Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how DVF Labs (trading as Merchant Compare, referred to in this policy as “we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, holds, and discloses personal information when you use merchantcompare.com.au (the “site”). We handle personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

1. Who we are

Merchant Compare is an independent payment-provider comparison service operated by DVF Labs, an Australian sole trader. The business name “Merchant Compare” is registered with ASIC. You can reach us via our contact form.

2. What information we collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

Quote request information

When you submit a quote request, we collect your business name, contact name, email address, optional phone number, monthly card volume range, and business type.

Affiliate click tracking

When you click a link to a provider through our site, we log a cryptographic hash of your IP address (not the IP itself), your browser user-agent string, the page you clicked from, the provider you clicked, and any UTM parameters present in the link. This information helps us measure which providers convert and which sources of traffic refer paying customers.

Analytics

We use PostHog to collect aggregate analytics about how the site is used, including pages visited, buttons clicked, and approximate geography. This data is associated with a device-level identifier, not your name or email.

Server logs

Like most websites, our hosting provider records standard server logs (IP address, request path, timestamp, user-agent) for security and debugging purposes. Logs are retained for a limited period.

3. Why we collect it

• To send your quote request to the payment providers you have selected.
• To respond to questions or feedback you send us.
• To measure the effectiveness of our comparisons and how providers perform on our site.
• To improve the accuracy, coverage, and usefulness of the comparison.
• To meet our legal and tax obligations.

4. How we use and disclose your information

We do not sell your personal information. We only share quote request details with the specific provider or providers you have asked to receive a quote from. Aggregate analytics and click data may be shared with payment providers in anonymised, non-identifying form (for example, “Provider X received 124 clicks last month”), but never with information that identifies you personally.

We may disclose personal information where required by law, in response to a lawful request from a regulator or court, or to protect our legal rights.

5. Direct marketing

If you submit a quote request, we may contact you by email to follow up on the quote. We will not send you marketing emails about unrelated products. You can opt out of any further communications by replying to any of our emails or by sending us a message through our contact form.

6. Service providers and overseas disclosure

We use third-party service providers to operate the site, including cloud hosting and database providers (Australia, United States), product analytics providers (United States), and transactional email providers (United States). Some of these providers process personal information outside Australia. We have taken reasonable steps to ensure that each provider handles personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles.

7. How we store and protect your information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure. Data is transmitted over HTTPS, stored at rest in a managed database with row-level access controls, and your IP address is hashed before being recorded with an affiliate click. Access to personal data is limited to people who need it to operate the site.

8. Cookies and similar technologies

We and our analytics provider use cookies and similar technologies to understand how the site is used. We do not use advertising cookies, and we do not share cookie data with advertising networks. You can disable cookies in your browser settings; some parts of the site may not work as expected without them. Where your browser sends a Do Not Track signal, we honour it for analytics where supported.

9. Accessing, correcting, or deleting your information

You can request access to the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. Send your request via our contact form. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe, usually within 30 days.

10. Complaints

If you believe we have mishandled your personal information, please contact us first via our contact form. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

11. Children

Merchant Compare is intended for business owners and is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The effective date at the top of this page indicates when it was last revised. If we make material changes, we will note them on this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email.

See also our Terms of Use.