Data Retention Policy

1. Overview

Zen Books retains your business data to ensure continuity of service and compliance with financial record-keeping requirements common in Southern Africa. This policy explains how long we keep your data and what happens when you leave.

2. Active Accounts

While your account is active (including on the free Starter plan), all your data is retained indefinitely. This includes:

• Business profile and settings
• Client and supplier records
• Invoices, quotations, credit notes, and delivery notes
• Payments and expenses
• Products and inventory records
• Journal entries and chart of accounts
• Uploaded files (receipts, logos, bill images)
• Audit trail logs
• User accounts and permissions

3. Cancelled / Downgraded Accounts

When you cancel a paid subscription or your plan expires:

• Your account reverts to the Starter plan.
• No data is deleted. All records remain intact.
• Features restricted to paid plans become inaccessible, but the underlying data is preserved.
• If you re-subscribe, all data and features are immediately restored.

4. Account Deletion Requests

You may request permanent deletion of your account and all associated data by emailing info@zenbooks.online.

4.1 Process

• We will verify your identity and account ownership.
• You will be given the opportunity to export your data before deletion.
• Once confirmed, deletion will be completed within 30 days.
• Deletion is permanent and irreversible.

4.2 What Gets Deleted

• All business data (invoices, expenses, clients, products, etc.)
• All uploaded files (receipts, images)
• All user accounts associated with the business
• Audit trail and journal entries

4.3 What We May Retain

We may retain the following for legal and accounting purposes for up to 7 years after deletion:

• Payment transaction records (amount, date, reference — not your business data)
• Basic account information (business name, registration date, cancellation date)

5. Data Export

You can export your data at any time using the Import/Export feature (available on Business and Enterprise plans). Exported data is provided in CSV format compatible with Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet applications.

If you are on the Starter plan and wish to export data before account deletion, contact us and we will assist you.

6. Backups

We maintain regular backups of all data for disaster recovery purposes. Backup copies are retained for up to 30 days and are then permanently deleted.

7. Legal Requirements

In certain circumstances, we may be required to retain data longer than stated in this policy to comply with legal obligations, court orders, or regulatory requirements in the Kingdom of Eswatini or other applicable jurisdictions.

8. Contact

For questions about data retention or to request data export or deletion:
Email: info@zenbooks.online