Trust & Security

When you set up payouts as a maker, your bank account details are entered directly into Stripe at connect.stripe.com — Nearbuy never sees them, stores them, or transmits them through our servers.

Stripe is PCI DSS Level 1 certified — the highest level of payment security certification, the same standard used by major banks and global payment processors.

When you reserve a treasure, your payment isn't sent straight to the maker. Instead, it's held safely by Stripe in an escrow-style hold until the trade is complete.

1. Buyer pays — the amount is authorised on your card.
2. Money is held by Stripe — not by Nearbuy, not by the maker.
3. You meet at a Handshake Zone and inspect the item.
4. Funds release only after QR handshake confirmation — both of you confirm in person.

We keep what we store to the absolute minimum needed to run safe local trades. Here's the full picture.

What we store

• Your name (display name shown on your profile)
• Your email (for sign-in via magic link)
• Your suburb (so we can match you with local makers)
• Your listing details (photos, descriptions, prices)
• Your trade history (handshakes you've completed)

What we never store

• Bank account numbers — held by Stripe only
• Credit or debit card numbers — held by Stripe only
• Passwords — we use magic-link sign-in, so there's no password to store

For the full detail on what we collect, how we use it, and your rights to access or delete it, read our Privacy Policy.

Every Nearbuy trade happens at a verified Handshake Zone — a partner café in Sunbury that I've personally visited and approved (Vijay, the founder).

That means meetups always happen in a public, staffed space with other neighbours around. No home addresses are ever shared between buyers and makers — not before the trade, not during, not after.

You can see every approved Handshake Zone on the map, with hours and photos, before you choose where to meet.