Cuppa Privacy Policy

Who we are and how to contact us

Cuppa of Life PTY LTD (ABN 14 661 597 342) is the Australian & New Zealand representative of Coffee & Conversation community run by Pick My Brain Knowledge Marketplace in Vancouver, Canada. This policy explains how we collect, use, hold and share personal information when you visit our website or participate in Cuppa.

In this policy, “we” and “us” mean Pick My Brain Knowledge Marketplace, operating Cuppa with the help of Cuppa of Life Pty Ltd. Coordinators handle member information only for the community work described below.

Our privacy contact is Maxine Cunningham, CEO. Email info@pickmybrain.world about this policy, a privacy request or a complaint. We will reply within 30 days.

What we collect

We collect information you provide, information needed to manage your membership and payments, and limited information about how you use the website.

We collect personal information by lawful and fair means and limit collection to what is reasonably necessary for our activities. Personal information includes information or opinions about an identified or reasonably identifiable person, whether or not they are accurate.

• Contact details: your name and email address. These are required.
• About you: your age range, city, state or region, postal code and time zone. Age range and location are required. Gender is optional.
• Your story: what you are working on, why it matters, what you have experienced and your one-line introduction. You may also provide a photo and LinkedIn or website link; photos and links are optional.
• Who you would like to meet: roles, qualities, what you are open to offering and receiving, and age and gender preferences. These are optional; you may choose Surprise me.
• Meeting arrangements: whether you prefer in-person or online meetings, favourite cafés, availability and how often you want to meet. These help us arrange your coffees and are required.
• Reflections: your notes and rating after each coffee. We ask members to leave a short reflection after each coffee.
• Payments: the amount, date and receipt. Card details go to Stripe, not to us.
• Website use: pages visited, device and browser information, and cookies that keep you signed in.

We also receive information when you contact us, raise a concern or report a safety issue. A match may provide a reflection or report about you. We may create matching notes and introduction text using the information described here.

You can use your browser settings to control cookies. Blocking cookies needed for sign-in may prevent account features from working. Links to other websites are governed by those websites’ privacy practices.

How we collect information and what is optional

We collect information through your profile and preferences, meeting arrangements, reflections, payments and messages to us. Some website information is collected automatically. We also receive the limited information about you described above from other members and our service providers.

Some membership, matching, payment and account requests need identifying information so we can provide the service or protect the account. We will explain what is needed. If you do not provide required information, we may be unable to offer the relevant service. Not all questions are mandatory. Outside the required fields, you choose how much or how little to share. You may leave optional questions blank or select “Prefer not to say” where offered. Questions about sensitive topics, including religious beliefs and political views, are optional; you do not have to disclose these beliefs or views to participate.

At or before collection, or as soon as practicable afterwards, we take reasonable steps to explain the collection, why it is needed, the consequences of not providing information, usual recipients and relevant overseas handling. Where applicable, we explain collection from other sources or collection required or authorised by law. Our notices link to this policy’s access, correction and complaint information. We collect directly from you unless it is unreasonable or impracticable to do so or another lawful basis applies. Joining does not by itself give permission for unrelated uses.

Sensitive information and information about other people

We do not ask for health information, government identification numbers or information we do not need to make a match. Please do not include unnecessary sensitive details in your story or reflections. Sensitive information can include health information, racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, political opinions, sexual orientation and certain other information protected by law.

Please do not record private details about another person’s life or sensitive information they shared over coffee without an appropriate basis to do so. You can still tell us about a safety concern using info@pickmybrain.world. Include only what is relevant to that concern.

Where the Australian Privacy Act applies, we collect sensitive information only with your consent and where reasonably necessary for our activities, unless a legal exception applies. We explain the relevant purpose and seek specific, informed consent where required. We do not use unnecessary sensitive details to make introductions. If we receive unsolicited personal information, we assess within a reasonable period whether we could lawfully have collected it. If not, we destroy or de-identify it as soon as practicable where lawful and reasonable and required by law. Information retained is handled under this policy.

We do not use government-issued identifiers, such as passport or driver’s licence numbers, as Cuppa member identifiers. Any exceptional collection, use or disclosure must have a lawful basis.

Why we use your information

We use your information to make matches and run the community:

• To pair people using their preferences, location and availability, and to prepare a card and a short explanation of the match.
• To manage membership, process payments, send receipts and arrange reminders and updates about your coffees.
• To improve matching using reflections and feedback.
• To investigate reports, manage safety concerns and respond when someone breaks the community promises.
• To respond to privacy requests and complaints and meet applicable legal obligations.

We send our newsletter, or feature your photo or quote on our website or social media, only if you say yes. You can withdraw that permission at any time by contacting us or using the available preference controls. This does not prevent us sending messages needed to manage your membership.

Marketing opt-outs are free. You can unsubscribe using the link in a marketing email or contact info@pickmybrain.world. For messages covered by the Spam Act, we give effect to unsubscribe requests within five working days. We do not require you to keep receiving marketing to remain a member. Where applicable law gives you a right to know the source of information used for direct marketing, we respond to that request as required.

We may use anonymous, combined numbers, such as the total number of coffees shared, to describe our impact. We do not publish information that identifies you as part of those figures.

Other uses or disclosures require your consent or another basis permitted by applicable law. Where the Australian Privacy Act applies, any reliance on a reasonably expected related purpose is limited to a directly related purpose for sensitive information.

How matching works

We use your profile, preferences, availability and reflections, together with AI and automated tools, to identify and check possible matches. Our team and local coordinators can access the information needed for this work. You can change your preferences or pause new matches.

Who sees your information

We do not sell your information. We limit sharing to what is needed for the purposes described in this policy.

• Your matches receive your card: first name, photo if provided, one-line introduction, city, what you are working on, the answers shown on your card and a short explanation of why we matched you. The reflection arrangements below apply separately.
• Your matches do not receive your email, phone number, postal code, payment details or match preferences from us.
• Other members do not see your information merely because they are members. We show a sample profile on our public website only with your permission.
• Our team and local coordinators access relevant profiles, preferences and reflections to run the community and make and check matches. Access is limited to their role.
• Stripe handles payment details to process your membership payment. Our other service providers handle the information needed to host the site, send emails, store photos and provide the other services accurately identified in our collection notices and this policy.
• We may disclose information where required by law or where applicable law permits disclosure necessary to address a safety concern. We limit the disclosure to what is needed in the circumstances.

Once you choose to share something directly with another member, they will also have that information. Members must follow our community privacy promises. Please be thoughtful about what you share, and tell us if someone misuses it.

Reflections and safety reports

Reflections help us improve matching. Your reflection answers are anonymous to your match, except for the note you choose to address to them as explained below. They are not anonymous to Cuppa’s authorised administrators, who can access the feedback needed to run the service, improve matching and respond to concerns. Reflections may also contain information about the person you met.

The reflection form lets you write a note addressed to the person you met. They receive that note when they complete their ten cuppas. This note is intended for them and is not anonymous. Your other reflection answers are not shared with your match as personally attributed feedback. We will ask separately before using your words as a public testimonial or sharing a reflection highlight on a member’s card or in an introduction.

The “Anything we should know privately?” field is for Cuppa’s authorised administrators only and is not shared with other members as reflection feedback. You can use it to tell us if you felt unsafe or raise a concern. We assess safety reports and may escalate them to the appropriate people or authorities where reasonably necessary to respond fairly, protect people or comply with the law. That can require limited disclosure of relevant information; we restrict it to what is necessary and do not treat private reports as testimonials or reflection highlights.

Where information is held and overseas access

Your information is stored with Amazon Web Services in the United States. Pick My Brain is based in Canada, and our providers may store or handle information in Canada, the United States or Australia. Our team, coordinators and providers may access information from the countries where they carry out their work, subject to the protections described in this policy.

Where the Australian Privacy Act applies, we meet its requirements for overseas disclosures, including taking reasonable steps to protect your information unless a legal exception applies. Accepting this policy does not waive those protections

How long we keep information

Our membership records are kept while your membership is active, then for 12 months after your last login. Before deleting an inactive profile, we email you so you can choose to keep it. If you do not choose to keep it, we delete it.

If you delete your account, we remove your profile within 30 days. People you have already met may retain the information they previously received on your card. Deleting your account cannot remove copies another person has already received.

Our published retention period for payment records is seven years. We limit retained records to information needed for applicable financial record-keeping obligations and the lawful purposes described in this policy.

We keep reflections, matching notes, reports, support correspondence and technical records only for as long as they are needed for the purposes described in this policy or to meet applicable legal obligations. When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to destroy it or de-identify it, including information held by providers on our behalf. If backup copies cannot immediately be erased, we protect them from ordinary use until they can be securely removed.

How we protect information and handle breaches

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal information against misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure. These include encrypted connections, limiting team access to information and using Stripe to process card payments.

If we become aware of a suspected data breach, we act promptly to contain it, assess the risks and reduce harm. Where notification is required by law, we notify the relevant privacy regulator and affected individuals as soon as practicable. We explain what happened, the information involved and the steps individuals can take to protect themselves.

Please report suspected misuse, unauthorised access or accidental disclosure to info@pickmybrain.world.

Your choices and rights

You can email info@pickmybrain.world to ask to access or correct the personal information we hold about you, including information in matching records or feedback. We may ask for reasonable information to verify your identity. We respond within a reasonable period, generally within 30 days.

We take reasonable steps to keep your information accurate, current, complete and relevant. We provide access in the form you request where reasonable and practicable, subject to lawful exceptions. If we refuse access or correction, we explain the reasons and complaint options in writing, except where the law permits reasons to be withheld. You can ask us to attach a statement of disagreement to information we decline to correct.

There is no charge for making an access request. If a lawful charge applies to providing access, it will not be excessive and we will explain it beforehand. Correction requests, corrections and statements of disagreement are free.

You can contact us to request account deletion or withdraw permission for newsletters, photos or quotes. Our retention section explains what information may need to be kept. Copies already shared with others may remain outside our control. If you’re unhappy with our response, see the Privacy Complaints section.

Privacy complaints

If you think we have mishandled your personal information, email Maxine Cunningham at info@pickmybrain.world. Tell us what happened, when it happened and what outcome you are seeking. We will acknowledge your complaint, investigate it and explain our response and any steps we will take. We aim to respond within 30 days and will let you know if more time is needed.

If the Australian Privacy Act applies and you are not satisfied with our response, or have not received a response within 30 days, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints or on 1300 363 992. Depending on the circumstances, another privacy regulator may also have jurisdiction.

Adults only and policy changes

Cuppa is for adults aged 18 and over. If we learn that someone younger has joined, we will delete their information.

If a legal obligation requires limited information to be retained, we restrict it to that purpose and do not use it for matching.

We will tell you before an important change to this policy. The updated policy will show its revision date. If a change requires fresh consent, we will seek it rather than relying on a policy update alone.

Community promises

• This is for platonic connection.
• I am 18 or older.
• What is shared over coffee stays between us.
• I will not share a match’s contact details, photos or story without their permission.
• I will not pitch, sell or recruit unless we have both said we are open to business.
• I will treat every match with kindness and respect, whatever our differences.
• I will meet in public places, like the cafés we suggest.
• I will show up on time, or give at least 24 hours’ notice if I need to reschedule.
• I agree to buy my own beverage when we meet in person.
• I will leave a short reflection after each coffee, so you can keep making better matches.
• If anything feels off, it is okay to leave, and I will let the team know at info@pickmybrain.world.

Refund promise

Your $100+GST covers matching you with ten people, so it is not refundable once we have started making your introductions.

But we stand behind every coffee. If you finish all ten and do not feel it was worth it, we will refund you in full including GST . Just email info@pickmybrain.world within 30 days of your tenth coffee and tell us why. No hard feelings.

And if we cannot deliver all ten matches, we will refund you for every coffee we could not arrange.

Not the right match? Request a new one with one click, and tell us why in a sentence. No questions asked.

Nothing here affects your rights under consumer law where you live.

Website tools and service providers

We use the following tools to run this website and Cuppa. Each provider receives only the information needed for its service, as described below.

• Lovable Cloud: Provides sign-in, application hosting, the member database and photo storage. It stores the account and membership information described above and uses browser storage or cookies needed to keep you signed in.
• Stripe: Receives and processes your payment details. Cuppa does not receive your full card number.
• Lovable email: Receives your email address and the message content needed to deliver membership, matching and meeting emails. Delivery outcomes are recorded in our email log.
• Google Maps: When a signed-in member searches for a café, Google receives the typed search and the member’s saved city, state and postcode to locate nearby Australian cafés. Entering a café manually does not require a Google search.
• Google Fonts: Supplies the Poppins font. When the font loads, Google receives the request and technical information such as the visitor’s IP address and browser details. Member answers are not sent with the font request.

Google Analytics. Google Analytics loads for every visitor to this site. It uses cookies and similar identifiers to measure website use. Google receives information such as pages visited, how visitors arrived, approximate location, device and browser information, and interactions. It also records page views and clicks on Typeform or waitlist links. Google’s privacy policy explains how Google handles this information.

Lovable’s visitor analytics. Lovable’s analytics uses no cookies, stores nothing on the visitor’s device, does not keep IP addresses and does not identify visitors. Lovable collects this data for us. Lovable’s privacy policy explains how it handles it.

It records the pages visited, where visitors came from, their country, browser, operating system and device type, how long they stay, how fast pages load, errors, and which buttons and links they click. Cuppa also sends events for Join the Cuppa Challenge clicks, the sign-up step number reached and sign-up card approval.

Detailed data is kept for 90 days. Daily summaries are kept for a year: visit and page-view counts, and for each visit, the pages seen and where the visitor came from.

The clicks and Cuppa events listed above are recorded for every visitor. Page visits, time on page, page speed and errors are also recorded for every visitor, without cookies and without identifying anyone.