Booklinq is a direct booking and transaction infrastructure platform for social-native hospitality operators, including homestays, villas, boutique hotels, and event organisers. We also provide an AI-powered conversational booking layer that handles guest enquiries across WhatsApp and Instagram on behalf of operators registered on our platform.
This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what rights you have, whether you are an operator (a business that lists on Booklinq) or a guest (a person making a booking or enquiry).
By using Booklinq, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
1. Who We Are
Booklinq is operated under the legal entity registered in India. Our platform is accessible at booklinq.co and stay.booklinq.co. For privacy-related matters, contact us at support@booklinq.co.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Operator Data
When a hospitality operator or event organiser registers on Booklinq, we collect:
- Full name, business name, and contact details (email, phone number)
- Property or event details: name, location, photos, room categories, pricing, availability, check-in/check-out rules, and amenities
- Banking and payout details for processing guest payments and operator settlements
- GST registration number and PAN where applicable and required for compliance
- WhatsApp Business Account details and Instagram account details, linked via Meta's Embedded Signup flow, for the purpose of enabling AI-powered DM automation on the operator's behalf
- Subscription billing information
2.2 Guest Data
When a guest makes a booking or interacts with an operator's booking page or AI assistant, we collect:
- Name, email address, and phone number
- Check-in and check-out dates, number of guests, room or ticket preferences
- Payment transaction data, processed through Razorpay; Booklinq does not store raw card details
- Conversation data from WhatsApp and Instagram DMs, including messages sent to and received from the operator's AI-powered assistant, for the purpose of facilitating a booking
- IP address, device type, and browser metadata collected automatically during web sessions
2.3 Data Collected Through Meta Integrations
Booklinq integrates with Meta's platforms (WhatsApp Business API and Instagram Graph API) to deliver AI-powered booking assistance on behalf of operators. Through these integrations, we may process:
- WhatsApp message content sent to an operator's WhatsApp Business number
- Instagram Direct Message content sent to an operator's Instagram business account
- Message timestamps, sender identifiers, and conversation thread IDs
This data is processed to generate automated booking responses, facilitate transactions, and improve the quality of the AI assistant. We do not sell this data to third parties or use it for advertising.
3. How We Use Your Data
3.1 For Operators
- To create and manage your property or event listing on Booklinq
- To process guest bookings and route payments to you
- To enable and operate the AI-powered DM booking assistant on your WhatsApp and Instagram channels
- To send you operational communications including booking confirmations, settlement notifications, and platform updates
- To verify your identity and comply with applicable financial and tax regulations
- To analyse platform usage patterns in aggregate to improve product features and booking conversion
- To improve the AI assistant's response accuracy using anonymised and aggregated interaction data
- To resolve disputes and maintain platform integrity
3.2 For Guests
- To process your booking and send you a confirmation via WhatsApp and email
- To facilitate communication between you and the operator
- To provide automated responses to your booking enquiries through the operator's AI assistant
- To generate QR codes and digital tickets for event bookings
- To send transactional notifications such as check-in reminders and post-stay review requests
- To improve the quality of automated responses using aggregated, anonymised interaction data
3.3 Proprietary Data and Platform Intelligence
Booklinq collects and retains data generated across operator listings, guest booking behaviour, pricing patterns, availability trends, and conversational interactions. This data is proprietary to Booklinq and constitutes a core part of our platform's long-term value. We use this data internally to:
- Improve AI assistant accuracy, response quality, and booking conversion rates
- Develop product features, pricing intelligence tools, and demand forecasting capabilities
- Generate anonymised market insights that may be surfaced to operators (for example, pricing benchmarks relative to comparable properties)
- Train and fine-tune AI models used within the Booklinq platform
This data is not sold to third parties. It is used exclusively to build a better product for the operators and guests on Booklinq.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
We process personal data on the following legal grounds:
- Contract performance: processing necessary to provide the services you have signed up for
- Legitimate interests: improving platform reliability, preventing fraud, ensuring booking accuracy, and developing product intelligence from aggregated platform data
- Legal obligation: compliance with Indian tax and financial regulations
- Consent: for optional communications such as marketing messages, where we will ask explicitly
5. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We share data only in the following circumstances:
5.1 With Operators
Guest booking details including name, contact, dates, and payment status are shared with the operator whose property or event the guest is booking. Operators are bound by their agreement with Booklinq to handle this data responsibly.
5.2 With Service Providers
- Razorpay: payment processing. Razorpay's privacy policy governs data they handle.
- Meta Platforms (WhatsApp, Instagram): message delivery and channel access, under the Meta Platform Terms.
- AI inference providers: message content is sent to third-party AI services to generate conversational booking responses. These providers' usage policies apply.
- Cloud infrastructure providers: for hosting, storage, and database services.
5.3 Legal Requirements
We may disclose data if required to do so by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Booklinq, our users, or the public.
6. Data Retention
- Operator account data is retained for the duration of the operator's active subscription and for 3 years after termination for compliance purposes.
- Guest booking data is retained for 5 years for financial and tax compliance.
- Conversation data (WhatsApp and Instagram messages) is retained for 12 months after the booking date, after which individual message content is deleted. Aggregated and anonymised data derived from conversations may be retained indefinitely for platform improvement purposes.
Where a guest requests deletion of their personal data, we will honour the request within 30 days except where retention is required by law or legitimate business interest.
7. Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (TLS), access control on internal systems, and regular security reviews. Payment data is handled exclusively by Razorpay and is never stored on Booklinq servers in raw form.
Despite these measures, no system is entirely secure. We encourage operators and guests to keep their login credentials confidential and to notify us immediately of any suspected unauthorised access.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements and legitimate business interest
- Object to or restrict certain processing
- Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
To exercise any of these rights, email us at support@booklinq.co. We will respond within 30 days.
9. Data Deletion
Operators and guests can request deletion of their personal data by emailing support@booklinq.co with the subject line "Data Deletion Request". We will process the request within 30 days and confirm deletion. Some data may be retained beyond this period where required by law or for legitimate platform intelligence purposes as described in Section 3.3.
For step-by-step instructions, visit data-deletion.
10. Cookies and Tracking
Our web platform uses cookies and similar technologies to maintain session state, measure usage, and improve the product. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking pixels for targeted advertising.
You can disable cookies in your browser settings. Some platform functionality may be affected if cookies are disabled.
11. Children's Privacy
Booklinq is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal data, please contact us at support@booklinq.co and we will delete it promptly.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as the platform evolves. When we make material changes, we will notify operators via email and update the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance.
13. Contact
For questions about this policy or your data: