Last updated: 1 July 2026
Version: 2.0
At Zakaty, we recognise that privacy is a trust (amānah). We are committed to protecting your personal information and handling all data in a manner consistent with both our ethical principles and UK law. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what your rights are.
This policy applies to Zakaty's website (zakaty.ai), mobile application, and any related services (together, "the Platform").
The data controller responsible for your personal information is:
[COMPANY LEGAL NAME], trading as Zakaty
Registered in England and Wales, company number [COMPANY NUMBER]
Registered office: [REGISTERED ADDRESS]
Email: support@zakaty.ai
Website: https://zakaty.ai
1. Information we collect
We collect the following categories of personal information, depending on how you use the Platform:
- Identity and contact information — your name, email address and, where you provide it, phone number and postal address.
- Account information — login credentials and account preferences if you register with us.
- Donation and payment information — the amount, date, frequency and recipient charity of your donations, your chosen payment method, and Direct Debit details where you set up recurring giving. Card and bank details are collected and processed by our regulated payment provider; Zakaty does not store your full card number or bank credentials.
- Gift Aid information — your Gift Aid declaration, name, home address and confirmation of UK taxpayer status, which we are required to record for HMRC purposes.
- Calculator inputs — the asset and liability figures you enter into the Zakat calculator. You can use the calculator without creating an account, in which case inputs are not linked to your identity.
- AI companion conversations — questions you ask and responses generated, used to provide the service and improve its accuracy.
- Technical and usage information — IP address, device and browser type, pages visited and interactions with the Platform, collected through cookies and similar technologies.
We do not intentionally collect special category data. Please note, however, that your use of a Zakat platform may indirectly indicate your religious beliefs. We treat all Platform data with a level of care appropriate to that sensitivity, and we rely on your explicit consent where required.
2. How we use your information and our lawful bases
UK GDPR requires us to have a lawful basis for every use of your personal information. These are the purposes for which we process your data and the basis we rely on for each:
| Purpose | Lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Providing the calculator, AI companion and charity discovery tools | Contract (performing our agreement with you) |
| Processing your donations and managing recurring payments | Contract |
| Creating and managing your account | Contract |
| Recording and passing on Gift Aid declarations | Legal obligation (HMRC requirements) |
| Fraud prevention, security and record keeping | Legal obligation and legitimate interests |
| Responding to your enquiries and support requests | Legitimate interests |
| Improving the Platform and developing new features | Legitimate interests |
| Sending you marketing about Zakaty and fundraising communications | Consent, or the charitable soft opt-in described in section 4 |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have balanced those interests against your rights and freedoms and concluded that they are not overridden by them. You can ask us for details of these assessments at any time.
3. Who we share your information with
We never sell your personal information. We share it only where necessary to provide our services:
- Recipient charities — when you donate, we share your name, donation details and, where applicable, your Gift Aid declaration with the charity you have chosen, so they can process your donation, claim Gift Aid and meet their own record-keeping obligations. If you donate anonymously where that option is available, we share only what is required for the payment and any Gift Aid claim.
- Payment providers — our regulated payment provider processes your payment details under its own privacy policy and security standards.
- HMRC — Gift Aid declaration records may be shared with HM Revenue & Customs in connection with Gift Aid claims and audits.
- Service providers — hosting, analytics, email and AI infrastructure providers who process data on our behalf under contracts that meet UK GDPR requirements.
- Legal and regulatory bodies — where we are required to do so by law, or to protect our rights, users or others.
International transfers
Some of our service providers are located outside the UK. Where personal data is transferred internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as UK adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) and equivalent standard contractual clauses.
4. Marketing and the charitable soft opt-in
We will only send you marketing communications where we have a lawful basis to do so. In most cases this means you have given us your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, charities and organisations supporting charitable purposes may send fundraising emails to existing supporters without separate consent, provided the supporter was given a clear chance to opt out when their details were collected and in every message since (the "charitable soft opt-in"). Where we rely on this, every communication we send will include a simple way to opt out, and we will stop immediately if you do.
You can also opt out at any time by emailing support@zakaty.ai or using the unsubscribe link in any message. Opting out of marketing does not affect service messages we need to send you, such as donation receipts and Direct Debit notifications.
5. How long we keep your information
- Gift Aid records — at least 6 years after the end of the tax year they relate to, as required by HMRC.
- Donation and payment records — 6 years after the transaction, in line with financial record-keeping obligations.
- Account information — for as long as your account is active, then deleted or anonymised within 12 months of closure unless we must keep it longer for the reasons above.
- Calculator inputs (not linked to an account) — processed to produce your result and not retained as identifiable data.
- AI companion conversations — retained for up to 24 months for service improvement, unless you ask us to delete them sooner.
- Support correspondence — up to 24 months after your enquiry is resolved.
When retention periods expire, data is securely deleted or irreversibly anonymised.
6. How we protect your information
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including encryption in transit and at rest, access controls limiting data to staff who need it, and regular security reviews. Payment details are handled exclusively by our PCI DSS compliant payment provider.
No system is completely secure, and if a data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and inform you without undue delay where the risk is high.
7. Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights over your personal information:
- Right to be informed — to know how your data is used, which this policy provides.
- Right of access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification — to have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected.
- Right to erasure — to ask us to delete your data, subject to legal retention obligations such as Gift Aid records.
- Right to restrict processing — to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing at any time.
- Rights relating to automated decision-making — we do not make solely automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects about you. Our AI companion provides information only.
To exercise any of these rights, email support@zakaty.ai. We will respond within one month. There is normally no fee.
8. Children's privacy
The Platform is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@zakaty.ai and we will delete it promptly.
Users aged 13 to 17 may use the Platform only with the consent and supervision of a parent or guardian.
9. How to make a complaint
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, we encourage you to contact us first at support@zakaty.ai so we can attempt to resolve the matter.
If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://ico.org.uk
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or best practice. We will notify you of any significant changes by email (if you have an account) or by displaying a prominent notice on the Platform. The date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
11. Contact us
For any questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data:
Email: support@zakaty.ai
Website: https://zakaty.ai/contact-us
Zakaty is committed to the responsible stewardship of your data — treating it as the trust it is.
