Privacy Policy

BigCat Marketplace (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your data when you use our platform. We comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019 issued by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

2. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account.
• To process orders, payments, and escrow transactions.
• To connect buyers and merchants and facilitate transactions.
• To verify merchant identity and business registration.
• To send order updates, support responses, and important notices.
• To detect fraud, enforce our policies, and maintain platform safety.
• To improve our platform through usage analytics.
• To comply with legal obligations including FIRS tax reporting requirements.

3. Legal Basis for Processing (NDPR)

Under the NDPR, we process your data on the following lawful bases:

• Contract performance — to fulfil our service to you (processing orders, managing accounts).
• Legitimate interest — fraud prevention, platform security, and service improvement.
• Legal obligation — tax reporting, regulatory compliance, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.
• Consent — for marketing communications. You can withdraw consent at any time.

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only in these circumstances:

• With merchants — your delivery address and contact name are shared with the merchant fulfilling your order.
• With buyers — your store name, description, and listing information are publicly visible on your merchant profile.
• Payment processors — PalmPay processes payments and receives necessary transaction data.
• Regulatory bodies — FIRS, SMEDAN, CAC, or other Nigerian government agencies when legally required.
• Service providers — hosting (Vercel/Supabase), email delivery, and analytics tools, all under strict data processing agreements.
• Law enforcement — when required by a valid court order or law enforcement request.

5. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. Transaction records are kept for a minimum of 6 years to comply with Nigerian tax and financial regulations. You may request deletion of your account and non-essential personal data at any time (see Section 7).

6. Data Security

We use industry-standard security measures including encrypted data storage, TLS encryption for data in transit, and strict access controls. Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. However, no system is 100% secure — please use a strong, unique password and keep it confidential.

7. Your Rights (NDPR)

Under the NDPR, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification — request correction of inaccurate or outdated information.
• Erasure — request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention obligations).
• Restriction — request that we limit how we use your data while a dispute is being resolved.
• Portability — request your data in a machine-readable format.
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interest, including profiling.
• Withdraw consent — opt out of marketing communications at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@bigcat.ng. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to maintain your session, remember your preferences, and understand how the platform is used. You can control cookie settings through your browser. Disabling certain cookies may affect platform functionality.

9. Children’s Privacy

BigCat Marketplace is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a minor has created an account, please contact us immediately.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or in-app notification at least 14 days before changes take effect. Your continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact Our Data Protection Officer

For privacy-related requests or concerns, contact our Data Protection Officer at privacy@bigcat.ng or visit our Contact page.