Privacy Policy

1Who We Are and Scope of This Policy

Scholargrowth is a web-based business management software platform designed for small businesses, freelancers, consultants, agencies, and other service-based businesses. This Privacy Policy describes our practices in two related but distinct capacities. First, as the operator of our website and the provider of the Service, we act as a controller of personal information relating to visitors, prospective customers, our registered Customers, and the individual Authorised Users who access a Customer's account, in connection with matters such as account administration, billing, marketing, and support. Second, where a Customer stores information about its own customers, employees, or other third parties within the Service — for example, in customer profiles, employee records, or invoices — we generally act as a processor or service provider on that Customer's behalf, with the Customer itself acting as the controller of that information.

This distinction matters because it affects who is primarily responsible for, and who you should generally contact about, a particular piece of personal information. Where personal information relates to your own use of the Service as a Customer or Authorised User, such as your account login details or billing information, this Privacy Policy describes how Scholargrowth handles that information directly. Where personal information has been entered by a Customer into their account about a third party, such as one of that Customer's own clients or employees, the relevant Customer is generally responsible for that information, and questions about it should usually be directed to the Customer rather than to Scholargrowth, unless the request specifically concerns how Scholargrowth itself processes that data as a service provider.

2Information We Collect

We collect several categories of information in connection with the Service. Account information includes the details provided when a Customer or Authorised User registers for or is added to an Account, such as name, email address, business name, job title, and login credentials.

Billing information includes details necessary to process Package payments, such as billing address and payment method details. As described further below, payment card details themselves are collected and processed directly by Stripe, our third-party payment processor, rather than being stored by Scholargrowth. Customer Content refers to the information a Customer or its Authorised Users enter, upload, or otherwise submit into the Service in the course of using it, such as customer records, lead and sales pipeline information, project and task details, employee records, documents, invoices, and income and expense records. As explained in the previous section, we generally process this information as a service provider on behalf of the Customer, rather than determining for ourselves how such information is used.

Usage and technical information includes data collected automatically as you interact with our website and the Service, such as your IP address, browser type and version, device information, operating system, pages viewed, features used, and timestamps of activity. Much of this information is collected through cookies and similar technologies, as described in more detail in our separate Cookie Policy.

Communications information includes records of correspondence between you and Scholargrowth, such as support requests, emails, and any information you choose to provide when contacting our sales, support, or other teams.

Marketing information includes details relevant to any marketing communications you have opted in to receive, such as your email address and your preferences regarding the type or frequency of communications, along with information about how you interact with those communications, such as whether an email was opened or a link was clicked.

3How We Collect Information

We collect personal information in a number of ways. Some information is provided directly by you, such as when you register for an Account, complete a purchase, submit a form on our website, or contact our support team. Some information is collected automatically through your use of the Service, such as through cookies and similar technologies, as described in our Cookie Policy. And some information is provided by the Customer whose Account you are an Authorised User of, such as when a business adds a new employee's details as part of setting up that employee's access to the Service.

We may also receive information from third parties in limited circumstances, such as from Stripe in connection with processing a payment, or from other integrated third-party services where a Customer has chosen to connect such a service to their Scholargrowth account, subject to the permissions granted at the time of that connection.

4How We Use Information

We use personal information for a range of purposes connected with providing, maintaining, and improving the Service. This includes creating and administering Accounts, authenticating users, and enabling access to the appropriate areas of the Service based on a Customer's Package and the permissions configured within their Account.

We use billing information to process Package payments, manage changes between Packages, and handle refund requests in accordance with our Refund Policy, working together with our payment processor, Stripe, for this purpose. We use usage and technical information to monitor and improve the performance, reliability, and security of the Service, to diagnose and resolve technical issues, and to understand, in an aggregated way, how different features of the Service are used, which helps inform our product development priorities.

We use communications information to respond to support requests, answer questions, and otherwise provide customer service in connection with the Service.

Where you have opted in to receive them, we use marketing information to send you communications about Scholargrowth, such as product updates, tips for using the Service, or promotional offers. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time using the mechanisms described later in this policy.

We also use personal information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, to detect and prevent fraud or misuse of the Service, to enforce our Terms and Conditions, and to protect the rights, property, and safety of Scholargrowth, our Customers, and other third parties.

5Legal Bases for Processing

Where applicable data protection law requires us to identify a legal basis for processing personal information, we generally rely on one or more of the following bases, depending on the specific processing activity involved. We process account and billing information, and take the steps necessary to provide the Service, on the basis that such processing is necessary to perform our contract with you, namely our Terms and Conditions, or to take steps at your request prior to entering into that contract, such as when you are exploring the Service before purchasing.

We process usage and technical information, and carry out activities such as security monitoring, fraud prevention, and service improvement, on the basis of our legitimate interests in operating, securing, and developing the Service, balanced against your own interests and fundamental rights.

Where we send marketing communications, we generally rely on your consent, which you can withdraw at any time, or, where permitted under applicable law, on our legitimate interest in promoting our own similar products and services to existing Customers, subject to your right to object.

Where processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation to which we are subject, such as retaining certain billing records for tax purposes, we rely on that legal obligation as the basis for the relevant processing.

6Customer Content: Our Role as a Service Provider

A significant amount of the information stored within the Service consists of Customer Content: information that Customers and their Authorised Users choose to enter about their own customers, leads, employees, and business operations. This can include personal information about individuals who are not themselves Scholargrowth Customers or Authorised Users, such as a Customer's clients or employees.

In relation to this Customer Content, Scholargrowth generally acts as a processor or service provider, and the relevant Customer acts as the controller, determining what information is collected, why it is collected, and how it is used within their account. We process this Customer Content solely in order to provide the Service to the Customer, in accordance with the Customer's instructions as reflected in their configuration and use of the Service, and in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.

Where required by applicable data protection law, we enter into a separate data processing agreement with our Customers governing our processing of Customer Content on their behalf, addressing matters such as the nature, purpose, and duration of processing, the categories of data subjects and personal information involved, and the technical and organisational security measures we apply.

If you are an individual whose personal information has been entered into Scholargrowth by one of our business Customers — for example, because you are a client, employee, or contact of that Customer — and you have questions about that information or wish to exercise rights in relation to it, we recommend contacting the relevant Customer directly in the first instance, since they are generally best placed to address your request as the controller of that information. If you are unable to identify or contact the relevant Customer, you may contact us using the details in this policy, and we will take reasonable steps to direct your request appropriately or to assist as our role as a processor permits.

7Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website and within the authenticated Service, primarily to enable core functionality such as keeping you logged in, and, to a more limited degree, to understand usage patterns and support marketing activities on our public website. Our use of cookies and similar technologies is described in full detail in our separate Cookie Policy, which forms part of, and should be read alongside, this Privacy Policy.

Where required by applicable law, we obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device, and you can manage your cookie preferences using the tools described in our Cookie Policy, as well as through your browser's own settings.

8How We Share Information

We do not sell personal information to third parties for their own independent marketing purposes. We do, however, share personal information in certain circumstances, described in this section, as necessary to operate the Service and our business.

We share information with service providers who perform functions on our behalf, such as cloud hosting providers who store the underlying infrastructure of the Service, our payment processor Stripe, who processes Package payments, providers of customer support tools, and providers of analytics services used to understand usage of our website and, in a more limited way, the dashboard. These service providers are authorised to use personal information only as necessary to provide their services to us, and are subject to contractual obligations to protect that information.

We may share information with professional advisers, such as lawyers, accountants, and auditors, where necessary in connection with the operation of our business, seeking professional advice, or complying with our legal and regulatory obligations.

We may disclose information where required by law, such as in response to a valid legal process, a request from a regulatory or governmental authority, or where we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others, to investigate fraud, or to respond to a government request.

If Scholargrowth is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganisation, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, personal information may be disclosed or transferred to a successor or affiliate as part of that transaction, subject to appropriate confidentiality arrangements and, where required by applicable law, notice to affected individuals.

Where a Customer chooses to connect a third-party service or integration to their Scholargrowth account, information may be shared with that third-party service to the extent necessary to enable the integration, subject to the permissions granted by the Customer at the time the integration is configured. Use of such third-party services is also governed by the relevant third party's own privacy practices.

We maintain a general record of the categories of third parties with whom personal information may be shared for each of the purposes described in this policy, and can provide further detail about a specific category of recipient upon request, subject to reasonable limits necessary to protect our own confidential business information and the interests of our service providers.

9Stripe and Payment Processing

All payments in connection with a Scholargrowth Package are processed by Stripe, a third-party payment processor. When you make a payment, the payment card or other payment method details you provide are collected and processed directly by Stripe, in accordance with Stripe's own privacy policy and applicable payment card industry security standards, rather than being stored on Scholargrowth's own systems.

We receive limited information from Stripe necessary to administer your purchase and access, such as confirmation that a payment has been successfully processed, the last few digits of a payment card for identification purposes, and information relevant to resolving billing queries or disputes. We do not receive or store your full payment card number or related security codes.

Because Stripe operates as an independent controller in respect of certain aspects of its payment processing activities, we encourage you to review Stripe's own privacy policy for further information about how Stripe collects, uses, and protects payment information.

10International Data Transfers

Scholargrowth and the third-party service providers we work with may process personal information in countries other than the country in which you or your business are located. Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take steps intended to ensure that such transfers are conducted in accordance with applicable data protection law.

Where required, this can include relying on adequacy decisions recognising a destination country as providing an adequate level of data protection, entering into standard contractual clauses or other approved transfer mechanisms with the recipient, or relying on another lawful transfer mechanism available under applicable law. Further information about the specific safeguards applicable to a particular transfer can be requested through the contact details provided in this policy.

11Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, as described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by applicable law. Account and billing information is generally retained for as long as a Customer's Account remains open and for a period afterward, consistent with applicable record-keeping obligations, such as those relating to tax and accounting records, and to allow us to respond to any billing queries, disputes, or legal claims that may arise after an Account is closed.

Customer Content is generally retained for as long as the relevant Customer maintains an active Account, and for a limited period following termination of that Account, consistent with our data retention practices and our Terms and Conditions, to allow the Customer a reasonable opportunity to export their information before it is permanently deleted. Customers are encouraged to export or otherwise preserve any Content they wish to retain prior to closing their Account.

Usage and technical information collected through cookies and analytics tools is generally retained for shorter periods, consistent with the specific retention periods described in our Cookie Policy, reflecting its more transient, operational nature.

Where personal information is no longer needed for the purposes described in this policy, and there is no legal requirement to retain it further, we take reasonable steps to securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of that information.

12Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include, among others, encryption of data in transit, access controls limiting who within our organisation can access particular categories of information, and regular review of our security practices.

No method of transmission over the internet, or method of electronic storage, can be guaranteed to be completely secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security, and you also play an important role in protecting your own information, including by choosing a strong, unique password for your Account, keeping your login credentials confidential, and promptly notifying us if you become aware of any unauthorised access to your Account.

Access to personal information within our own organisation is limited to employees and contractors who need that access in order to perform their role, such as providing customer support or maintaining the technical infrastructure of the Service, and such individuals are subject to confidentiality obligations in relation to the information they may encounter in the course of their work.

In the event of a security incident that affects personal information in a manner requiring notification under applicable law, we will notify affected individuals and, where required, relevant regulatory authorities, without undue delay and in accordance with our legal obligations. Where a security incident affects Customer Content that we process on behalf of a business Customer, we will also notify the affected Customer promptly, consistent with our contractual obligations to them, so that they can in turn consider their own notification obligations to the individuals concerned.

13Your Rights

Depending on your location and the applicable data protection law, you may have certain rights in relation to the personal information we hold about you. These commonly include the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, the right to request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information, the right to request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances, and the right to request that we restrict or object to certain processing of your personal information.

Where our processing of your personal information is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before you withdrew consent. Where applicable, you may also have the right to data portability, allowing you to receive certain personal information you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format, and to have that information transmitted to another controller where technically feasible.

To exercise any of these rights, you can contact us using the details provided in this policy. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law, and may need to verify your identity before proceeding, in order to protect your personal information from unauthorised access or disclosure.

As explained earlier in this policy, where your personal information has been entered into the Service by a business Customer as Customer Content, rather than being collected by Scholargrowth directly, the relevant Customer is generally the appropriate party to contact in order to exercise your rights in relation to that information, since they act as the controller of that data.

If you are not satisfied with our response to a request relating to your personal information, you may, depending on your jurisdiction, have the right to lodge a complaint with a relevant data protection supervisory authority.

14Marketing Communications and Your Choices

Where you have opted in to receive marketing communications from us, you can opt out at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in our marketing emails, or by contacting our support team directly with your request. Opting out of marketing communications does not affect our ability to send you Service-related communications, such as billing notices, security alerts, or important updates about the Service, which are necessary for us to provide the Service to you and are not considered marketing for these purposes.

Where we use cookies for advertising or targeting purposes on our marketing website, you can manage your preferences in relation to those cookies using the tools described in our Cookie Policy.

15Children's Privacy

The Service is intended for use by businesses and business professionals, and is not directed at, or intended for use by, children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children through the Service. If you become aware that a child has provided personal information to us, whether through our website, the Service, or otherwise, please contact us using the details provided in this policy so that we can investigate and take appropriate steps, which may include deleting the relevant information from our systems.

16Links to Other Websites

Our website and the Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by Scholargrowth, such as links to Stripe's website or to other integrated third-party tools. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party websites or services, and we are not responsible for their content or privacy practices.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party website or service before providing personal information to it, since their practices may differ from our own.

17Automated Decision-Making

Scholargrowth does not currently use personal information to make decisions about you that produce legal effects or similarly significantly affect you through solely automated means, without human involvement, in the ordinary operation of the Service. Should this change in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy accordingly and provide any additional information or safeguards required by applicable law, such as the right to obtain human review of a particular automated decision.

18Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our data practices, the Service, or applicable law. Where we make material changes to this policy, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, such as by updating the "last updated" date on this policy or, where appropriate, through direct communication or a more prominent notice on our website or within the Service.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we collect, use, and protect personal information. Your continued use of the Service after any updates to this policy take effect constitutes your acknowledgement of those updates, subject to any consent that may be separately required under applicable law before particular processing activities begin.

19California and U.S. State Privacy Rights

If you are a resident of California or another U.S. state with a comprehensive consumer privacy law, you may have additional rights in relation to your personal information beyond those described in the general "Your Rights" section of this policy, subject to the specific requirements and exemptions applicable under the relevant state law.

These rights can include the right to know what categories of personal information we have collected about you and the purposes for which it is used, the right to request deletion of personal information we hold about you, the right to correct inaccurate personal information, and the right to opt out of certain categories of processing, such as the sale or sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising purposes, or profiling that has a legal or similarly significant effect on you. As noted earlier in this policy, Scholargrowth does not sell personal information to third parties for their own independent marketing purposes.

Where applicable state law prohibits discrimination against individuals for exercising their privacy rights, we will not discriminate against you for making a request under this policy, such as by denying you the Service, charging different prices, or providing a different level of service, except to the extent permitted by applicable law in connection with the value of the personal information involved.

To exercise any state-specific privacy rights that may apply to you, please contact us using the details provided in this policy. We may need to verify your identity, and, where applicable, your authority to act on behalf of another person, before completing certain requests, consistent with the verification requirements of the relevant state law.

20UK and European Data Protection Rights

If you are located in the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the EU General Data Protection Regulation, and related national implementing legislation may apply to our processing of your personal information, in addition to the general provisions described elsewhere in this policy.

Where Scholargrowth acts as a controller of your personal information, such as in relation to your own Account and billing details, you have the rights described in the "Your Rights" section of this policy, including the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, and portability, as applicable, and the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

Where Scholargrowth acts as a processor of Customer Content on behalf of a business Customer, as described earlier in this policy, that Customer remains the controller responsible for responding to requests from individuals whose personal information it has entered into the Service, and we will provide reasonable assistance to our Customers in responding to such requests, consistent with our contractual obligations to them.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection supervisory authority in your country of residence, place of work, or the place where an alleged infringement of data protection law occurred, if you believe our processing of your personal information does not comply with applicable law. We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly before you approach a supervisory authority, and encourage you to contact us in the first instance using the details provided in this policy.

21Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, or would like to exercise any of the rights described in this policy, please contact us through the contact channels made available on the Scholargrowth website. When contacting us, it is helpful to describe the specific request or concern you have, and, where relevant, the Account or communication your enquiry relates to, so that we can address it as efficiently as possible. If your enquiry relates to personal information that has been entered into the Service by a business Customer as Customer Content, rather than collected by Scholargrowth directly, please also review the guidance provided earlier in this policy regarding who is generally the appropriate party to contact for such requests.