choose (Fygaro, WiPay or Stripe) receives their name, email and the amount, and handles the card details directly. We never store card numbers.

Email service provider

SendGrid processes transactional and notification emails on our behalf. Only your email address is shared.

Analytics

Cloudflare Web Analytics counts page views and load times for us. It sets no cookies, doesn't track you across other sites and doesn't build a profile of you.

Legal authorities

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public.

Business transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred to the successor entity.

Security is a core part of our architecture, not an afterthought. We implement multiple layers of protection:

• Encryption in transit: All data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS 1.3.
• Encrypted storage: Sensitive fields (MFA secrets, financial records) are symmetrically encrypted at rest.
• Signed payment confirmations: Premium payments are only credited after the payment partner’s signed confirmation is verified.
• AI-powered fraud detection: Automated risk scoring helps flag suspicious accounts and activity.
• Multi-factor authentication: Users can enable TOTP-based MFA. MFA secrets are encrypted using AES-256.
• Mandatory admin password resets: New admin accounts require a forced password reset on first login.
• Comprehensive audit logging: Critical actions (logins, password changes, billing events) are recorded in tamper-evident audit logs.

Depending on your jurisdiction, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Access

Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.

Rectification

Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

Erasure

Request deletion of your account and associated data.

Portability

Export your data in a machine-readable format.

Opt-out

Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time.

Withdraw consent

Revoke consent for optional data processing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We respond to all requests within 30 days.

We only use what the site needs to work. There are no advertising or tracking cookies:

Sign-in cookiesEssential

Two essential cookies keep you signed in and refresh your session securely. They are only set when you sign in, and the site can't work without them.

Browser storageEssential

Your browser remembers a few choices on your device, such as light or dark mode and that you've seen the cookie notice. This never leaves your device.

Cookieless analyticsNo cookies

Cloudflare Web Analytics measures page views and load times so we can improve Hire A Trade. It uses no cookies and doesn’t identify you.

Because we only use essential cookies, there is nothing to switch on or off in the app. You can clear or block cookies in your browser settings, but you won't be able to stay signed in.

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. When your account is deleted:

Active account data

Retained for the duration of your account.

Financial records & transaction logs

Retained for up to 7 years to comply with tax, audit, and financial regulations.

Chat messages

Retained for 2 years so we can look into problem reports.

Job applications

If you apply for a role with us, your application and résumé are kept for 12 months after the role closes and then deleted. Ask us and we'll delete yours sooner.

Audit logs

Retained for 3 years for security and compliance investigations.

Hire A Trade is intended for users who are at least 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18. If you believe a minor has created an account, please contact us immediately at [email protected] and we will promptly investigate and remove the account.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as our platform evolves. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• Send an in-platform notification to all active users
• Send an email notification for significant changes affecting your rights

Continued use of Hire A Trade after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

For privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, reach out to us: