Payment Information & Data Retention
When you make a purchase on Presswire.com, we collect and process payment information necessary to complete the transaction. This may include your name, billing address, email address, and partial card details (such as the last four digits of your card number). All card payments are securely processed through our third-party payment provider, Stripe, which complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) as a Level 1 Service Provider.
We do not store your full card details on our servers. Instead, sensitive card data is securely transmitted directly to Stripe for authorization and transaction completion. Stripe employs industry-leading encryption, secure network architecture, and strict access controls to protect your information.
Data Retention
We retain the following transaction-related information for accounting, tax, and fraud prevention purposes:
- Transaction ID
- Payment method used
- Last four digits of the card number
- Billing details (name and address)
- Timestamp and value of transaction
This data is retained for a period of six (6) years in accordance with UK tax and legal obligations.
Stripe, as our payment processor, may also retain certain transactional data to comply with its own legal and regulatory obligations. You can learn more by reviewing the Stripe Privacy Policy.
Legal Basis for Processing
We process payment and billing information on the following legal bases:
- Contractual necessity – to fulfil your purchase and deliver our services.
- Legal compliance – to meet UK financial regulations and record-keeping obligations.
- Legitimate interest – to ensure the security and integrity of our transactions.
Third-Party Payment Provider
Our payment processor, Stripe, is certified to the highest security standards (PCI-DSS Level 1). All payment processing is handled through secure, encrypted connections, and we ensure any third parties we work with uphold strict data protection policies.
VAT number verification
When a business customer provides a VAT registration number while ordering our services, our billing system verifies that number against the official registers before we issue an invoice. Numbers beginning GB are checked against HM Revenue and Customs’ Check a UK VAT Number service; EU numbers are checked against the European Commission’s VIES service.
We do this to charge the correct VAT on each sale and to keep the evidence VAT law requires. From HMRC’s service we receive the registration status of the number, the name and address registered to it, and a consultation number confirming that a verified check was performed. We record the result, the date and time of the check, and the consultation number with the order’s tax records.
The lawful bases for this processing are the legal obligations that apply to VAT accounting and invoicing, and our legitimate interest in billing accurately. Verification records are retained with our VAT records for as long as tax law requires — at least six years, and ten years for sales reported under the EU One Stop Shop scheme.
These checks are performed server-to-server by our billing system using our own credentials, and only when a customer provides a VAT number in the course of ordering. Our systems never ask for, receive or store anyone’s HMRC sign-in details.
This processing is carried out by PRESSWIRE LIMITED as data controller, whose contact details appear at the end of this policy.
Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about our handling of payment information or this Privacy Policy, you can contact us using the details below:
Data controller: PRESSWIRE LIMITED, company number 04630760, info@presswire.com
UK Registered Company: 4630760
VAT Number: GB815493714
Head Office Switchboard: +44 (0) 207 754 0050
Email: info@presswire.com
Reporting security concerns
If you believe you have found a security vulnerability in any Presswire system, please email info@presswire.com with the details. We will acknowledge your report promptly and ask that you allow us reasonable time to investigate before any public disclosure.