Privacy Policy

01Who we are

BallersHQ ("BallersHQ", "we", "us") runs the BallersHQ mobile app and ballershq.com. We help players find and book sports courts, join and host games, split the cost of bookings with friends, and help arena owners manage and get paid for their pitches.

This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with and the choices you have. We process personal data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA) and other laws that apply to us.

02Information we collect

Information you give us

• Account details: your name, username, email address, phone number, password (stored only as a secure hash) and the account type you choose (player or arena owner). If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and profile picture from Google.
• Profile details you choose to add: profile photo, date of birth, gender, address, preferred state, language and the sports you play.
• Payment and wallet details: your wallet balance and transaction history, the bank account you add for withdrawals (bank name, account name and account number) and your transaction PIN (stored only as a secure hash). Card details are entered on our payment partner's secure page and are not stored by us.
• Bookings and games: the arenas and slots you book, games you host or join, group funds you create or contribute to, slot claims, booking references and QR tickets.
• Community and social activity: posts, comments, likes, photos, community memberships, arena reviews, chat messages, availability posts and the skill ratings you give other players.
• Arena owner details: arena and pitch information, photos and videos, opening hours, business registration details and verification documents, and the bank account arena earnings are paid into.
• Support and disputes: messages you send us, disputes you raise (including any evidence you upload), feedback you give on our in-app support assistant, and notes our team keeps while helping you.
• Waitlist sign-ups: your email address, optional WhatsApp number and whether you signed up as a player or an arena owner.
• Messages and calls: the messages you send in direct, game and squad chats, and a record that a voice call was started (who called, in which chat and when). We don't record the audio of calls.
• Games, squads and availability: games you host, join or are invited to, squads you create or join and your role in them, and availability posts you publish (sport, date, time and area).
• Ratings: skill ratings you give and receive after completed games, and the skill summary we calculate from them.
• Support requests: messages you exchange with our support team, including your conversation with the support assistant if you ask to talk to a person.
• Reports and blocks: users you block, and reports you make or that are made about you.

Information we collect automatically

• Location: when you search for games or courts near you, the app sends your device's approximate location so we can show results by distance. We use it for that search and do not save it to your profile. You can turn location access off in your phone settings.
• Device and notification data: a push notification token, device platform and when the app was last used, so we can send you booking and game updates.
• Technical and security logs: IP address, device and browser information, the pages and features you use, timestamps and error information. We use these to keep BallersHQ secure, investigate problems and prevent fraud.

Information from other people

Other users may give us information about you, for example when a friend invites you with a referral code, adds you to a game, rates you after a game you played together, or an arena owner tells us you hold a regular slot.

Information from your device

• Push notification token: an identifier for your device and its platform (Android or iOS), so we can send you notifications. It's removed when you sign out or it stops working.
• Location: if you allow it, your device location is used when you search for arenas, games or players near you. We don't keep a history of your location; we only save the state and area you choose to add to your profile or posts.

03How we use your information

• To create and secure your account and verify it's really you, including your transaction PIN.
• To process bookings, payments, refunds, wallet top-ups, transfers and withdrawals, and to hold payments until an arena confirms your slot.
• To run games, squad chip-in funds, slot claims, communities, chat and player ratings.
• To show courts and games near you and to recommend things you might like.
• To send you booking confirmations, reminders, game invites and other service messages by push notification, email or in the app.
• To send launch news and offers, where you have agreed to receive them. You can opt out at any time.
• To answer support requests and resolve disputes between players, hosts and arenas.
• To pay referral rewards and apply promotions.
• To detect and prevent fraud, abuse and security incidents, and to keep audit records of sensitive actions.
• To comply with our legal, tax and accounting obligations.

We rely on the following legal bases: performing our contract with you (for example, processing a booking), our legitimate interests (keeping the platform safe and improving it), your consent (for example, marketing messages and device location), and our legal obligations.

04Who we share it with

Other BallersHQ users

• Arena owners see the name and booking details of players who book their pitches, so they can confirm and check you in.
• Players in the same game, group fund or community can see your name, username, profile photo and, where relevant, your player ratings and what you contributed.
• Posts, comments and reviews you publish are visible to other users in that community or on that arena.
• Signed-in users can see your public profile: your name, username, profile photo, area, sports, skill summary and games played, hosted and joined. Your email address, phone number, date of birth and full address are not shown to other users.
• Members of a squad can see the other members, their roles and how many games they've played together. Availability posts are visible to other players looking for a game.

Service providers

We use trusted providers who process data on our behalf and only for the purposes we set:

Our support assistant

When you chat with the in-app support assistant, we send your message, your recent messages in that chat, your name and a short summary of your account (such as your latest booking, wallet balance, and whether a bank account and PIN are set up) to Anthropic so it can answer you. We do not store these chats on our servers; we only keep the thumbs up or down feedback you choose to give. If you tap Talk to a person, the conversation is sent to our support team and kept with your support request.

Other disclosures

• When the law requires it, or to respond to valid requests from courts, regulators or law enforcement.
• To protect the rights, safety and property of our users, the public or BallersHQ, including to prevent fraud.
• If BallersHQ is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, in which case we will tell you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

We do not sell your personal data.

05Where your data is stored

Some of our providers store or process data outside Nigeria, including in the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States. When we transfer personal data outside Nigeria, we take the steps the NDPA requires to make sure it stays protected, such as using providers with appropriate safeguards and contractual protections.

06How long we keep it

• We keep your account information, messages, squads and ratings for as long as your account is open.
• When you delete your account, it is scheduled for deletion after 30 days, which you can cancel. After that your personal details are removed or anonymised; messages and ratings you left may remain but are no longer linked to your name.
• Payment, wallet and booking records are kept for as long as financial, tax and anti-fraud laws require, which can be several years after a transaction, even if you close your account.
• Security and technical logs are kept for as long as needed to investigate incidents and keep the platform safe.
• Waitlist details are kept until launch communications end or you ask us to remove them.

When we no longer need data, we delete it or anonymise it.

07How we protect it

Passwords and transaction PINs are stored as one-way hashes, connections to our app and website are encrypted, sensitive actions require your PIN and are logged, and access to personal data inside BallersHQ is limited to people who need it. No system is perfectly secure, so please keep your password and PIN private and tell us straight away if you think your account has been accessed without your permission.

08Your rights

Under the NDPA you have the right to:

• Ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct information that is wrong or incomplete. You can update most profile details yourself in the app.
• Delete your account and personal data, subject to records we must keep by law. You can do this in the app from Profile → Delete account, or by emailing us.
• Object to, or ask us to restrict, certain processing, including direct marketing.
• Receive your data in a portable format.
• Withdraw your consent at any time, for example by turning off location access or notifications in your phone settings.

To make a request, email support@ballershq.com from the email address on your account. We may need to verify your identity first, and we will respond within the time the law requires. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

09Cookies and similar technologies

ballershq.com does not use advertising or tracking cookies. The website loads fonts from Google Fonts, which means your browser connects to Google's servers. The mobile app uses device storage to keep you signed in and remember your preferences.

10Children

BallersHQ is not meant for children. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. If you believe a child has given us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.

11Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as BallersHQ changes. We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, for significant changes, tell you in the app or by email before they take effect.

12Contact us

Questions about this policy or your personal data? Get in touch: