Privacy policy

Last updated October 2026 · Effective October 2026

Welcome to BuyItWiser ("BuyItWiser", "we", "our", or "us"). We operate the BuyItWiser mobile application (available on iOS and coming soon to Android) and our website at https://buyitwiser.com/.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, handle, process, and protect your personal information when you use our mobile app, visit our website, or interact with our services. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and applicable mobile platform standards.

If you have questions or concerns about this policy, please contact us at support@buyitwiser.com.

1. Overview of How BuyItWiser Works

BuyItWiser is designed to help shoppers compare retail prices in real time while in-store through a 100% photo-driven process:

• You register an account with a verified email address to access the app and manage scan tokens.
• You snap a photograph of a physical product with its shelf tag in the frame.
• The image is processed automatically using computer vision and multimodal AI to identify the product and shelf price.
• BuyItWiser queries participating Australian retailers live to surface the lowest available competitor prices and formats them into an easy-to-read "price-match" screen to present to a cashier.
• If you prefer not to request an in-person price match at the counter, the app provides an "Avoid Conflict" button linking directly to Amazon.com.au with an affiliate tag.

We follow a strict privacy-by-design approach: we do not store your photos, we do not sell your personal data, and we do not serve third-party behavioural advertising.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect information necessary to provide, secure, and improve the BuyItWiser service.

A. Account Information (Mandatory Registration)

To prevent promotional abuse, multiple-account churning, and unauthorized exploitation of free scans, an account is strictly required to use BuyItWiser. We do not support unregistered or anonymous guest scanning. When you register, we collect:

• Name or Display Name: Provided during registration.
• Email Address: Required to authenticate your account, verify registration, deliver service updates, and manage your scan token balance.
• Password: Stored using irreversible cryptographic hashing and salting (we cannot view your plaintext password).

B. Photos and Camera Data (Product Scans)

What We Collect: When you scan an item, the app captures an image of the product and its shelf price tag via your device camera. Because BuyItWiser is entirely photo-driven, camera access is required to perform product scans.

How It Is Handled:

• Local Compression: The photo is resized/compressed directly on your device to minimize bandwidth.
• Immediate Local Deletion: The photo is removed from your device storage immediately after transmission.
• Zero Permanent Storage: Our servers process the photo ephemerally to identify the item and extract the shelf price; we do not store, archive, or retain your photos on our servers.
• AI Processing: To identify the product and read the shelf tag, the image is processed via Google's Gemini Vision API under Google's enterprise terms. The image is used solely for real-time inference and is not used to train models on your personal identity.

C. Scan History and Savings Activity

For your registered account, we record:

• The detected product name and brand.
• The prices retrieved from retailers.
• User-indicated price match status (whether a cashier accepted a price match).
• Total calculated savings (to maintain your lifetime savings dashboard).

This history is tied to your account profile so you can revisit past scans and track personal savings across shopping trips. Raw photos are never stored in your scan history.

D. Token Balances and In-App Purchases

• Tokens: BuyItWiser operates on a pay-per-scan token model. We maintain a ledger of your token balance, tokens granted upon registration, and tokens redeemed.
• Payment Details: In-app purchases for token packs are processed exclusively through Apple's App Store (In-App Purchases). We never collect, receive, or store your credit card numbers, bank account numbers, or billing details.
• Purchase Validation: We receive anonymous receipt and transaction tokens via RevenueCat to credit token packs to your account balance.

E. Device, App, and Diagnostic Data

• Device & App Identifiers: A randomly generated installation identifier and device parameters created upon app installation. These are used in conjunction with your account to secure authentication sessions, prevent automated rate abuse, and enforce promotional limits.
• Technical Diagnostics: Basic device information (device model, operating system version, app version, error/crash logs) to ensure compatibility and diagnose bugs.

F. Product Pricing Cache (Non-Personal Data)

To deliver rapid results and reduce redundant server requests, store prices retrieved for specific products are cached on our servers for up to 12 hours. This pricing cache contains only retail catalog data and is completely independent of user identifiers.

G. Website and Early-Access Subscribers

If you subscribe to our early-access waitlist on buyitwiser.com, we collect your email address solely to notify you when the app launches or major updates become available.

3. Information We Do NOT Collect

To ensure transparency, BuyItWiser explicitly does not:

• Retain or compile galleries of your scanned images.
• Access your device camera without explicit permission, or capture photos in the background.
• Collect precise background GPS location data.
• Access your personal contacts, address book, or microphone.
• Sell, rent, or trade your personal information to data brokers or advertisers.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the data we collect solely for the following purposes:

• Delivering Core Services: Identifying merchandise and shelf prices from your photo, querying live competitor prices across Australian retailers, and generating the cashier-ready price match screen.
• Account & Balance Management: Maintaining your account profile, managing token balances, refunding tokens for failed scans, and displaying personal savings metrics.
• Preventing Fraud & Promotional Abuse: Verifying account eligibility for introductory free scans, preventing users from repeatedly deleting and re-registering accounts to harvest free benefits, and protecting system infrastructure from automated traffic.
• Customer Support: Investigating and responding to user feedback, bug reports, and account inquiries sent to support@buyitwiser.com.
• Product Development & Stability: Monitoring app performance and resolving system crashes.

5. Third-Party Service Providers and Data Processing

We rely on trusted third-party cloud infrastructure and service providers to operate BuyItWiser. These providers process data on our behalf under strict contractual confidentiality and data security obligations:

6. External Retailer Links & Affiliate Disclosure

External Retailer Websites

BuyItWiser displays prices and provides direct outbound links to 19 major Australian retailers (including JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, Officeworks, Bing Lee, Appliances Online, Big W, Kmart, Target, Bunnings, Myer, David Jones, Woolworths, Coles, Chemist Warehouse, Scorptec, Mwave, Centre Com, and Amazon AU).

When you tap a retailer link, you exit BuyItWiser and enter an external third-party website. We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or cookie policies of those third-party retailers. We encourage you to review their individual privacy policies.

Amazon Associate Disclosure & the "Avoid Conflict" Button

BuyItWiser is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.au.

The app includes an "Avoid Conflict" button (and other direct Amazon links) designed for shoppers who prefer to order an item online via Amazon rather than negotiate a price match at the register, or when a store declines a match. When you tap this button or any Amazon link:

• You are directed out of the app to Amazon.com.au with our unique affiliate tracking tag attached.
• Amazon may place cookies or device tracking identifiers on your browser or device in accordance with Amazon’s Privacy Notice.
• BuyItWiser may earn an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.

7. Data Retention and Account Deletion

• Scanned Photos: Deleted immediately from your device upon upload; discarded ephemerally by servers after processing. Never stored long-term.
• Active Account & Scan History: Retained for the lifetime of your active account so you can access your profile and cumulative savings.
• Cached Retailer Prices: Kept for up to 12 hours, then refreshed or purged.
• Waitlist Emails: Kept until launch communication concludes, or until you unsubscribe.

How to Delete Your Account and Data

You have complete control over your account:

• In-App Self-Service: Navigate to Profile → Delete account in the mobile app. This permanently and irrevocably removes your profile name, password, scan history, savings records, and active token balances from our active databases.
• Via Email: You can request permanent account deletion at any time by emailing support@buyitwiser.com from your registered email address. We will process your request promptly within 30 days.

Retention for Fraud and Promotional Abuse Prevention

When you delete an account, we remove your personal scan logs, savings tallies, and active credentials. However, in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APP 11.2) regarding legitimate business integrity and fraud prevention:

• We retain a secure, non-reversible anti-abuse record (such as a cryptographic hash of your email address and/or device identifier) to record that the promotional introductory free-scan allocation has already been claimed.
• This record contains no scan history, photos, or personal profile details. It exists solely to prevent users from repeatedly creating, using, deleting, and re-creating accounts to cycle free scans.
• If a new account is subsequently created using an email address or device associated with a previously deleted account, that new account will be ineligible for promotional welcome scan tokens.

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure:

• All communications between your mobile device, our servers, and third-party APIs are encrypted in transit using industry-standard Transport Layer Security (TLS/HTTPS).
• Passwords are encrypted using robust hashing algorithms.
• Anti-abuse records are stored using one-way cryptographic hashes.
• Database access is strictly restricted through least-privilege access controls and token-based authentication.

While we take every reasonable measure to protect your data, no internet transmission or electronic storage method is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Rights Under the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)

Under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), you have specific statutory rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: You may request correction of any inaccurate, outdated, or incomplete information.
• Anonymity and Pseudonymity (APP 2): Under Australian Privacy Principle 2, individuals generally have the option not to identify themselves. However, pursuant to APP 2.2(b), it is impracticable for BuyItWiser to provide price-matching and token accounting services without an account, as user registration is strictly necessary to prevent fraudulent multi-account creation and protect free promotional scan allocations.
• Complaints: If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, you can submit a complaint to support@buyitwiser.com. We will review your complaint and respond in writing within 30 business days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Website: https://www.oaic.gov.au/
• Phone: 1300 363 992
• Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

10. Children’s Privacy

BuyItWiser is designed for general consumer retail shoppers and is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in certain jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children. If we discover that a child has provided us with personal information, we will delete it immediately. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact support@buyitwiser.com.

11. International Data Transfers

BuyItWiser is based in Australia, but some of our third-party infrastructure providers (such as Google Cloud, Cloudflare, Supabase, and Netlify) maintain servers and data processing facilities located in the United States, Australia, and other global regions. By using our service, you acknowledge that your information may be processed across these secure global networks in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

12. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our app features, technology, legal requirements, or operational practices. When updates occur:

• We will update the Last Updated date at the top of this policy.
• For material changes affecting your rights, we will provide prominent in-app notification or notice via your registered email address before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of BuyItWiser after any revisions constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, feedback, requests for data access or deletion, or privacy-related complaints, please reach out to:

• Entity: BuyItWiser
• Email: support@buyitwiser.com
• Website: https://buyitwiser.com/