Privacy Policy

Introduction

Prestige Ark is operated by Prestige Comet (operator of the Prestige Ark platform). We provide church management services to help churches organize activities, manage members, track attendance, handle finances, and communicate with their communities. We take privacy seriously and are committed to protecting personal information processed through our platform.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how we share it, and your rights. It applies to church administrators and users who access Prestige Ark directly. If you are a church member whose data was entered by your church, your church is usually the primary organization responsible for your personal data — see "Data Controller and Processor Roles" below.

By using our Services, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy. It should be read together with our Terms of Service.

Data Controller and Processor Roles

Because Prestige Ark is used by churches to manage their own communities, data protection roles depend on the type of data:

• Church account data (e.g. church profile, billing contact, admin accounts): your church is typically the data controller and we act as a data processor for that church account data.
• Member and attendee data (e.g. names, contact details, giving, attendance, photos, biometric enrollment): your church is typically the data controller. We process this information on the church's instructions to provide the Services.
• Platform operations data (e.g. security logs, abuse prevention, billing metadata): we may act as an independent controller where necessary to operate, secure, and improve the platform.

Churches using our platform are responsible for having a lawful basis to collect and upload personal information about their members, staff, and visitors, and for responding to privacy requests from their members where the church is the controller.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, and password when you create an account
• Church Information: Church name, address, contact details, and organizational structure
• Member Information: Names, contact details, photos, and other information you add about church members
• Financial Records: Donation records, expense tracking, and financial reports you create
• Attendance Data: Records of who attended church services and events
• Communication Content: Messages, emails, SMS, and in-app notifications sent through our platform
• Security and account settings: Two-factor authentication configuration, login history, and role assignments

Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Information: How you interact with our services, features you use, and pages you visit
• Device Information: Type of device, browser, and operating system you use
• Log and Audit Information: Access times, IP addresses, authentication events, administrative actions, and security-related activity logs
• Cookies: Small files stored on your device to remember your preferences and keep you logged in

Biometric Information

If your church enables biometric attendance, we may process biometric enrollment and verification data on the church's instructions. Depending on configuration, this may include encrypted biometric templates (such as fingerprint or facial templates), template identifiers, device metadata, enrollment timestamps, and related audit records.

We do not use biometric data for advertising. Raw biometric images are not required for all integrations; where templates are stored, they are handled separately from routine member profile fields and protected with access controls and encryption.

Churches must obtain any legally required consent from individuals before enrolling them in biometric attendance and must explain how attendance data will be used.

Lawful Bases for Processing

Depending on the context, we process personal information on grounds such as:

• Contract: To provide the Services your church signed up for
• Legitimate interests: To secure the platform, prevent abuse, improve reliability, and support customers
• Legal obligation: To comply with applicable law, lawful requests, and regulatory requirements
• Consent: Where required, such as for certain optional communications or where your church has obtained consent for biometric enrollment

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain our church management services
• Process your requests and transactions
• Send you important updates about your account and services
• Improve our services and develop new features
• Protect against fraud, abuse, and security threats
• Comply with legal obligations
• Communicate with you about our services, with your permission
• Generate reports and analytics to help your church operate more effectively

How We Share Your Information

We respect your privacy and limit how we share your information:

Within Your Church

Information you enter is shared with authorized users in your church based on their assigned roles and permissions. For example, church administrators can see member information, while regular members may only see limited information.

Service Providers and Subprocessors

We work with trusted third-party companies that help us provide our services. These providers process personal information on our instructions and are contractually required to protect it. Key categories include:

• Paystack: Payment processing for subscriptions and billing
• Arkesel: SMS delivery for Ghana recipients
• Africa's Talking: SMS delivery for other African regions
• Twilio: SMS delivery for international recipients
• Cloud infrastructure and database providers: Application hosting, storage, and database services
• Email delivery (SMTP) providers: Transactional and system email delivery

We may update subprocessors from time to time as our infrastructure evolves. Where required, we will provide notice of material changes.

Platform Access by Our Team

Authorized personnel of Prestige Comet (operator of the Prestige Ark platform) may access church account data when reasonably necessary to provide support, maintain security, investigate abuse, process billing, comply with law, or improve the Services. Access is limited, logged where appropriate, and subject to confidentiality obligations.

Legal Requirements

We may share your information when required by law, such as in response to a court order, subpoena, or legal process.

What We Don't Do

• We don't sell your personal information to anyone
• We don't share your data with other churches or organizations without your permission
• We don't use your information for advertising purposes

How We Protect Your Information

We take security seriously and use industry-standard measures to protect your data:

• All data is encrypted when transmitted between your device and our servers
• We use secure data centers with physical and digital security measures
• Access to your data is restricted to authorized personnel only
• We regularly review and update our security practices
• Each church's data is kept completely separate from other churches

However, no system is completely secure. We encourage strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication where available, and careful management of user permissions within your church.

Data Breach Notification

If we become aware of a personal data breach affecting our systems that is likely to result in risk to churches or individuals, we will investigate promptly and take steps to mitigate harm.

Where appropriate, we will notify affected church administrators without undue delay and provide information about the nature of the incident, likely consequences, and measures taken or proposed. Churches may have separate legal obligations to notify their members when member data under their control is affected.

How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services to you. When you delete your account or request deletion of specific information, we will remove it from our active systems.

Some information may be retained for longer periods when required by law, for dispute resolution, or to prevent fraud and abuse.

Your Rights and Choices

You have several rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You can view and download your personal information at any time
• Correction: You can update incorrect or incomplete information
• Deletion: You can request deletion of your account and associated data
• Export: You can export your data in common file formats
• Opt-out: You can choose not to receive promotional communications from us
• Consent Withdrawal: If we process your data based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time

To exercise these rights regarding data controlled by your church, contact your church administrator first. Church administrators and account owners may contact us directly at the details below. We will respond within a reasonable period and in accordance with applicable law.

Ghana Data Protection

Where applicable, we process personal data in accordance with Ghana's Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) and related guidance from the Data Protection Commission of Ghana.

Churches based in Ghana are responsible for registering or complying with their own obligations under applicable data protection law when they act as data controllers for member information.

Children's and Minors' Information

Prestige Ark is intended for use by churches and authorized adults managing church operations. We do not knowingly market the platform directly to children.

Churches may store information about minors in membership or attendance records. In that case, the church is responsible for ensuring it has appropriate authority or parental consent under applicable law before uploading minors' personal information. Parents and guardians should contact their church regarding information held about minors.

International Data Transfers

Our services may be accessed from different countries. Your information may be processed in Ghana and in other countries where our infrastructure or subprocessors operate. We take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for cross-border processing, including contractual protections with service providers where required.

Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you logged in to your account
• Remember your preferences and settings
• Understand how you use our services
• Improve the performance and security of our platform

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our services.

Third-Party Links and Services

Our services may contain links to other websites or integrate with third-party services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing them with your information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. When we make significant changes, we will notify you via email or through a notice on our platform. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page shows when the policy was last revised.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us: