Privacy Policy

    Last updated: 14 September 2026.

    Choose Franchise is operated by The Trustee for Expandus Trust (ABN 62 679 747 627). In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" mean that business.

    This policy explains how we handle personal information through choosefranchise.com, our franchise research and introduction services, and our dealings with researchers, franchise businesses and other business contacts.

    Information we collect

    The information we collect depends on how you use our services. It can include:

    • Contact and account details, such as your name, email address, phone number, location and sign-in information.
    • Your franchise interests, preferred locations, business experience, investment capacity, funding plans and answers to questions on our forms.
    • Your enquiries, saved franchises, shortlists, notes, research conversations and communication preferences.
    • Pages you view, searches you make, features you use, referral sources, advertising identifiers, IP address, browser information and approximate location.
    • Correspondence, including email senders and recipients, subjects, message contents, and records of our team's follow-up.
    • Business and professional information from public records, company websites and public profiles.
    • For business clients, contact and representative details, subscription information, billing details, payment arrangements and transaction records.
    • Records of enquiry access and acceptance of enquiry-use terms, including the recipient's name, email address, IP address and acceptance time.

    We collect information directly from you, through your use of the platform, and from people or organisations dealing with us, including referral partners and franchise businesses. Correspondence may include information about someone who has not used our website.

    We can connect earlier browsing and enquiry activity with your account when you sign in. We may also supplement information you provide with relevant public professional information to help our team understand your interests and assist you.

    You can browse public pages without an account. Some research tools, account features and enquiry services require information so we can provide them.

    How we use information

    We use personal information to:

    • Provide research tools, manage accounts and remember your preferences.
    • Understand your franchise interests, tailor recommendations and arrange introductions.
    • Deliver enquiries, support relevant follow-up and respond to requests or complaints.
    • Manage franchise listings, business relationships, subscriptions and payments.
    • Understand how people find and use Choose Franchise, measure advertising and improve our services.
    • Protect accounts, prevent misuse, keep business records and meet legal obligations.

    Our research tools use AI services to process questions and relevant context and generate responses. Our team can also use AI services to find public professional information using contact and profile details we hold. We retain research conversations and relevant results as part of providing these services.

    Selected search phrases, including opening research questions, may appear in public "Recent searches" lists after screening for identifying and inappropriate content.

    Franchise enquiries and introductions

    When you enquire about a franchise, we share your contact details, message and relevant enquiry answers with that franchise business and its representatives so they can respond and discuss the opportunity with you. Our team may help arrange and follow up the introduction.

    Enquiries can be accessed through a franchise business's Choose Franchise account, an enquiry link, or a connected system used by that business to manage enquiries.

    Our enquiry notifications direct franchisors to an access page. Shared enquiry links have expiry controls and require acceptance of enquiry-use terms before details are first released. We keep acceptance and access records to support oversight of this process.

    Franchise businesses are responsible for their handling of information they receive, including their obligations under applicable privacy law and any enquiry-use terms that apply. You can contact us about concerns with an introduction or the use of your enquiry details.

    Communications and marketing

    We contact you about your enquiries, account, requested research and other services you use. We may also contact researchers and business representatives about relevant Choose Franchise services and franchise opportunities where permitted by law.

    You can opt out of marketing through the unsubscribe option in a message or by contacting us. We keep limited opt-out records to help respect your preferences. Essential account and service communications may still be needed.

    Service providers and other disclosures

    We use providers for hosting, databases, authentication, email, internal communications, research, analytics, advertising, payments and accounting. Relevant providers include Lovable, Google, Meta, OpenAI, Perplexity, Slack, IPWHOIS, Stripe and Xero, depending on the service you use.

    For example, email and support systems handle correspondence, AI providers process research or profile information, IPWHOIS helps derive approximate location from an IP address, and Stripe and Xero handle relevant client payment and invoicing information.

    We may also disclose information to professional advisers or authorities where reasonably necessary to obtain advice, comply with law, resolve a dispute or protect legal rights. These disclosures remain subject to applicable privacy requirements.

    Cookies and advertising measurement

    We use cookies, browser storage and similar technologies to maintain sign-in sessions, remember settings, link activity across visits and understand referral sources.

    We use advertising measurement tools from Google, Meta and OpenAI. These tools can receive information about visits, registrations and enquiries, including device and browser information, IP addresses and advertising identifiers. Where the Meta and OpenAI server connections are configured, we may also send matching identifiers, such as hashed email addresses, phone numbers or account identifiers. Hashing converts a value into a code that can still be matched by the receiving platform.

    You can manage cookies and browser storage through your browser and advertising preferences through the relevant provider's settings. Blocking browser technologies can affect some features. Browser settings do not necessarily prevent information sent directly between our systems and a provider.

    Overseas handling

    Our database is hosted in Singapore. We also use service providers that may store, access or process personal information overseas, including in the United States, New Zealand and India, depending on the provider and service.

    Some providers operate global networks and may process information in additional countries. Their privacy notices, linked above, provide further information about their international processing arrangements.

    When we disclose personal information overseas, we take the reasonable steps required by Australian privacy law.

    Storage, security and retention

    We hold personal information in cloud systems and business records. Access controls, account permissions and enquiry-access controls help protect it from misuse, loss and unauthorised access or disclosure.

    How long we retain information depends on its purpose, our relationship with you, and relevant legal, accounting, security and dispute-resolution needs. Enquiry and account records support services and follow-up, correspondence supports customer service, and limited suppression records help us honour opt-outs.

    When information is no longer needed for a permitted purpose, we take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it, unless we are required to retain it.

    Access, correction and complaints

    You can request access to personal information we hold about you or ask us to correct it. You can also request account closure or deletion of your information. We may need to verify your identity and will explain any lawful reason we cannot fulfil a request, including any records we need to retain.

    To make a request or complaint, contact our Privacy Officer using the details below. For a complaint, tell us what happened and the outcome you are seeking. We will review it, investigate the relevant records and aim to respond within 30 days.

    If you are dissatisfied with our response, or have not received a response after 30 days, you can lodge a written complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner through its online complaints service or by post to GPO Box 5288, Sydney NSW 2001. For information, you can call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

    Contact and updates

    Privacy Officer, Choose Franchise
    The Trustee for Expandus Trust
    PO Box 233, Port Melbourne VIC 3207
    Email: cf-privacy@choosefranchise.com

    We may update this policy as our services or information-handling practices change. The version on this page will show the date of the latest update. You can request a copy in another format using the contact details above.