Privacy Policy

Last updated: 5 July 2026

idchecker.co.za is operated by Simply Ecommerce of 89 Roodebloem Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa ("we", "us"). We offer two things: a free ID number format checker that runs entirely in your browser, and paid verification reports generated from official and third-party databases. This policy explains what personal information we process for each, and your rights under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). Simply Ecommerce is the "responsible party" for this processing, and the business owner acts as our Information Officer (contactable at support@idchecker.co.za).

The short version

• The free checker still works the way it always has: the ID number you type never leaves your browser. No server calls, no storage.
• When you buy a report, we process the details you submit (and the person you're checking) through our verification partner VerifyNow (Pty) Ltd, which queries sources such as the Department of Home Affairs, CIPC and registered data channels.
• Generated report files are automatically deleted from our servers after 30 days. We never build our own database of the people who get checked.
• If you buy a report about someone else, you must have their consent or another lawful basis — you confirm this at checkout and we keep that confirmation on record.

Part 1 — The free checker

ID numbers you validate: none collected. The Luhn checksum algorithm runs in your browser. The number you type is processed locally and is not transmitted to our server, logged, or stored anywhere. If you click through to buy a verified report, the number you typed is handed to the order form inside your own browser (session storage) — it still isn't sent to us until you place the order.

Server logs: our hosting provider records standard web server logs (IP address, browser type, page requested, timestamp), retained for 30 days for security and troubleshooting.

Search data: we use Google Search Console, which gives us aggregated, anonymous search statistics only.

Part 2 — Paid verification reports

What we collect about you (the buyer)

• Your name, email address and billing details when you place an order.
• Your declared purpose for the check, and your consent/authority confirmations, recorded with a timestamp and IP address (POPIA requires us to be able to prove these).
• Payment is handled by our payment provider over encrypted connections — card details never touch our servers.

What we process about the person or entity being checked

Depending on the report you order: identity number, names, date of birth, gender, citizenship, ID document status, deceased status and date, marital status, a Home Affairs ID photo where that product includes one, contact details and address history on record, employment records, company registrations and directorships, and vehicle registration details. Some of this (for example a Home Affairs photo used for identification) is treated as special personal information and handled with additional care.

Where this information comes from

Mostly not from the data subject: it comes from the buyer's order form and from third-party databases queried via VerifyNow (Pty) Ltd — including the Department of Home Affairs National Population Register, CIPC, registered credit bureau channels, sanctions/watchlist databases and vehicle registers. Because the person being checked usually doesn't visit our site, POPIA notification to them happens through this published policy and through the buyer's obligation to obtain their consent.

Information about people other than the buyer

When a buyer orders a report about another person, the buyer must confirm at checkout that the data subject has given voluntary, specific and informed consent — or that another lawful basis under section 11 of POPIA applies — and must keep proof of it for at least 5 years. Requesting a report about someone without authority is unlawful, and we may refuse, reverse or report suspicious orders. If you believe someone has obtained a report about you without authority, contact us at support@idchecker.co.za — you have the right to know, to object, and to complain to the Information Regulator.

Why we process it (purposes)

• To generate and deliver the report you ordered (performance of a contract).
• To meet the lawful-purpose requirements of our data providers (declared purpose, consent warranties).
• To keep records that POPIA, the Consumer Protection Act and tax law require.
• To prevent fraud and misuse of the service.

Who receives it

• VerifyNow (Pty) Ltd — our operator for report generation, acting on our instructions under a written data processing agreement. VerifyNow also keeps its own consent and audit records (retained for 7 years under FICA-aligned rules) as a responsible party in its own right.
• VerifyNow's upstream sources (Home Affairs, CIPC, registered bureaus, vehicle registers) receive the query details needed to run the check.
• Our payment provider processes your payment.
• Our hosting provider stores our systems in South Africa. We do not transfer personal information outside South Africa in the ordinary course; if that ever changes, we will only use destinations with adequate protection or your consent.

How long we keep it

• Generated report PDFs and raw check results: deleted after 30 days. Save your download — we can't re-issue an expired report without running a new check.
• Technical API audit logs (for troubleshooting): 90 days.
• Order, invoice and consent records: 5 years (defence of legal claims, tax and consumer law).
• Bureau-sourced data is never warehoused by us beyond the delivery of your report.

How we protect it

TLS encryption on all connections; report files stored in a server directory that is not web-accessible, delivered only through unique, unguessable download links; ID numbers masked in our admin screens and logs; access limited to the site operator. If a security compromise ever affects personal information, we will notify the Information Regulator (via its eServices portal, as required since April 2025) and affected data subjects as soon as reasonably possible, as section 22 of POPIA requires.

Your rights (POPIA)

• Access: ask what we hold about you (see also our PAIA Manual).
• Correction or deletion: ask us to correct or delete your personal information (section 24). Note we can't correct the underlying government or bureau records — we'll point you to the right body.
• Objection: object to processing based on legitimate interests (section 11(3)).
• Complaint: complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) — POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za, JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, inforegulator.org.za.

FraudGuard monthly monitoring

FraudGuard is an optional subscription you can add when buying an Enhanced ID Verification on your own ID number. If you subscribe, you consent to us re-running that verification against the official identity sources every month for as long as the subscription is active. Each check’s results (including the Home Affairs ID photo, where returned) are stored so we can show you your check history and alert you to changes; each check is kept for 12 months and then deleted. Monthly result and alert emails are part of delivering the service. Billing runs through Paystack on the card you subscribed with — we never store your card details. You can cancel at any time from your account; monitoring stops at the end of the paid period and your stored checks continue to expire on the 12-month schedule. FraudGuard is only available for your own ID number, and we may suspend a subscription for review where the identity details do not match the account holder.

Direct marketing

We only send transactional email (order confirmations, report delivery, refunds). We do not send marketing email and will never do so without your prior opt-in consent as POPIA section 69 requires.

Cookies

See our Cookie Policy. In short: a server cache cookie, plus the session cookies WooCommerce needs to keep your basket working when you buy a report. No advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

Changes

We'll update this page when our processing changes, and update the date at the top.