Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 1 January 2026 Website: https://goldcoastchocolatier.au

1. Introduction

Welcome to Gold Coast Chocolatier ("we," "us," or "our"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website goldcoastchocolatier.au and purchase our products.

We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). By using our website, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you register on the website, make a purchase, or attempt to make a purchase. The personal information we collect includes:

  • Identity Data: Your name (first and last).
  • Contact Data: Delivery address, billing address, email address, and telephone number.
  • Transaction Data: Details about payments to and from you and other details of products (chocolates) you have purchased from us.
  • Technical Data: Internet Protocol (IP) address, your login data, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, and operating system (collected via Google Analytics and server logs).
  • Profile Data: Your username and password (if you create an account), purchases made by you, and your preferences.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following business purposes:

  • To fulfill your orders: We use your address and contact details to deliver your chocolate orders and manage returns or refunds.
  • To process payments: We engage third-party payment processors to handle financial transactions.
  • To communicate with you: We send you order confirmations, shipping updates, and invoices.
  • To improve our store: We use analytics to understand how customers use our site and to improve our website experience.
  • To protect our business: We use data to screen for potential risk and fraud (in particular, your IP address).

4. Payment Information and "Saved Cards"

We use Stripe to process payments.

  • We do not store your full credit card numbers on our servers.
  • All direct payment gateways adhere to the standards set by PCI-DSS as managed by the PCI Security Standards Council.
  • Saved Cards: If you choose to save your payment method for future checkout convenience, your credit card details are encrypted and securely stored by Stripe. We only retain a secure "token" that allows us to reference your stored card for future transactions. We cannot see your full card number.
  • For more detail, please read Stripe’s Privacy Policy here: https://stripe.com/au/privacy

5. Disclosure of Your Information

We may share your information with third parties that help us operate our business. These include:

  • WooCommerce: Our e-commerce platform provider.
  • Stripe: Our payment gateway.
  • Google Analytics: To help us understand how our customers use the site. You can read more about how Google uses your Personal Information here: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/.
  • Logistics Providers: We share your name, address, and phone number with delivery services (e.g., Australia Post, Sendle, or local couriers) to ensure your package arrives safely.
  • Professional Advisers: Lawyers, bankers, auditors, and insurers who provide consultancy, banking, legal, insurance, and accounting services.

6. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies to help keep track of items you put into your shopping cart including when you have abandoned your cart and this information is used to determine when to send cart reminder messages via SMS or Email.

  • Functional Cookies: Required for the website to work (e.g., keeping track of your cart contents via WooCommerce).
  • Analytics Cookies: Provided by Google Analytics to track website usage and visitor behavior.

You can choose to disable cookies through your individual browser options, though this may affect your ability to use the checkout features of our site.

7. Data Security

We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. Our website uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to encrypt data during transmission.

8. Accessing and Correcting Your Information

Under the Australian Privacy Act, you have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and to ask for your information to be corrected or updated.

If you have created an account on our site, you can view and update your personal information by logging into your "My Account" page. Alternatively, you can contact us directly to request access or correction.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about this policy, or if you would like to make a privacy complaint, please contact us at:

Gold Coast Chocolatier Email: hello@goldcoastchocolatier.au Address: Labrador 4215, QLD, Australia