Privacy Policy

Who we are

Surname Switch ("we", "us", "our") is an Australian service that helps people update their name across the organisations that hold it. You can contact us any time at [email protected]. This policy applies to surnameswitch.com and the Surname Switch tool.

What we collect

We collect only the small set of details needed to build your plan and write your messages. Depending on what you do, that may include:

• Your current name and the new surname you are moving to.
• The state or territory you live in, and whether you were born in Australia.
• The organisations you choose to update.
• Contact details you enter to draft or send messages, such as your email, phone or address.
• Details you type into an official form when you choose to prefill one (for example a date of birth), used on your device to fill that form.
• If you apply to our referral programs, the contact details you submit in that form.

What we deliberately do not collect

• We do not ask you to upload identity documents. You attach your marriage certificate or other proof yourself, directly to each organisation.
• We do not require an account or password to build a plan.
• We do not ask for more than a given task needs.

How we use your information

We use your information only to provide the service: to work out whether a formal change applies, to build your ordered plan, to draft and help you send notification messages, to prefill official forms you choose to generate, and to process payment if you buy a plan. We do not sell or rent your information, and we do not use it for unrelated marketing.

Where your details are stored

Your plan is saved on your own device (in your browser) so you can resume it. When you ask us to draft a message with AI, the relevant details are sent securely to our drafting provider to produce that message and are not retained for any other purpose. Form prefilling happens in your browser. We aim to hold as little as possible and to clear working data once your kit is done.

Who we share information with

We use a small number of trusted service providers to run the product. They only receive what they need to perform their function:

• Payments are processed by Stripe. We do not store your card details; Stripe handles them under its own terms and security.
• AI message drafting is performed by our AI provider, used only to generate your requested message.
• Email delivery (such as a resume link or an application confirmation) is handled by our email provider.
• Hosting and address lookup are provided by our infrastructure and maps providers to serve the site and help you enter an address.

We may disclose information if required by law. We do not otherwise sell, rent or trade your personal information.

Security

We make every reasonable effort to protect your information, including encrypting data in transit and minimising what we hold. However, no method of transmission or storage over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You use the service understanding that you provide your information at your own risk, and that we are not able to promise your data can never be accessed, lost or disclosed despite our best efforts.

Retention

Because we are built to hold very little, there is usually nothing to retain once your kit is complete. Information kept by our providers (for example a payment record at Stripe) is retained under their policies and as required by law.

Your rights

You can ask what personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. Contact us at [email protected] and we will respond within a reasonable time. If you have a concern about how we have handled your information, you can also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (oaic.gov.au).

Children

The service is intended for adults managing their own name change. It is not directed at children.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always the one published here, with the date shown above.