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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 12 October 2025

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. It explains who we are, what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and your rights in relation to it. By using minutes.co.ae (the "Services"), you agree to the practices described here.

This policy should be read alongside our Cookie Notice, which explains how we use cookies and similar technologies.

1. Who We Are

Minutes ("we", "us", "our") operates the e-commerce platform available at minutes.co.ae. We are the data controller responsible for the personal data you provide or that we collect when you use our Services.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect personal data in the following categories depending on how you interact with our Services:

Category Examples How collected
Identity data Full name, username, date of birth Account registration
Contact data Email address, phone number, delivery address Registration, checkout
Transaction data Order history, items purchased, payment amounts Every purchase
Payment data Card type, last 4 digits (full card details are processed by our payment provider) Checkout
Technical data IP address, browser type, device ID, operating system Automatic — via cookies & server logs
Usage data Pages visited, search queries, click-through paths Automatic — analytics tools
Profile data Saved addresses, wishlist, preferences, reviews Account activity
Marketing data Communication preferences, promotion responses Your choices & interactions
Communications Customer support queries, chat transcripts When you contact us

We do not knowingly collect data from children under 18. If you believe we have accidentally collected such data, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.

3. How and Why We Use Your Data

We use your personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so. The table below maps each use to its legal basis:

Processing your orders & payments

To confirm, fulfil, and deliver your purchases and to process refunds or returns. Basis: contract performance.

Account management

To create and maintain your account, authenticate you, and manage your preferences. Basis: contract performance.

Customer support

To respond to enquiries, resolve disputes, and provide after-sales assistance. Basis: contract performance / legitimate interests.

Service improvement & analytics

To understand how users interact with the Services, fix bugs, and improve features. Basis: legitimate interests.

Marketing communications

To send you promotional emails, SMS, or push notifications about offers, new arrivals, and deals — only where you have opted in or we have a legitimate interest. Basis: consent / legitimate interests.

Personalisation

To recommend products and content tailored to your interests based on browsing and purchase history. Basis: consent / legitimate interests.

Security & fraud prevention

To detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions, abuse, or other illegal activity. Basis: legal obligation / legitimate interests.

Legal compliance

To comply with applicable laws, regulations, tax obligations, and respond to lawful requests from authorities. Basis: legal obligation.

4. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only where necessary, with the following categories of recipients under appropriate contractual safeguards:

Categories of recipients:

  • Payment processors — to securely handle card and wallet transactions (e.g. Stripe, PayFort, or equivalent UAE-approved processors)
  • Delivery & logistics partners — to fulfil and deliver your orders
  • Cloud infrastructure providers — to host and operate our platform securely
  • Analytics providers — to help us understand how the Services are used (e.g. Google Analytics)
  • Marketing platforms — to send communications and measure campaign performance (e.g. Mailchimp, Meta Ads)
  • Customer support tools — to manage support tickets and live chat
  • Legal & regulatory authorities — where required by UAE or international law
  • Professional advisors — lawyers, auditors, and insurers under strict confidentiality obligations

If we sell, merge, or transfer any part of our business, customer data may be transferred to the acquirer as part of that transaction. We will notify you in advance where required by law.

5. International Data Transfers

We are based in the UAE and primarily process your data there. Some of our service providers may process data outside the UAE. When we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place — such as standard contractual clauses or transfers to countries with an equivalent level of data protection — so that your data remains protected to the same standard described in this policy.

6. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law (for example, tax records must be retained for at least 5 years under UAE law).

  • Account data — retained while your account is active; deleted within 90 days of a verified account closure request
  • Order & transaction data — retained for 7 years for accounting and legal purposes
  • Marketing preferences — retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
  • Technical / log data — retained for up to 12 months then anonymised or deleted
  • Support communications — retained for 2 years after the issue is resolved

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it.

7. How We Protect Your Data

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, disclosure, or destruction. These include:

  • TLS/HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
  • Encryption of sensitive data at rest
  • Role-based access controls limiting staff access to data on a need-to-know basis
  • Regular security assessments and penetration testing
  • PCI-DSS compliant payment processing (card data never stored on our servers)

Please note: No method of internet transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you suspect any unauthorised access to your account, please contact us immediately.

8. Your Rights

Under applicable data protection laws you have the following rights. Click each right to learn more:

Right to Access

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You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, along with information about how it is used and shared. We will respond within 30 days of a verified request.

Right to Rectification

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If any personal data we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to ask us to correct or update it. You can also update most information directly in your account settings.

Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")

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You may ask us to delete your personal data where it is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, you have withdrawn consent, or processing is otherwise unlawful. Note that we may be required to retain certain data for legal or contractual reasons, in which case we will inform you.

Right to Restriction of Processing

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You may ask us to restrict (pause) the processing of your data in certain circumstances — for example, while you contest its accuracy, or where you have objected to processing and we are assessing whether our legitimate interests override your rights.

Right to Data Portability

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Where processing is based on your consent or a contract and is carried out by automated means, you can request a copy of the data you provided to us in a structured, machine-readable format (e.g. CSV or JSON) for transfer to another provider.

Right to Object

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You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests (including profiling) and to direct marketing at any time. Where you object to direct marketing, we will stop immediately. For other objections, we will assess whether our compelling legitimate grounds override your interests.

Right to Withdraw Consent

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To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@minutes.co.ae. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. There is no fee for exercising your rights unless requests are manifestly unfounded or excessive.

9. Cookies & Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies on our Services. For full details on what cookies we set, why we set them, and how you can manage your cookie preferences, please read our Cookie Notice.

10. Third-Party Links

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites, apps, or services (for example, social media platforms or payment gateways). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal data.

11. Marketing & Communications

With your consent (or where permitted by law based on a prior purchase relationship), we may send you promotional offers, product updates, and other marketing communications by email or SMS.

How to opt out:

  • Click "Unsubscribe" at the bottom of any marketing email
  • Reply STOP to any marketing SMS
  • Adjust your communication preferences in your account settings
  • Contact us directly at info@minutes.co.ae

Please allow up to 7 business days for opt-out requests to take effect across all channels. Note that even after opting out of marketing, we may still send you service-related messages (e.g. order confirmations, account security alerts).

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically — for example, if we introduce new features, change how we process data, or if privacy laws change. When we do:

  • We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
  • We may notify you of material changes by email or by displaying a notice on our Services
  • Your continued use of the Services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy

We encourage you to review this page periodically so you are always informed about how we handle your personal data.