We collect your name, email, and calculator data. Your data is encrypted and stored securely on AWS — accessible only to you. We do not sell your data. Ever.
Who we are
Plainview is an independent, privately operated financial education service based in South Africa. The operator is not a financial institution, registered financial adviser, or investment company.
This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA).
By using Plainview, you consent to the collection and use of personal information as described in this policy.
What we collect
We collect the minimum information necessary to operate the service:
| Information | Why we collect it | Where it's stored |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Account creation and personalisation | AWS Cognito (encrypted) |
| Email address | Account login, subscription billing, transactional email | AWS Cognito + PayFast (encrypted) |
| Payment information | Subscription billing | PayFast only — we never see your card details |
| Calculator data | Your FI planning inputs and projections | AWS DynamoDB (encrypted at rest, accessible only to your authenticated account) |
We do not collect IP addresses for tracking, browsing behaviour, device fingerprints, or any other personal information beyond what is listed above.
How we use your information
Your name and email are used solely for:
- Creating and managing your account
- Processing your subscription via PayFast
- Sending transactional emails (account confirmation, subscription receipts, material service updates)
- Responding to support queries you initiate
We do not use your information for advertising, profiling, or any purpose beyond operating the service.
How your calculator data is stored
Your calculator data — TFSA balances, income, RA contributions, FI targets, goals, and projections — is stored in AWS DynamoDB, encrypted at rest, and accessible only to your authenticated account. No other user or third party can access your data.
Your data syncs across devices when you are logged in. When you cancel your account and request deletion, your calculator data is permanently removed from our servers within 30 days.
Third-party processors
We use the following third-party services to operate the platform. Each receives only the minimum information necessary:
AWS Cognito
Handles user authentication. Stores your name and email for login purposes. AWS is compliant with international data protection standards. Data is stored in the AWS Cape Town (af-south-1) region where possible.
PayFast
Processes subscription payments. PayFast is a South African payment gateway regulated under the National Payment System Act. We share your name and email with PayFast for billing purposes. We never receive or store your payment card details — these are handled entirely by PayFast.
AWS SES (Simple Email Service)
Sends transactional emails (account confirmation, receipts). Emails contain your name and are sent to your email address.
We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any advertising or behavioural tracking services.
We do not sell your data
We do not sell, rent, lease, or share your personal information with any third party for marketing, advertising, or commercial purposes. Your data is not a product.
We will only disclose your information to third parties where required by South African law or a valid court order, and only to the extent required.
Your rights under POPIA
As a data subject under POPIA, you have the following rights:
- Right of access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Right to correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Right to deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information. We will action this within 30 days of receiving a verified request.
- Right to object: You may object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Right to complain: If you believe your rights have been violated, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforeg.org.za.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us via the contact form on the homepage. We will respond within a reasonable time and no later than 30 days.
Data retention
We retain your account information (name and email) for the duration of your active subscription.
Upon cancellation, your account data is retained for a maximum of 30 days to allow for subscription queries, after which it is permanently deleted from our systems on request.
Payment records may be retained for longer periods as required by South African tax and financial record-keeping obligations.
Your calculator data is stored on our servers for the duration of your active subscription and is permanently deleted within 30 days of a verified deletion request.
Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:
- Encrypted storage of account credentials via AWS Cognito
- HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
- Payment processing via PCI-compliant PayFast (we never handle raw card data)
- Access controls limiting who can access account data
No system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated by email with at least 14 days' notice before they take effect.
The date at the top of this page reflects when the policy was last updated. Continued use of the service after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
For any privacy-related queries, requests to access or delete your data, or complaints, please use the contact form on the homepage.
We will acknowledge your request within 5 business days and respond fully within 30 days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Information Regulator of South Africa:
- Website: inforeg.org.za
- Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
We collect your name, email, and calculator data — nothing else. Your data is encrypted on AWS and only you can access it. We don't sell anything. You can ask us to delete your account and all associated data at any time. That's it.