1. Who we are
FuneralBranch is a trading name of Ownleaf 2 Ltd, company number 15845475.
Our registered office is:
Ownleaf 2 Ltd
International House
46 The Priory Queensway
Birmingham
England
B4 7LR
For questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle personal information, contact us at privacy@funeralbranch.com.
In this Privacy Policy, “FuneralBranch”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean Ownleaf 2 Ltd trading as FuneralBranch.
2. What this Privacy Policy covers
This Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information via funeralbranch.com, funeralbranch.app, FuneralBranch customer accounts, our communications with prospective and existing customers, and integrations that customers connect to FuneralBranch.
This is not the primary privacy notice for websites operated by funeral directors, even when those sites use FuneralBranch technology. The respective funeral director is responsible for providing appropriate privacy information to visitors, families, and other users of its website.
We may still process information from those websites on the funeral director’s behalf. When we act solely under the funeral director’s instructions, we normally act as its data processor. The funeral director remains responsible for determining why the data is used and for responding to the individuals concerned.
Ownleaf 2 Ltd generally acts as the data controller for information relating to FuneralBranch website visitors, prospective customers, customer account users, and our own business administration.
3. Personal information we collect
The information we collect depends on how you interact with FuneralBranch.
Account and contact information
We may collect your name, work email address, telephone number, job title, funeral home or organisation name, branch or location details, billing address, account identifiers, preferences, and service settings. Some account and billing information is required to create and administer your account or provide paid services. If this information is not provided, we may be unable to provide the relevant service.
Business and prospect information
If you work for a funeral business that could benefit from FuneralBranch, we may collect:
- Your name, job title, business email address, and business name
- Branch locations and the number of branches
- The business’s legal status and registration details
- When and where we obtained your details
- Our contact history with you
- Your marketing preferences
We do not collect information about families, bereavements, or any special‑category data for this purpose.
Authentication and security information
We may collect records associated with password or magic-link authentication, login history, IP addresses, browser and device information, session information, account activity, and security or audit logs. Authentication credentials are handled by our authentication service provider.
Enquiries and communications
When you contact us, request a demonstration, or communicate about the service, we may collect the information you provide via forms, email, meetings, and other correspondence.
This may include contact details, the content of your enquiry, support requests, meeting notes, and call notes. If a call is recorded, we will inform participants.
Subscription and transaction information
We may collect information about your FuneralBranch subscription, invoices, amounts paid or payable, payment status, transaction references, and related accounting records.
When a payment provider collects card details directly, FuneralBranch does not need the full card number or security code.
Usage and analytics information
We may collect limited information about how funeralbranch.com and funeralbranch.app are used. This may include the pages or features accessed, dates and times of activity, browser and device type, approximate location derived from an IP address, and interactions with the service.
We use non-essential analytics technologies only where permitted by law and, where required, after the user has given consent through an appropriate cookie or consent choice.
Google information
Where an authorised user chooses to connect Google to FuneralBranch, we may receive the Google account and service information described in section 6. Connecting Google is optional; however, features that depend on Google information cannot operate unless the relevant permissions are granted.
4. Where we obtain information
We may obtain personal information directly from you, from the funeral director or organisation that creates or manages your account, or automatically from your browser or device.
We may also receive information from providers that help us deliver authentication, payments, and communications, from Google after an authorised user connects a Google account, and from funeral directors when we process information on their behalf.
For business marketing, we obtain business contact details from funeral businesses’ own websites, Companies House, the SAIF members list (which SAIF shares with its supplier members), contacts made at trade events, and our existing customer relationship records. We record the source and the date for each contact.
Where your employer or organisation creates an account for you, it is responsible for ensuring that it is entitled to provide your information to us.
5. How and why we use personal information
We use personal information only when there is an appropriate lawful basis.
Responding to enquiries
We use contact details and communications to respond to demo requests, answer questions, and discuss FuneralBranch services.
Where relevant, this is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. Otherwise, we rely on our legitimate interests to respond to business enquiries and build relationships with prospective customers.
Business marketing emails
We send funeral businesses a series of emails that include practical advice on websites, local search, related technology, and information about FuneralBranch services.
These emails are sent only to business addresses at companies, limited‑liability partnerships, and similar corporate bodies, not to sole traders or ordinary partnerships. We send no more than one email every two weeks, and the automated series stops when you reply.
We rely on our legitimate interests to inform relevant funeral businesses about services that may help them. You can object at any time, and we will stop sending emails, as explained in section 14.
Creating and administering accounts
We use account, contact, authentication, and organisation information to create accounts, provide access to FuneralBranch, manage authorised users, and maintain account settings. We rely on the performance of a contract where applicable. When the contract is with your organisation rather than with you personally, we rely on our legitimate interests in providing and administering the service for that organisation.
Providing FuneralBranch services
We use account information, service settings, customer content, Google information, and relevant usage records to operate the services the customer selects. This includes dashboards, integrations, reports, review widgets, obituary functionality, payment‑related features, and other contracted services. We rely on contract performance where applicable and on our legitimate interests to provide the services requested by our customer organisations.
Managing subscriptions and payments
We use billing, invoice, and transaction information to administer subscriptions, collect or reconcile payments, maintain accounting records, and address payment queries.
We rely on the performance of a contract, compliance with our legal obligations, and our legitimate interests in administering payments and maintaining contractual records.
Providing support and advice
We use account information, communications, and relevant service‑performance data to respond to support requests, prepare reports, and provide SEO advice when a funeral director asks.
We rely on contract performance where applicable and on our legitimate interests in supporting customers and delivering professional assistance.
Maintaining security and preventing misuse
We use login, device, IP address, session, activity, and audit information to protect FuneralBranch, investigate suspicious activity, prevent misuse, and maintain the security and reliability of the service. We rely on our legitimate interests in protecting FuneralBranch and its users, and on legal obligations where applicable.
Maintaining business and legal records
We use contractual, payment, account, and communication records to manage our business, comply with accounting and legal obligations, and establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
Analytics
We use limited website and application analytics to understand how our services are used and to identify areas for improvement. Where consent is required for analytics technologies, we rely on that consent. Consent can be changed or withdrawn using the available cookie controls. We do not use customer content or Google information for unrelated advertising, lead generation, industry benchmarking, or the training of artificial-intelligence models.
6. Google integrations
An authorised FuneralBranch customer may connect its Google account to FuneralBranch.
Google information we access
Depending on the features enabled and permissions granted, we may access basic Google account information, including the Google account identifier, name, email address, and profile image.
From Google Business Profile, we may access Business Profile accounts and locations, business and location information, reviews and ratings, publicly displayed reviewer names and profile images, performance information, and monthly search‑keyword impression data.
From Google Search Console, we may access authorised properties, search queries, clicks, impressions, click‑through rate, average position, country, device, and search appearance information.
We may also obtain PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse results for a customer’s website.
How we use Google information
We use Google information to connect the authorised account to FuneralBranch, display data in the customer’s dashboard, notify customers of new reviews, show Google review widgets, monitor Business Profile and website‑search performance, prepare reports, and provide SEO advice when requested.
Reviews, ratings, and publicly displayed reviewer information may appear in review widgets on the websites we provide for funeral directors.
Our current integration does not use Google authorisation to publish review replies, edit Google Business Profile information, create Google posts, or upload photographs or other media.
Human access to Google information
Our systems automatically process connected Google information to provide the requested features. Human access is limited to authorised users of the relevant FuneralBranch customer account and authorised FuneralBranch personnel who need it to prepare a requested report or give SEO advice requested by the funeral director. We do not provide Google information to an artificial‑intelligence provider.
How long Google information is stored
We store OAuth access and refresh tokens for as long as the customer’s Google connection remains active. Google Business Profile reviews may be cached for no more than seven days so that review widgets load efficiently. Other content obtained from the Google Business Profile APIs is not retained for more than 30 days. Search Console information and related performance reports may be retained while the Google connection remains active and the information continues to be required for the customer’s dashboard and reporting services.
Disconnecting Google
A customer can disconnect Google without closing their FuneralBranch account.
When Google is disconnected, we revoke and delete the relevant OAuth token from our live systems. Stored Google information, including reports containing imported Google data, is also removed from our live systems.
Residual copies may remain temporarily in routine backups but are removed through our normal backup cycle within no more than 30 days.
Sharing Google information
We do not sell, rent, or use Google information for advertising.
Google information may be processed by our contracted cloud‑hosting and application‑infrastructure providers when necessary to operate FuneralBranch. We do not send Google Business Profile or Search Console content to our customer‑relationship‑management, advertising, product‑analytics, or artificial‑intelligence providers. Our use and transfer of information received from Google APIs complies with the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements.
7. Information we process for funeral directors
FuneralBranch provides technology that funeral directors may use through the FuneralBranch application and on their own websites. When providing these services, we may process information in accordance with the funeral director's instructions.
Obituary information
This may include obituary text, photographs, details relating to a deceased person, and information about living individuals included in the obituary content. The funeral director is responsible for ensuring that it has the necessary authority to provide and publish the content.
Payment information
Funeral director websites may use Stripe Elements and Stripe Express accounts to accept payments from families and other customers. Card details entered through Stripe Elements are provided directly to Stripe. Payments are made to the funeral director’s connected Stripe account and are not held by FuneralBranch.
FuneralBranch may receive and retain information needed to operate and support the payment feature. This may include payment status, amount, invoice details, transaction references, and refund or reconciliation information.
For obituary and funeral-payment services, the funeral director generally decides why the information is collected, the appropriate lawful basis, and how long it should be retained.
Individuals should normally direct questions or requests about this information to the relevant funeral director. We will assist the funeral director where required.
8. Who we share personal information with
Where necessary to provide and operate FuneralBranch, we may share personal information with the FuneralBranch customer organisation responsible for your account and with providers that support our cloud hosting, application infrastructure, databases, file storage, authentication, transactional email, payments, analytics and cookie‑consent systems.
Information submitted through demo and sales enquiries, and the business and prospect information described in section 3, is stored in HubSpot, our customer‑relationship‑management system, and may also be processed through our enquiry‑management systems. Our business marketing emails are sent through HubSpot and Google Workspace.
We may also share information with professional advisers such as accountants and legal advisers, or with courts, regulators, law‑enforcement bodies and public authorities when disclosure is required or permitted by law.
We disclose only the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose. Providers acting on our behalf are subject to contractual restrictions; some, such as payment providers, may also act as independent controllers with their own legal responsibilities.
The more specific restrictions that apply to Google information are explained in section 6.
We do not sell or rent personal information.
9. International transfers
Our primary application hosting and storage are located in the UK or other European regions, including London for file storage.
Our HubSpot customer‑relationship‑management data resides in HubSpot’s European data centre, and Google Workspace email and files are stored in Google’s European data region.
Some providers operate globally and may process, or allow access to, personal information outside the United Kingdom. For example, HubSpot’s parent company is based in the United States and relies on the UK Extension to the EU‑U.S. Data Privacy Framework, with Standard Contractual Clauses and the UK Addendum as fallback options.
When personal information is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we use a transfer mechanism permitted under UK data‑protection law. Depending on the provider and destination, this may include:
- UK adequacy regulations
- The UK International Data Transfer Agreement
- The UK Addendum to the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses
- Another legally recognised safeguard
Where required, we also assess whether additional protections are needed.
For more information about the safeguards relevant to your personal information, contact privacy@funeralbranch.com.
10. How long we keep personal information
We retain personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected, including applicable contractual, accounting, security, and legal requirements.
Demo requests and unsuccessful sales enquiries are normally retained for up to 24 months after the last meaningful contact. Business and prospect information collected for marketing is retained for up to 24 months after our last meaningful interaction with you, or after we collected it if there has been none. Information we have collected but not used is deleted after 12 months. If you ask us to stop sending marketing, we keep only your email address, business name, and the date and source of your request, so that we do not contact you again.
Account, profile, and service-configuration information is normally retained while the relevant account remains active. When an account is closed, information is normally removed from active systems within 30 days, except where limited information must be retained for financial, contractual, legal, or security purposes.
Contracts, invoices, accounting information, and payment records are normally retained for six years from the end of the relevant financial year. General correspondence, support records, and records of advice are normally retained for up to three years after the last relevant interaction. They may be retained for up to six years where necessary for a contractual dispute or legal claim.
Call recordings are normally retained for up to 12 months, unless they are required for an ongoing complaint, dispute, or legal obligation. Security, authentication, and audit logs are normally retained for up to 12 months, unless longer retention is necessary to investigate a security incident or misuse. Product-analytics information is normally retained for up to 12 months. Records of cookie and consent choices are normally retained for up to three years.
OAuth tokens, Google Business Profile information, and Search Console information are retained in accordance with the periods and deletion process described in section 6. Information that we process as a data processor for a funeral director is retained in accordance with that funeral director’s instructions and our contract with them.
Deleted information may remain in routine backups for up to 30 days before being removed through the backup cycle. We may delete or anonymise information sooner where it is no longer required. We may retain limited information for longer where this is required by law, an investigation, a security incident, or an existing or anticipated legal claim.
11. Cookies and similar technologies
Funeralbranch.app uses strictly necessary technologies to keep users signed in, maintain secure sessions, provide requested application features, and protect the application against misuse. We may also use analytics technologies to understand how funeralbranch.com and funeralbranch.app are used. Where consent is required, non-essential technologies are not used until the user has made the relevant choice. Our separate Cookie Policy explains the technologies in use and how users can change their preferences.
Email tracking
Our marketing emails include a tiny image (a tracking pixel) and tracked links. They let us know if an email was opened, when it was opened, and which links were clicked. This helps us determine which topics are useful and how frequently to contact you.
You can disable open tracking by turning off automatic image loading in your email client. You may also request that we stop tracking or stop emailing you at any time, as described in section 14.
12. Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, and disclosure. These include access controls, secure cloud infrastructure, encrypted network connections, logging, backup procedures, and personnel‑access restrictions. Access is limited to individuals and providers who need the information for an authorised purpose.
13. Your data-protection rights
Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis, you may have the right to:
- Request a copy of your personal information.
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Delete information.
- Restrict how information is used.
- Receive certain data in a portable format.
You may also have the right to object to specific uses of your information and to withdraw consent when processing is based on consent. These rights are not absolute; exemptions may apply in some situations.
You can withdraw consent for non‑essential cookies or analytics through the available cookie settings.
To exercise a data‑protection right, contact privacy@funeralbranch.com. We may need enough information to confirm your identity and locate the relevant records.
If we process information solely on behalf of a funeral director, you should normally submit your request directly to that director. We will assist the funeral director when required.
14. Your right to object
Where we rely on legitimate interests, you have the right to object to our use of your personal information. We will stop the relevant processing unless we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue or the information is needed to establish, exercise, or defend a legal claim.
You may object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing at any time; we will then cease using it for that purpose.
To stop our marketing emails, you can:
- Click the unsubscribe link in any email,
- Reply asking us to stop, or
- Email support@funeralbranch.com or privacy@funeralbranch.com.
We act on your request immediately. For any other objection, contact privacy@funeralbranch.com.
15. Data-protection complaints
To make a complaint about how we have handled personal information, contact privacy@funeralbranch.com.
You may also write to: Privacy, Ownleaf 2 Ltd, International House, 46 The Priory Queensway, Birmingham, England, B4 7LR.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK data-protection regulator, at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113.
16. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We update this Privacy Policy whenever our use of personal information changes. The date at the top indicates the last update. If a change significantly affects you, we will notify you directly, for example by email.
