Last updated: June 2025
nearme is a peer-to-peer rental marketplace operating in Australia. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
We collect information you provide directly: name, email address, password (hashed — never stored in plain text), suburb/location, profile photo, and any communications sent through the platform. When you make a payment, Stripe collects your payment details directly — nearme never sees or stores card numbers. If you complete identity verification, Stripe Identity processes your ID documents.
We use your information to: operate and improve the nearme platform; process bookings and payments; send transactional emails (booking confirmations, verification emails); provide customer support; and comply with legal obligations. We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
We share limited information with other users as necessary to facilitate rentals — for example, your first name and suburb are visible on your public profile. Your email address and payment details are never shared with other users. We share data with trusted service providers (Stripe for payments, Resend for email, Cloudinary for images, Neon for database hosting) only as necessary to operate the platform.
Your data is stored on servers located in Australia and the United States. We use industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, and HTTP-only secure cookies. No system is 100% secure — if you suspect unauthorised access to your account, contact us immediately.
nearme uses a single session cookie to keep you logged in. We do not use tracking cookies or advertising cookies. We do not use Google Analytics or any third-party analytics that profile you across sites.
Under the Australian Privacy Act you have the right to: access the personal information we hold about you; request corrections to inaccurate information; request deletion of your account and associated data; and opt out of marketing communications. To exercise these rights, email us at hello@nearme.com.au
We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. After account deletion, we may retain transaction records for up to 7 years as required by Australian tax law. All other personal data is deleted within 30 days of account deletion.
nearme is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly.
We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email. Continued use of nearme after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
For privacy questions or complaints, contact us at hello@nearme.com.au. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.