What is a data retention policy?
A data retention policy is applied to booking data stored in Intellibook in the interests of protecting everyone involved in the booking process - our platform, our customers (travel agencies), and most importantly the end customer. By limiting how long personal information is stored, we ensure compliance with global privacy regulations such as GDPR, the UK Data Protection Act, New Zealand / Australian Privacy Acts, and the California CCPA. These laws require that personal data is only kept for as long as it is needed for its original purpose. Our automated retention system helps our customers meet these obligations whilst offering a degree of flexibility to configure a retention period that aligns with their operational needs, from 30 days up to three years after trip completion.
For the travel agency, this approach balances compliance with practicality. Agencies often need access to booking records for a period after travel to handle things like complaints, refunds, or insurance queries. They may also wish to retain customer details for legitimate business purposes such as re‑marketing to past travellers in the months following a trip being completed. By allowing configurable retention periods, our customers can meet these needs while ensuring that sensitive personal data is not held indefinitely, reducing both regulatory risk and reputational exposure.
For attendees/travellers, this policy provides assurance that their personal information - including names, contact details, and identification documents - will not be stored longer than necessary. Once the retention period ends, all personally identifiable information is securely deleted. This protects the privacy of the individual, safeguards against misuse of data, and builds trust in both the travel agency and our platform. In short, the retention system ensures that data is handled responsibly, fairly, and transparently, protecting all parties involved.
Configuration
Changing your retention period
The retention period may be customised to meet your specific requirements.
As an Administrator, open "Settings > Organisation".
Under the "Bookings" tab, you'll find the data retention period under the "Automated Data Retention Policy" section:
Deletion audit log
To access an audit of bookings which have been deleted, you may run the "Deletion Audit Log" CSV export from Intellibook under "Reports > Retetion Policy".
The deletion audit log offers proof of the permanent deletion of bookings and related records which have reached the maximum retention period. It is provided primarily to satisfy audit or troubleshooting requirements and excludes customer data.
Deletion hold
In cases where a customer complaint or legal proceedings require that a booking is retained for a longer period, a retention hold may be applied on the booking.
This setting is available to Administrators only and is available via the “Advanced” button on the Booking’s “General” tab (bottom-right):
A deletion hold date along with hold reason can be applied as follows:
⚠️ Important: the deletion hold mechanism is intended for use in specific situations where an individual booking must be retained for longer than the configured retention period. It is not provided for broad use to bypass automated data deletion.
Frequently asked questions
Will I be warned before bookings are deleted?
Yes. As bookings approach their maximum retention period, the system will send an email notification containing:
A summary of any bookings which have been scheduled for deletion (14 days prior to deletion).
A summary of bookings which have reached their scheduled deletion date and are queued for permanent deletion.
Retention-related emails are sent to the "Enquiry Email Address" set up under "Settings > Organisation" in Intellibook.
Upon opening a booking that is scheduled for deletion, you will also spot a red notice in the top-right corner of the Booking's "General" tab.
How can I tell which bookings are scheduled for deletion?
You may use the Booking CSV Export under "Reports > Bookings" to report on bookings which have been scheduled for deletion:
Adjust the "Created betweeen" date range to ensure the "From" date doesn't exclude the bookings in question.
Under the "Advanced" report parameters, tick the checkbox titled "Scheduled for deletion".
Run the report.
What's the maximum number of days I can retain booking data?
The maximum data retention period allowed is 1100 days (~ 3 years) after trip completion, however we strongly recommend a shorter period (such as 180 days) to ensure compliance with all applicable privacy regulations .