AusCareGuide

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 18 April 2026

AusCareGuide (auscareguide.com.au) is operated by Neoterik (ABN to be confirmed). We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and how you can access or correct your information.

1. Information we collect

Information you provide directly

  • Account information: email address when you sign in via magic link to claim or submit a listing
  • Enquiry data: name, email address, phone number, and message when you submit a contact form on a provider page
  • Provider profile data: business name, ABN, contact details, description, services, and photos when you claim and edit a listing
  • Payment information: billing details are collected and processed by Stripe. We do not store your credit card number.

Information collected automatically

  • Analytics data: we collect anonymous usage data including page views, click interactions (phone, website, email clicks), and search queries using our own first-party analytics. This data is not shared with third parties. We do not use Google Analytics or any third-party tracking.
  • Session identifiers: we generate a random session ID stored in your browser's session storage to group analytics events. This is not a persistent identifier and is deleted when you close your browser.
  • Technical data: browser type, referring URL, and general device information transmitted in standard HTTP requests.

Information from government registers

Provider listings are sourced from publicly available Australian government registers including the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission provider register, the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) register, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) GEN Aged Care data, and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) register. This data is used under applicable open government licences.

2. How we use your information

We collect and use personal information for the following purposes:

  • To provide and maintain the AusCareGuide directory service
  • To authenticate your identity when you sign in
  • To facilitate enquiries between users and care providers
  • To send transactional email notifications (new enquiries, authentication links)
  • To process subscription payments
  • To improve our service based on aggregate usage patterns
  • To respond to your support requests

We will only use your personal information for the primary purpose for which it was collected, or for a related secondary purpose you would reasonably expect.

3. Who we share your information with

Enquiry recipients

When you submit an enquiry via a provider's contact form, your name, email, phone number, and message are shared with that provider. For unclaimed listings, enquiry details may also be forwarded to the provider's publicly listed email address.

Third-party service providers

We use the following services to operate AusCareGuide. Each processes data on our behalf:

  • Supabase (database and authentication) - data stored in Australia (Sydney region)
  • Stripe (payment processing) - headquartered in the United States
  • Vercel (website hosting) - headquartered in the United States, with Sydney edge servers
  • Resend (transactional email delivery) - headquartered in the United States
  • Cloudflare (DNS and email routing) - headquartered in the United States

Cross-border disclosure

As outlined above, some of our service providers are based in the United States. By using AusCareGuide, you acknowledge that your personal information may be transferred to and processed in the United States. We take reasonable steps to ensure these providers handle your information consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles, however we remain responsible under the Privacy Act for any acts or practices of overseas recipients.

Other disclosures

We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may disclose your information where required or authorised by Australian law, including to comply with a court order, subpoena, or government investigation.

4. Direct marketing

We do not currently send marketing emails. All emails from AusCareGuide are transactional (authentication links, lead notifications, enquiry confirmations). If we introduce marketing communications in the future, you will be able to opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link in each email.

5. Data security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. Security measures include:

  • All data transmitted over HTTPS (TLS encryption)
  • Row-level security policies on database tables
  • Passwordless authentication (magic link) - no passwords are stored
  • Payment information handled entirely by Stripe (PCI DSS compliant) and never touches our servers
  • Service role keys stored as environment variables, never exposed to the client

6. Data retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. If you request deletion of your account, we will delete your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it by law. Analytics data is retained in aggregate form and is not linked to personally identifiable information.

7. Accessing and correcting your information

Under APPs 12 and 13, you have the right to request access to and correction of your personal information held by us. To make a request, email [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days. There is no charge for making a request, though we may charge a reasonable fee for providing access if the request is complex or resource-intensive.

Providers with claimed listings can update their information directly through their provider dashboard.

8. Notifiable data breaches

In the event of an eligible data breach likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in accordance with Part IIIC of the Privacy Act 1988.

9. Cookies and tracking

AusCareGuide uses first-party analytics only. We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any third-party tracking cookies. The anonymous usage data we collect (page views, clicks, search queries) is stored in our own database and is not shared with any third party.

We use browser session storage (not cookies) to generate a temporary session identifier for analytics grouping. This identifier is automatically deleted when you close your browser.

10. Children's privacy

AusCareGuide is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of AusCareGuide after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, you can lodge a complaint by emailing [email protected]. We will investigate and respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

13. Contact

For any privacy-related questions or requests, contact us at:
Email: [email protected]