Data Retention

By the end of this guide, you'll have BatchCard automatically removing recipient personal data from delivered gift cards after a window you choose, with a different window on any batch that needs one.

What data retention does

Privacy regulations like GDPR expect you to keep personal data only as long as you need it. Data retention handles that for gift card recipients:

• After your chosen window, BatchCard replaces each recipient's email and name with masked values (like b*****@d.com and initials) and deletes the personal message.
• The gift card code, value, balance, and redemption status are never touched. The card keeps working at checkout.
• Each purge run is logged, so you can point to a date and card count in a privacy review.

Data retention is off by default on every plan. Nothing changes until you turn it on.

Choose a store default window

Every batch follows this window unless you set a window on that batch.

1. Open BatchCard and go to Settings.
2. Find the Data retention section.
3. Choose a window: 1 day, 7 days, or 30 days. Your choice saves right away.

The window counts from the day each card is delivered. Cards that were never delivered count from creation, and cancelled deliveries count from cancellation. Cards scheduled for a future delivery are never anonymized before they send.

Review the preview and confirm

When you turn retention on, or shorten the window, BatchCard shows a confirmation dialog first.

4. Review the count of existing cards that match the window. These will be anonymized right away.
5. Click Turn on retention (or Update retention) to confirm.

If some of your reminder windows are longer than the retention window, the dialog warns you: reminders due after a card is anonymized will not send, because the recipient email they need is already gone.

Set a retention window for one batch

Any batch can follow your store default or pin its own window.

6. Open BatchCard and go to Batches.
7. Open the batch you want to change.
8. Find the Retention row in the batch details and click the edit icon.
9. Choose a window:
   • Store default (7 days): the batch follows your store setting. The label shows the store window as it stands today, so it reads Store default (keep indefinitely) when your store window is off.
   • Keep indefinitely: recipient data in this batch is never anonymized.
   • 1 day, 7 days, or 30 days: the batch uses that window instead of your store default.
10. Click Save. If the new window is shorter than the one in force, BatchCard shows the count of cards it will anonymize and asks you to confirm.

The window that matches your current store default is not offered on its own. The store default option already covers it.

The Retention row shows the window in force and where it comes from, like Retention: 30 days (batch override) or Retention: 7 days (store default). That row is visible on every plan. Editing it requires the Starter plan or higher. See pricing

A batch that follows your store default tracks later changes to it. A batch pinned to Keep indefinitely stays pinned, even if your store default later changes to 1, 7, or 30 days.

What happens each day

After you confirm, the daily sweep takes over. There is nothing to run manually.

• Each day, BatchCard anonymizes cards whose window has passed and stamps each one with its anonymization date.
• Anonymized cards show masked values and an Anonymized badge on the batch detail page. Hover over the badge to see the date.
• CSV exports include an Anonymized At column, and masked values appear in the recipient columns.
• Resends, retries, and reminders automatically skip anonymized cards. Skipped cards are never counted as failures.
• The Data retention section in Settings shows your last purge run with its date and card count.

Turn retention off

Choose Keep indefinitely in the Data retention section. Future sweeps stop for every batch that follows the store default. A batch pinned to its own window keeps that window. Cards that were already anonymized stay anonymized, because the removal is permanent.

Questions

Does this affect my Shopify customer records? No. Data retention masks the recipient data BatchCard stores on gift cards. Your Shopify customer records are managed in Shopify.

Does this replace GDPR deletion requests? No, it complements them. BatchCard already honors Shopify's GDPR webhooks when a customer or store requests deletion. Data retention proactively limits how long recipient data exists in the first place.

Can different batches have different windows? Yes. Any batch can follow the store default or pin its own window, and editing one requires the Starter plan or higher. See Set a retention window for one batch.