Effective Date: 30th April 2025
1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy
SwappingChain is designed around trust. We are committed to protecting your privacy, safeguarding your data, and ensuring your interactions on our platform are secure. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), and modern best practices for AI usage, digital security, and consent-based data sharing.
2. DEFINITIONS
App – SwappingChain’s mobile and web platforms.
AI Systems – Technologies used to support swaps, delivery planning, moderation, and dispute resolution.
Personal Information – Information that identifies you or could identify you.
De-Identified Information – Data stripped of direct identifiers for analytics, research, or environmental tracking.
Approved Third Parties – Our trusted service providers including payment processors, couriers, and system vendors.
SwapBox – Our reusable packaging system linked to a QR code.
Escrow Provider – A licensed third-party service used to securely hold funds during a swap.
User / You – Any individual using SwappingChain.
We / Us / Our – SwapU Pty Ltd (ACN 633 008 544), operator of SwappingChain.
3. What We Collect & Why
| Type of Information | How We Collect It | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Account details (name, email, password) | Registration | Secure login, verification |
| Profile photo | Uploaded by user | Trust between users |
| Swap item photos, descriptions, values | Uploaded by user | Display items and match preferences |
| Location data (optional) | User-granted or typed | Match swaps nearby, route delivery |
| Payment and escrow info | Secure third-party provider (e.g., Stripe) | Swap fees, delivery, or dispute hold |
| Credit card details | Entered during payment | Payments for deliveries and in-app purchases via Stripe (not stored by us) |
| Delivery address | Provided by user | Required for delivery via courier partner (e.g., Sendle) |
| Swap history & preferences | App activity and AI analysis | Optimise matches, show top items |
| Messages & feedback | In-app communication | Trust management, support, dispute resolution |
| Device/browser data | Automatically | Fraud prevention, performance tuning |
| Environmental impact data | Automatically calculated | Provide sustainability reports to users and partners |
| Seller identity information | Provided during verification | Fraud prevention and transaction safety |
Security and Privacy Measures:
All payments are handled by PCI-compliant provider Stripe. We do not store or retain credit card information.
Delivery addresses are shared only with our verified courier partner Sendle for fulfillment purposes and are not shared elsewhere.
Stripe and Sendle maintain their own privacy policies and comply with industry-standard security and data protection protocols.
No exact locations are shared publicly.
Metadata removed from user images.
Encrypted transmission and storage.
Swap history and AI profiling are user-accessible and editable.
4. AI and Automated Decision-Making
SwappingChain uses AI to:
Recommend swaps and user matches
Identify possible fraud or unsafe listings
Predict delivery efficiencies
Support carbon tracking
Flag inappropriate content
Your Rights:
Opt-out of personalised AI suggestions
Request human review of any automated decision
Access and correct data used by AI systems
5. How We Share Your Information
We share information only as needed:
Escrow & Payments – Processed by licensed, secure third-party providers like Stripe
Courier Services – Delivery addresses and pickup details provided only to verified logistics partners like Sendle
Compliance – Disclosures required by law (e.g. fraud, abuse reports)
We do not:
Sell your data
Allow scraping or third-party profiling
Additional Safeguards:
Session-bound QR codes for each SwapBox
Delivery address sharing is one-time and encrypted
Listings can be anonymised when surfaced in wider campaigns
6. How We Share Your Information
We share information only as needed, and only with our partners that assist us to make your swaps happen:
Escrow & Payments – Processed by licensed, secure third-party providers like Stripe
Courier Services – Delivery addresses and pickup details provided only to verified logistics partners like Sendle
Compliance – Disclosures required by law (e.g. fraud, abuse reports)
We do not:
Sell your data
Allow scraping or third-party profiling
Additional Safeguards:
Session-bound QR codes for each SwapBox
Delivery address sharing is one-time and encrypted
Listings can be anonymised when surfaced in wider campaigns
7. Consent and Control
You control how your data is used:
Adjust data sharing and visibility in your account settings
Opt-out of marketing emails or partner messages anytime
Request deletion or correction of your data
Control profile photo visibility and listing reach
Pause or deactivate your account anytime
8. Data Retention
We retain your data only as long as:
Your account is active
Required to resolve disputes or legal obligations
Required for financial or escrow records
After this, data is either deleted or permanently de-identified. Swap history may be retained for environmental analytics in a non-personalised form.
9. Data Security
We protect your data using:
Encrypted connections and databases
Access controls and user authentication
Regular vulnerability scans and audits
Incident response procedures
In the event of a data breach:
Affected users will be notified promptly
The OAIC will be contacted if applicable
10. Secondhand Marketplace considerations
SwappingChain facilitates secondhand item transactions and takes marketplace-specific privacy and safety seriously:
Seller Verification: We may collect additional information such as phone numbers or payment account details to verify seller identity and prevent fraud. Community moderation and swap history contribute to reputation scores.
Data Sharing Between Users: We limit the sharing of personal information between buyers and sellers. Public profiles only include username, profile picture, and item listings. Delivery addresses are shared securely only with courier partners.
Listing Transparency: All sellers are required to accurately describe item condition and clearly disclose that items are secondhand. We encourage transparency through listing templates and community guidelines.
Education and Compliance: We provide educational content through our Help Centre to inform users and sellers of their privacy and consumer rights responsibilities.
11. Children's Privacy
SwappingChain is not designed for users under the age of 16. If we discover we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, we will delete the data and deactivate the account unless verified guardian consent is obtained.
12. COMPLAINTS and contact
If you have a concern or complaint, please contact us:
Email: support@swappingchain.com
- Mail: PO Box 6923, Gold Coast MC QLD 9726
Regulator: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (www.oaic.gov.au)
We will respond within 7 business days.
For further information on the Australian Privacy Principles and Australian privacy law, see www.oaic.gov.au. To contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, including to make a complaint about privacy, contact 1300 363 992 or enquiries@oaic.gov.au.
13. MISCELLANEOUS
Applicable law: Your use of the App is subject to the laws of Queensland and each party submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland.
Changes to this policy: We may update this policy periodically. Major changes will be communicated via email or app notifications. Continued use after changes implies acceptance.
No assignment: You must not assign, sub-licence or otherwise deal in any way with your rights under this Privacy Policy without our prior written consent.
Severability: If any paragraph or part thereof of this Privacy Policy is held to be invalid or unenforceable, it is to be read down or severed such that the remaining paragraphs and parts thereof will be enforced to the maximum extent possible. In such circumstances, the remainder of this Privacy Policy shall continue in full force and effect.
No waiver: In the event that we fail to enforce any provision of this Privacy Policy, such failure shall not constitute a waiver of any future enforcement of that provision or of any other provision. Waiver of any paragraph or part thereof of this Privacy Policy will not constitute a waiver of rights under any other paragraph or part thereof.
No partnership or agency: Nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to give rise to a partnership or agency relationship between you and us.
Notices: We may serve legal notices on you at the email address that you provide to us upon registration or that we receive from any Digital Platform (or such updated email address notified by you to us or to any Digital Platform). Email notices will be deemed to have been received upon transmission confirmed by a delivery receipt. Hard copy notices sent by prepaid post in Australia will be deemed to have been received five (5) business days after posting.
Separate agreements: You may have other legal agreements with us. Those other legal agreements are separate from and in addition to this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy does not alter, amend, revise or replace the terms of any other legal agreements you may have with us.
Disputes: If any dispute arises between you and us under this Privacy Policy we will try to resolve it directly between you and us before resorting to legal action and we ask that you do the same.
14. CONTACT US
You can contact us at:
The Privacy Officer
c/- SwapU Pty PO Box 6923, Gold Coast MC QLD 9726