Your information
Privacy policy
A plain-English account of what information we collect, why we use it and the choices you have.
Effective: 14 September 2026
1. Who we are
SettleHappy is an independent information website for families researching a move to Southeast Asia. For personal information collected through this website, SettleHappy is the controller: we decide why and how that information is used.
Privacy questions can be sent to hello@settlehappyabroad.com.
2. Information we collect
When you contact us
We receive the details you choose to provide, such as your name, email address, subject and message. If you email us directly, your email provider may also include technical message information.
When you ask us to list an organisation
We collect the business contact name and email address, organisation and website, destination, city or service area, category, listing interest and the service description submitted. If we continue with a listing or sponsorship, we may also keep relevant business correspondence, agreed copy, asset permissions, publication dates, corrections, contracts, invoices and payment records. Please do not send children's information, identity documents, staff checks or other unnecessary sensitive records.
When you subscribe to email updates
When you request a subscriber resource or join a product launch list, we collect your email address, the date and source of consent, the resource or product you were interested in, your broad departure region and chosen planning currency, and delivery, engagement or unsubscribe events needed to operate the list responsibly. The broad region is selected in the quiz or suggested from your browser language settings rather than precise location data.
When you use the destination quiz
The instant result is calculated in your browser. Your seven choices are saved in that browser's session storage so you can change an answer without starting again; they are not sent to us just to show the result. If you ask to receive the subscriber-only personalised PDF, we process your email address, the seven non-diagnostic preference choices and your recorded marketing consent to generate and deliver the requested file. We keep the broad departure region and planning currency as subscriber preferences; we do not add the seven quiz answers to a subscriber profile.
When you buy a SettleHappy digital product
Stripe's Managed Payments checkout, presented as Onelink, handles the payment. We receive the information needed to fulfil and support the order, such as your name, email address, billing country, order and product references, payment status and delivery history. Stripe and Onelink may also process billing-address, tax, fraud-prevention, invoice, dispute and refund information under their own notices. SettleHappy does not receive your complete card number or card security code.
When you visit the website
Our hosting provider may process routine technical data such as your IP address, browser type, requested page, timestamp and security logs so the site can be delivered and protected. The site also loads typefaces from Google Fonts, which means your browser connects to Google to retrieve those files.
If you choose to allow analytics, Google Analytics receives information about how the site is used, including pages viewed, approximate location derived from technical data, device and browser information, referral source, interactions such as searches and downloads, and the successful completion of selected forms or checkout steps. We do not send form contents, email addresses, quiz answers or payment details to Google Analytics.
We do not currently offer user accounts or ask for passport, health, financial or immigration-case documents through the website. Payment details are entered directly into the secure Stripe-managed checkout.
3. Why we use personal information
| Use | Information | UK lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to an enquiry or correction | Contact details and message | Legitimate interests in communicating with readers and improving accuracy |
| Assessing, preparing and administering directory listings and sponsorship enquiries | Business contact details, organisation information, listing correspondence, permissions and commercial records | Legitimate interests in operating a useful directory and managing business relationships; contract and legal obligations where an arrangement is agreed |
| Creating and sending a requested quiz PDF | Email address and quiz preference choices | Taking steps at your request and legitimate interests in delivering the resource securely |
| Sending subscriber resources, product launch news and follow-up planning emails | Email address, signup source, preferences and consent record | Consent |
| Processing, delivering and supporting a digital-product order | Customer, order, payment-status and delivery information | Contract, legal obligations and legitimate interests in preventing fraud and resolving support or payment issues |
| Delivering and securing the site | Technical and security logs | Legitimate interests in operating a reliable, secure service |
| Understanding site use and improving guides, tools and purchase journeys | Analytics identifiers and website interaction data | Consent |
| Keeping necessary business records | Relevant correspondence and consent records | Legal obligation or legitimate interests, depending on the record |
Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not make earlier processing unlawful.
5. How long we keep information
We keep information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose it was collected, including any legal, accounting, security or dispute requirements. Enquiries are reviewed and removed when they are no longer useful for follow-up. Subscription information is kept while you are subscribed; a minimal suppression record may remain after you unsubscribe so we can honour that choice. Provider security logs follow the relevant provider's retention controls. Quiz answers used for an emailed PDF are processed to generate the file and are not used to create a SettleHappy profile; the email provider may retain the sent message and delivery record under its service settings. Order, payment, invoice, refund, dispute and delivery records may be retained for the periods required for accounting, tax, fraud prevention, customer support and the establishment or defence of legal claims.
We normally remove or anonymise unsuccessful provider enquiries within 12 months. While a provider is listed, we keep the information needed to maintain and review that entry. Contracts, invoices and related business correspondence may be retained for up to six years after the commercial relationship ends where needed for accounting, tax or legal claims.
6. International transfers
Some service providers operate internationally, so information may be processed outside the UK. Where UK law requires a transfer safeguard, we expect the relevant provider to use an approved mechanism such as an adequacy regulation or contractual safeguards.
7. Your data-protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law can give you the right to access, correct, erase or restrict your information; object to certain processing; receive portable data; and withdraw consent. Rights are not absolute, and we may need to confirm your identity before acting on a request.
If you live outside the UK, the law where you live may provide additional privacy rights. You can make any privacy request through the same email address, and we will assess which rules apply.
Contact hello@settlehappyabroad.com first and we will try to resolve the issue. You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office.
9. Children's information
The site is written for adults planning family moves and is not directed at children. Please do not submit personal information about a child in an enquiry. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us so we can review and remove it where appropriate.
10. Changes and contact
We will update this page when our services or data practices materially change and will revise the effective date above. Questions and rights requests can be sent to hello@settlehappyabroad.com.