Privacy Policy

1. Who we are and our role

Biltong Connect operates an online marketplace connecting customers with independent artisan butchers (“Partner Butchers”). We own the customer relationship. You buy through Biltong Connect; Partner Butchers prepare and dispatch orders as our fulfilment partners.

A core design principle of the Platform is that Partner Butchers do not receive your identity (see section 5).

2. Information we collect

• Account information — your name, email address, and (if provided) phone number.
• Order and delivery information — delivery address, order contents, fulfilment method (delivery or pickup), and order history.
• Payment information — processed by our payment provider, Stripe. We do not store your full card number. We receive limited confirmation data (e.g. that a payment succeeded, the last 4 digits, card brand). See section 6.
• Communications — messages you send us (e.g. support enquiries) and our replies.
• Technical and usage information — IP address, device/browser type, and pages viewed, collected automatically to operate and secure the Platform. See section 8.

We collect this information directly from you when you create an account, place an order, or contact us, and automatically as you use the Platform.

3. How we use your information

• process, fulfil and deliver your orders;
• arrange shipping and generate carrier labels;
• send order confirmations, delivery/tracking updates and service messages;
• manage your account, reorders, and (if offered) subscriptions and loyalty;
• respond to enquiries and provide customer support;
• handle refunds, returns and disputes;
• detect and prevent fraud, and secure the Platform;
• comply with our legal obligations; and
• with your consent, send marketing about Biltong Connect (you can opt out at any time).

4. Legal basis and consent

We collect and use your information because it is reasonably necessary to provide the Platform and fulfil your orders, and otherwise as permitted by the Privacy Act. Where we rely on your consent (e.g. marketing emails), you may withdraw it at any time.

5. What Partner Butchers can see (blind fulfilment)

To protect your privacy and our customer relationship, we deliberately limit what Partner Butchers receive. A Partner Butcher is given only what they need to prepare and dispatch your order:

• the order/fulfilment code;
• the products, variants and quantities;
• the fulfilment method (delivery or pickup);
• the delivery suburb, state and postcode (not the street address); and
• fulfilment status.

6. Payments

Payments are processed by Stripe. Your card details are collected and handled by Stripe under its own terms and privacy policy; we do not receive or store your full card number. Stripe may process and store data outside Australia. See stripe.com/privacy.

7. Disclosure to third parties

We disclose personal information to the following categories of recipients, only as needed to run the Platform:

We do not sell your personal information.

8. Cookies and analytics

The Platform uses cookies and similar technologies that are necessary to operate it (e.g. to keep you signed in and remember your cart). You can control cookies through your browser settings, though some features may not work without them. If we introduce analytics or advertising cookies, we will update this section and provide a consent or opt-out mechanism.

9. Data storage, location and security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access, including access controls and row-level security on our database. Our primary database is hosted in the Supabase Sydney region (ap-southeast-2). Some service providers (e.g. Stripe, and email/hosting providers) may store or process data outside Australia; where they do, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information is handled consistently with the APPs. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Overseas disclosure

Some of our service providers are located, or store data, outside Australia (including in the United States and other countries). By using the Platform you acknowledge that your information may be disclosed to these overseas recipients as described above.

11. Data retention

We keep personal information for as long as needed to provide the Platform, comply with legal, tax and accounting obligations, and resolve disputes. We then delete or de-identify it. Order and transaction records may be retained for 7 years to meet Australian tax and record-keeping requirements.

12. Your rights

• request access to the personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or out of date;
• opt out of marketing communications; and
• make a privacy complaint.

To exercise any of these, contact us (section 15). We will respond within a reasonable time, and no later than 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

13. Children

The Platform is intended for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

14. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. The current version will always be posted on the Platform with its effective date. We will notify you of material changes by email and/or a notice on the Platform.

15. Contact us

Privacy questions, requests or complaints:

Henri David Marais (ABN 82 802 589 163) trading as Biltong Connect
Email: privacy@biltongconnect.com.au