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Privacy Policy

Settl is an AI-assisted bookkeeping assistant that works entirely inside WhatsApp. This policy explains what we do with your data once your messages reach us.

We collect only what we need to run the service, we never sell your data, and we never use your financial records for advertising. Where third parties are involved — including AI providers — we say so plainly.

Last updated: 27 July 2026
Version 1.0
Reading time: 7 min

1. Who We Are

Settl is operated by Settl Horizon Ventures Limited (RC 9681659), a private company limited by shares, registered in Nigeria on 14 July 2026, with its registered office at No. 14, Aliu Animashaun Avenue, Lekki, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria ("Settl", "we", "us", "our").

We are the data controller responsible for the personal data described in this policy. For any privacy question, or to exercise your rights, contact us at info@settl.ng.

2. What Settl Is, and How You Interact With It

Settl is an AI-assisted bookkeeping assistant that works entirely inside WhatsApp. You use Settl by sending messages to our WhatsApp number, and an automated system helps you log transactions, track money owed to and by you, keep personal and business spending separate, and generate simple reports.

Because Settl runs on WhatsApp, your messages travel through Meta's WhatsApp service before they reach us. Meta's handling of your messages in transit is governed by Meta's own privacy terms, which you can review in the WhatsApp Privacy Policy. This policy covers what Settl does with your data once it reaches us.

3. The Data We Collect

We collect only what we need to run the service:

Identity and account data
Your WhatsApp phone number (which serves as your verified identity), the name you give us, your business type and profile, your state, and your currency.
Authentication data
A Personal Identification Number (PIN) that you set, stored only in hashed form. We never store your PIN in plaintext and cannot see it.
Financial content you send us
The substance of your bookkeeping: transactions, amounts (in naira), records of money owed to and by you, the names of people or businesses you transact with, and any notes you add. This spans both your personal and business records, which we keep in separate contexts.
Plan and usage data
Your plan status (free, personal, or a paid tier), your stated plan preference, message counts used against any applicable limits, and similar entitlement information.
Operational data
Your message and conversation history, edit history of your records, summaries derived from your activity, and technical logs (including usage and processing logs) that we use to operate, secure, and improve the service.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use your data to deliver the bookkeeping service — interpreting your messages, structuring them into records, maintaining your ledger, and generating reports — and to authenticate you, enforce the limits of your plan, secure your account against misuse, and operate and improve Settl. We do not use your financial content for advertising, and we do not sell your data.

5. AI Processing of Your Messages

This is important, so we state it plainly. To understand and structure what you send, the content of your messages is processed by third-party artificial intelligence providers — Groq as our primary provider, and OpenAI as a fallback. These providers receive the text of your messages so that the AI can interpret them.

What these providers do not do
They do not write to or alter your ledger, and they do not make decisions about your account. All records in your ledger are written by Settl's own systems, under deterministic rules — the AI only reads and suggests; it never controls your data.

AI interpretation can occasionally be imperfect, which is why you remain in control of confirming your own records.

6. Keeping Personal and Business Data Separate

If you use Settl for both personal and business bookkeeping, we keep those two contexts separate. Reports are never blended across personal and business records. Moving between contexts is deliberate, and access to your records is protected by your PIN. We treat your personal spending data with the same care as your business data, recognising it can be more sensitive.

7. Where Your Data Is Processed and Stored

Settl relies on infrastructure located outside Nigeria. Your data is processed and stored on servers in the United Kingdom and the United States, AI processing takes place in the United States, and your messages reach us through Meta's WhatsApp service. This means your personal data is transferred outside Nigeria in the ordinary course of using Settl.

We make these cross-border transfers on the basis of your consent, given when you begin using the service, and because they are necessary to provide the service you have asked for. We take reasonable steps to ensure your data remains protected wherever it is processed. If you do not wish your data to be transferred in this way, you should not use Settl, as the service cannot function without it.

8. Who We Share Data With

We share your data only with the service providers ("sub-processors") that make Settl work: our hosting, database, and cache providers; our AI inference providers (Groq and OpenAI); Meta, for WhatsApp messaging; and, where applicable, our payment provider when you subscribe to a paid plan. Each of these processes your data only to provide their service to us.

Beyond these, we disclose data only where we are legally required to do so, for example in response to a lawful request from a competent authority. We do not sell your personal data to anyone.

9. How Long We Keep Your Data

We keep your bookkeeping records, message history, and account data for as long as your account is active, so that Settl remains useful to you. When you delete your account, your records are marked for deletion and removed from active use; we may retain limited data for a short period where necessary to meet legal or regulatory obligations, after which it is deleted.

10. Your Rights

Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, you have the right to access the personal data we hold about you, to correct it if it is inaccurate, to request its deletion, to object to or restrict certain processing, to withdraw consent you have given, and to receive your data in a portable form. You can exercise any of these rights by contacting us at info@settl.ng or through the Settl WhatsApp number.

If you believe we have not handled your data properly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

11. How We Protect Your Data

We protect your data using measures appropriate to its sensitivity, including hashing of your PIN and credentials so they cannot be read, encryption of data in transit, and access controls that limit who and what can reach your data. No system is perfectly secure, but we take our responsibility for your financial data seriously.

12. Children

Settl is intended for adults managing business or personal finances. It is not directed at anyone under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect data from children.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you through the Settl WhatsApp channel. The version and date at the top of this policy indicate when it was last revised.

Terms of Service

These Terms govern your use of Settl, operated by Settl Horizon Ventures Limited (RC 9681659). By messaging the Settl WhatsApp number, you agree to them.

Settl is a record-keeping tool — not accounting, tax, financial, or legal advice. You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into a contract to use it.

Last updated: 27 July 2026
Version 1.0
Reading time: 6 min

1. Agreement to These Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of Settl, operated by Settl Horizon Ventures Limited (RC 9681659) ("Settl", "we", "us"). By sending a message to the Settl WhatsApp number and using the service, you agree to these Terms. You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into a contract to use Settl.

2. What Settl Is, and is not

Settl is an automated, AI-powered bookkeeping assistant that helps you record and organise financial information through WhatsApp. Settl is a record-keeping tool only. It is not accounting, tax, financial, investment, or legal advice, and Settl Horizon Ventures Limited is not a bank, financial institution, or licensed financial adviser. You should consult a qualified professional for advice on your finances, taxes, or legal obligations.

3. AI Interpretation and Your Responsibility

Settl uses artificial intelligence to interpret your messages and turn them into records. This interpretation can occasionally be incomplete or incorrect — for example, a transaction may be misclassified. Settl is designed so that it detects and suggests, while you remain responsible for reviewing and confirming that your records are accurate. You are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of your own ledger.

4. Your Account and Identity

Your WhatsApp phone number is your identity on Settl. You are responsible for keeping your PIN confidential and for all activity that takes place through your number. If you believe your number or account has been compromised, contact us promptly.

5. Plans, Limits, and Billing

Settl offers a free tier subject to usage limits (including a daily message cap), a Personal plan, and paid business tiers, each with the features described to you at the time of purchase. Usage limits are enforced automatically. Paid plans are billed through our payment provider; details of price, renewal, and any refund terms are provided at the point of subscription. Changing or downgrading your plan may affect your access to certain features or contexts.

6. Acceptable Use

You agree to use Settl only for lawful purposes. You must not use Settl to record or facilitate any illegal activity, including money laundering or other illicit finance; you must not abuse, overload, disrupt, or attempt to automate against the service; and you must not attempt to reverse engineer or compromise it.

You must not attempt to manipulate or interfere with Settl's AI system through prompt injection or similar techniques, including messages designed to override its instructions, extract its underlying prompts, or make it act outside its intended purpose. This is against our policy, and we may suspend or terminate your access where we believe it has occurred. To learn about prompt injection, go here

We may suspend or terminate access for breach of these terms.

7. Privacy

Your use of Settl is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains what data we collect, how we use it, that your messages are processed by third-party AI providers, and that your data is processed outside Nigeria. Please read it alongside these Terms.

8. Availability and Third-Party Dependencies

Settl depends on services we do not control, including WhatsApp and Meta, our AI providers, and our hosting infrastructure. Settl is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, and we do not guarantee that it will be uninterrupted, error-free, or always available.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Settl Horizon Ventures Limited shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential loss, or for any financial, business, or tax decision you make in reliance on records kept in Settl. Our total liability to you in connection with the service shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the twelve months preceding the claim.

10. Suspension and Termination

You may stop using Settl at any time and request deletion of your account. We may suspend or terminate your access if you breach these Terms or use the service in a way that risks harm to Settl or others. On termination, your data is handled as described in our Privacy Policy.

11. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and any dispute shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Lagos State.

12. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes through the Settl WhatsApp channel, and your continued use of the service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.