BookAChess — Privacy Policy

Last updated: 16 July 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how BookAChess ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal data when you use our website and services (the "Service"). We are committed to complying with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

BookAChess is operated as a sole trader business based in England. You can contact us about privacy matters at support@bookachess.com.

1. Information We Collect

Account information: name, email address, password (stored securely, hashed), role (Customer or Talent), and profile details you provide (e.g. bio, photo, Chess.com username).

Payment information: We use Stripe to process payments. We do not store your full card details ourselves — Stripe handles and stores this in accordance with its own privacy policy and PCI-DSS compliance standards. We retain records of transaction amounts, dates, and status necessary for accounting, dispute handling, and legal compliance.

Booking and gameplay information: booking details, session times, chess game moves and results, pricing, and time-control preferences.

Messages and communications: content of messages sent via our in-platform messaging system, live chat during streams, and any communications with our support team.

Usage and technical data: IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and similar data collected automatically, including via cookies (see Section 6).

Talent-specific information: application details, approval status, payout account information (processed via Stripe Connect), and Chess.com profile data (if linked).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Create and manage your account;
• Facilitate bookings, payments, and payouts between Customers and Talent;
• Enable messaging and live chat features;
• Verify Talent applications and maintain platform quality and safety;
• Monitor and moderate messages, chat, and content for safety, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, and legal compliance;
• Send booking confirmations, notifications, and service-related emails;
• Improve and maintain the Service, including analysing usage patterns;
• Comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, and safeguarding-related requirements;
• Investigate and respond to reports of misconduct, including any concerns involving the safety of minors.

3. Legal Basis for Processing (UK GDPR)

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Contract— processing necessary to provide the Service you've signed up for (e.g. facilitating a booking).
• Legitimate interests — for platform safety, fraud prevention, moderation, and service improvement, balanced against your rights.
• Consent — where you have given specific consent (e.g. marketing emails, if applicable).
• Legal obligation — where processing is required to comply with the law (e.g. tax records, responding to lawful requests from authorities).

4. Sharing Your Information

We share personal data with:

• Stripe (payment processing and, for Talent, payout handling via Stripe Connect);
• Chess.com (only to the extent a Talent has linked their Chess.com username, to display public rating/title data);
• Hosting and infrastructure providers necessary to operate the Service;
• Law enforcement or regulatory authorities, where required by law or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of any person, particularly a minor;
• Professional advisors (e.g. accountants, legal counsel), where necessary.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

5. Messaging and Chat Monitoring

Messages sent through our platform (including direct messages and live stream chat) are logged and may be reviewed by BookAChess for safety, moderation, quality assurance, dispute resolution, and legal compliance purposes, including proactive and reactive review where there is a safety concern. You should not consider communications sent through the Service to be private between you and the other party alone.

6. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you logged in and maintain your session;
• Remember your preferences (e.g. gameplay settings, currency display);
• Understand how the Service is used, to help us improve it.

You can control cookies through your browser settings, though disabling essential cookies may affect your ability to use the Service.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data for as long as necessary to provide the Service, comply with legal obligations (including tax and accounting requirements, which may require retention for several years), resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When data is no longer needed for these purposes, we securely delete or anonymise it.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you;
• Request correction of inaccurate data;
• Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten"), subject to legal retention requirements;
• Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;
• Request a portable copy of your data;
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• Withdraw consent, where processing is based on consent;
• Lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@bookachess.com.

9. Children's Data

The Service requires users to be of legal age to create an account, or to have parental/guardian consent and supervision where permitted under our Terms of Service. Where a minor uses the Service with appropriate parental or guardian consent, we process their personal data on the basis of that consent and in accordance with this Policy. Parents or guardians may contact us at support@bookachess.com to review, request deletion of, or ask questions about a minor's data.

10. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers (e.g. Stripe) may process data outside the UK. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent mechanisms recognised under UK GDPR.

11. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including encrypted password storage and secure payment processing via Stripe. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted to us.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified via the platform or by email. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

13. Contact Us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, contact us at support@bookachess.com.