Privacy Policy

HelpNow.au is operated by Auschain Pty Ltd (ABN 79 659 615 111), an Australian company. We are the entity responsible for handling personal information collected through the Platform, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

HelpNow is an online marketplace that connects Customers who need everyday jobs done with verified, insured Helpers, across cleaning, plumbing, handyman, gardening, tutoring and 30+ other services. To run that marketplace safely, we need to handle some personal information about Customers, Helpers and visitors. We aim to collect only what we reasonably need, keep it secure, and be clear about how it is used.

The personal information we collect depends on how you use the Platform. It may include:

• Account details — your name, email address, phone number, password, profile photo, and (for Helpers) business name, ABN, services offered and service areas.
• Booking details — the services you request or provide, job descriptions, scheduling, the address and access details for a job, and related notes or photos.
• Location & address information — service addresses you enter, and (with your permission) approximate device location to show nearby Helpers or jobs.
• Payment information — payments are processed by Stripe; we receive limited details such as the last four digits of a card, card type, and transaction status. We do not store full card numbers.
• Identity & verification information (Helpers) — identity documents, background-check results, licences, registrations, insurance certificates and similar information needed to verify Helpers.
• Communications — messages you send through in-app chat, support enquiries, reviews and ratings, and your contact with us.
• Device & usage data — IP address, device and browser type, operating system, pages viewed, referring pages, and interactions with the Platform, collected via cookies and similar technologies.

You do not have to provide your personal information, but if you do not, we may be unable to provide you with an account, a booking, a payout, or other features of the Platform.

We collect personal information:

• Directly from you — when you register, complete your profile, make or accept a booking, contact support, leave a review, or otherwise interact with us.
• Automatically — through cookies, pixels, log files and similar technologies when you use the Platform (see section 5).
• From third parties — such as identity-verification and background-check providers, our payment partner Stripe, fraud-prevention services, analytics and advertising providers, referral partners, and other users (for example, a review or rating about you).

If you provide us with personal information about another person (for example, an occupant of a property), you must have their consent and let them know about this policy.

We use personal information to:

• create and manage accounts, and match Customers with suitable Helpers (including AI-powered matching);
• facilitate bookings, scheduling, communications and the performance of services;
• process payments, payouts, refunds and fees through Stripe, and detect and prevent fraud;
• verify Helpers and support trust and safety, including identity and background checks, insurance and licensing checks, and investigating complaints or misconduct;
• provide customer support and respond to enquiries, reviews and disputes;
• operate, maintain, secure, analyse, improve and personalise the Platform;
• send you service-related communications, and — where permitted — marketing communications about HelpNow (you can opt out at any time: see section 11);
• comply with our legal obligations, enforce our Terms of Service, and protect our rights, users and the public.

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, measure how the Platform is used, and support our marketing. We use analytics and advertising tools, including Google Analytics and Google Ads, which may set their own cookies and collect information about your use of the Platform and other sites.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, though some features of the Platform may not work properly without them. For more on how Google handles data, see Google’s own privacy and advertising information.

We may disclose your personal information to:

• Other users — the Customer and Helper involved in a booking receive the information needed to coordinate and perform the job (for example, name, contact details, address and job details). Helpers’ profiles, ratings and reviews may be visible to Customers.
• Service providers and processors — including hosting, IT, customer support, communications (email/SMS), mapping, analytics and advertising providers, who handle data on our behalf under confidentiality obligations.
• Stripe — our payment processor, to take payments and make payouts.
• Identity-verification and background-check providers — to verify Helpers.
• Legal and government bodies — where required or authorised by law, in response to lawful requests, or to protect the rights, safety or property of HelpNow, our users or others, and to detect or prevent fraud or crime.
• Business transfers — to a buyer or successor in the event of a merger, acquisition, financing, restructure or sale of assets, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

We do not sell your personal information.

Some of our service providers (for example, certain hosting, analytics or support providers) may store or process personal information outside Australia, including in countries such as the United States and the European Union. Where we disclose personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles, such as through contractual protections with those providers.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure — including encryption in transit, access controls, and using reputable third-party providers such as Stripe for payment data. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If we become aware of an eligible data breach, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required by law.

We keep personal information only for as long as we reasonably need it for the purposes described in this policy — including to provide the Platform, support disputes, prevent fraud, and comply with legal, tax, accounting and record-keeping obligations — after which we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason we hold it (for example, transaction and tax records are generally kept for a number of years).

You can review and update much of your account information directly in the Platform. You may also ask us to:

• access the personal information we hold about you; and
• correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

To make a request, or to make a privacy complaint, contact us at privacy@helpnow.au. We may need to verify your identity first. We will respond within a reasonable time. If we refuse access or correction, we will tell you why (where required) and how you can complain.

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your complaint, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

We may send you marketing communications about HelpNow where permitted by law. You can opt out at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails, adjusting your notification settings in the Platform, or contacting privacy@helpnow.au. Even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send you essential service messages — for example, about a booking, a payment, a security issue, or changes to our terms.

The Platform is intended for users aged 18 and over and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@helpnow.au and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices, the Platform or the law. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised. If we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you (for example, by email or an in-app notice). Your continued use of the Platform after the changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.

For privacy questions, requests or complaints, please contact us:

• Email: privacy@helpnow.au
• Phone: 0455 301 335
• Or use our contact page.