Last updated: 1 October 2026
1. Scope and contact
This Privacy Policy applies to sbt.education and gaestehaus.ch. The controller responsible for processing personal data is Seminar für biblische Theologie, Felix Aeschlimann, Spirenwaldstrasse 356, 3803 Beatenberg, Switzerland.
If you have questions about privacy, please contact info@sbt.education for sbt.education or info@gaestehaus.ch for gaestehaus.ch.
We process personal data in accordance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection. Where the European General Data Protection Regulation applies, we also comply with its requirements.
2. Visiting our websites and hosting
When you visit our websites, technically necessary data is processed. This includes, in particular, your IP address, the date and time of access, the page requested, information about your browser and operating system, and, where applicable, the page you visited previously. We need this information to provide the websites, maintain their security and investigate technical problems.
Our websites are hosted by METANET AG in Switzerland. Data transmitted between your browser and our websites is encrypted. We retain technical log data only for as long as necessary for operation, security or legal obligations.
3. Forms and direct contact
When you complete a form or contact us in another way, we process the information you provide. Depending on the form, this may include your name, contact details, information about a booking or enquiry, and your message. On sbt.education, forms cover matters such as contact requests, interest in studying, trial visits, address changes and feedback. On gaestehaus.ch, they cover matters such as contact requests, booking enquiries, vouchers and volunteering enquiries.
Form submissions are stored in the WordPress administration area and may also be sent by email to the responsible team. We use the information to respond to your request and, where applicable, to prepare or fulfil a booking, registration or contractual service. We process any additional information you provide voluntarily only insofar as it is needed for the request. Once the matter is complete, we retain the information only for as long as needed for its purpose or to meet legal obligations.
4. Newsletters with Mailchimp
We use Mailchimp, a service of the Intuit group, for newsletters. If you subscribe, we send the information needed for this purpose, particularly your email address, to Mailchimp. We use this information to send and manage the newsletter. Where the relevant features are enabled, Mailchimp may also record whether a message was opened or a link was clicked. You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link in the newsletter.
Mailchimp may process data in the United States and other countries. Further information is available in Mailchimp’s Privacy Policy.
5. Online courses and payments on sbt.education
Online courses can be ordered through WooCommerce on sbt.education. To process an order, we handle contact, billing and order details. Technically necessary cookies support functions such as the shopping cart and checkout. WooCommerce order attribution to advertising channels is disabled.
Online payments are processed by Payrexx AG. Depending on the payment method you choose, the data needed to process the payment may be shared with Payrexx and the payment providers involved. Available payment methods include Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, PayPal, PostFinance, TWINT, Visa and Mastercard. We receive the payment information needed to process and assign the order. Payment data may also be processed in Switzerland and abroad. Further information on payment processing is available from Payrexx.
6. Cookies and your choices
We use cookies and similar technologies for necessary website functions and, according to your choices, for analytics, marketing and external content. Necessary cookies support security, login, language settings and the storage of your choices, among other things. When you use the shop on sbt.education, technically necessary cart and session cookies are also used.
Our own consent solution stores your choices in a first-party cookie called sbt_consent_v2. It contains the selected categories and services, the time of your choice and a version number. The cookie is stored for no more than 180 days. We do not maintain a personal server-side consent log for this purpose.
Analytics, marketing, YouTube and Google Maps are disabled initially. On gaestehaus.ch, this also applies to Tripadvisor. You can change or withdraw your choices at any time using the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer. Withdrawal takes effect for the future. Where possible, known analytics and marketing cookies on our domain are deleted. We cannot delete cookies placed by other providers on their own domains, and withdrawal does not retrospectively delete data already sent to those providers.
Once enabled, providers may set additional cookies. Their names and retention periods may change according to the providers’ services and settings.
7. Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how our websites are used and improve what we offer. Data sent to Google may include pages viewed, usage events, approximate location, technical device information and identifiers stored in cookies. The data may also be processed in the United States. On sbt.education, Google Analytics is loaded only after you consent to “Analytics”. On gaestehaus.ch, the Google tag is linked to Google Ads and is therefore loaded only after you consent to “Marketing”.
You can withdraw your consent at any time through the Cookie Settings link in the footer. Further information about Google’s processing is available in Google’s Privacy Policy.
8. Campaigns with Google and Meta
For individual campaigns, we may use Google Tag Manager, Google Ads conversion tracking and the Meta Pixel. These tools help us manage campaigns and measure their effectiveness. Data such as page views, interactions, technical identifiers and information about where a visit came from may be sent to Google or Meta and combined with other data held by those providers. Processing in the United States is possible.
These marketing tags are used only when a corresponding campaign or measurement has been set up and you have consented to “Marketing”. Giving consent activates only the services actually integrated into the website you are visiting. These tags are not loaded without marketing consent. Further information is available from Google and Meta.
9. External content
YouTube videos and Google Maps are initially replaced with placeholders on both websites. The content is loaded, and your browser connects to the provider, only after you enable the respective service. This may involve sending your IP address and information about your device and use of the content. Where possible, we use the youtube-nocookie.com domain for YouTube. Playing a video may still establish a connection to Google.
On gaestehaus.ch, we also display Tripadvisor content. Its widget is loaded only after you enable it. Information about how these providers process data is available from Google and Tripadvisor.
10. Form protection and other external services
We use Google reCAPTCHA to protect our forms from automated submissions. When you open a page containing a protected form, this service may already send technical information to Google, including your IP address and information about your device and use of the website. reCAPTCHA is active for these forms and is not controlled by the choices for analytics or marketing. Further information is available in Google’s Privacy Policy.
Where content or functions from search.ch are embedded in our websites, loading them may establish a connection to search.ch. Technical connection data may be transmitted. Further information is available in the search.ch Privacy Policy.
11. Recipients, processing abroad and retention
We share personal data only insofar as necessary for the purposes described above. Recipients may include our hosting provider, providers of forms and newsletter services, payment service providers, and the providers of external content, analytics and marketing services mentioned above. Some providers process data outside Switzerland, particularly in the United States. The applicable protections and rights also depend on the contractual and legal framework of each service.
We retain personal data only for as long as needed for the relevant purpose, contractual claims or legal obligations. External providers may apply different retention periods under their own terms.
12. Your rights
Within the limits of applicable law, you may request information about your personal data, have inaccurate data corrected or request deletion. Depending on the circumstances, you may object to processing or withdraw consent with effect for the future. For privacy requests, please use the email address listed above for the relevant website. To protect your data, we may ask for suitable proof of identity.
If you have questions or complaints, you may also contact the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner. Where the General Data Protection Regulation applies, additional rights and supervisory authorities may be relevant.
13. Changes
We update this Privacy Policy when our services, the tools we use or legal requirements change. The version published on the relevant website applies.
