Last updated: 17 July 2026 This Privacy Policy describes how Motel Stay ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our website and services. About Our Service Motel Stay operates two connected services: 1. Motel Stay — Property Discovery & Direct Booking Our property discovery service connects our members with preferred motel properties across Australia and New Zealand. We do NOT own, operate, or manage any of the properties listed on our website. Through Motel Stay you search for accommodation for future dates and are connected directly to the property to complete your booking via the property's own website, by phone, or by email. We do not process payments for future-dated bookings — those transactions are between you and the property. 2. Book Today, Stay Tonight (BTST) — Same-Night Booking & Self Check-In For same-night stays, participating properties release their unsold rooms directly through our platform. When you use Book Today, Stay Tonight you can view available rooms, book, and pay for that night's stay entirely within our app, then check yourself in on arrival. Because this segment involves an in-app payment and an identity verification at check-in, additional data collection applies — explained in detail below. Information We Collect We may collect the following types of information: For all members: • Personal details you provide when registering as a member (name, email, mobile phone number, usual number of travellers, preferred room type, preferred destinations) • Travel purpose breakdown (percentages allocated across work/business, family, and friends/mates travel) • Business rate preferences, including whether you would like a partner property to offer a preferred business rate, and your nominated destination and property for that rate • Search preferences entered when searching for accommodation (destination, dates, motel star rating) • Contact information you provide when enquiring about or contacting a property • Referral information when you refer a friend to Motel Stay • Feedback and ratings you submit about a property after a stay • Technical data such as IP address, browser type, and usage data via cookies When you book through Book Today, Stay Tonight, we additionally collect: • Your booking details (property, room type, arrival and departure dates, number of guests, number of nights, any extras such as breakfast) • Your guest registration details (first name, last name, email address, residential address, post code, mobile number, vehicle registration and state) • A scan or photo of your identification (such as a driver licence) used to verify your identity during self check-in • Your booking reference and check-in PIN Special note about identification documents: When you check in to a Book Today, Stay Tonight booking, we ask you to scan or photograph an accepted form of identification so we can confirm the person checking in matches the booking. This image is held ONLY for the duration of your stay and is automatically and permanently deleted shortly after your scheduled check-out. We do not retain, sell, or share your identification data beyond this verification window. How We Use Your Information • To refer you to preferred properties in your chosen destinations • To share your enquiry and contact details with the relevant property owner so they can deal with you directly • To match you with partner properties that may offer a preferred business rate, where you have requested this • To process your Book Today, Stay Tonight booking, including reserving the room, taking payment via Stripe, and issuing your booking reference and check-in PIN • To verify your identity at self check-in by comparing your identification scan against the booking name and, if the scan cannot be read, by matching your mobile number and check-in PIN as a fallback • To issue your room lockbox code once your identity has been verified • To maintain your rewards membership profile and referral history • To respond to your enquiries and provide customer support • To improve our website and the quality of our property referrals • To send important updates about your account or booking (where applicable) Sharing Your Information We do not sell your personal data. For Book Today, Stay Tonight bookings we share the minimum details needed to complete your stay with the relevant property owner or operator. We may share information with: • The property owner or operator you are booking with, so they can prepare your room, provide your lockbox code, and fulfil your stay — this includes your name, contact details, vehicle registration, and booking reference, but NOT your full card details (which are handled only by Stripe) • Stripe, our payment processor, to facilitate secure payment for same-night bookings • Service providers who help us operate our platform (e.g., hosting providers) • Authorities where required by law (for example, where identification data may be retained or disclosed under lawful request) Payments — Motel Stay (Future Bookings) Motel Stay does not process, handle, or accept any payment for future-dated accommodation bookings. Any payment for a future stay is made directly to the property owner or operator via their own website, by phone, or by email. Those transactions are governed solely by the terms and conditions of the property owner or operator, and any payment disputes must be resolved directly with them. Payments — Book Today, Stay Tonight (Same-Night Bookings) For same-night Book Today, Stay Tonight bookings, payment is processed securely through Stripe. Stripe is a PCI-compliant payment provider and handles your card details directly — Motel Stay never sees, stores, or transmits your full card number, card security code, or other sensitive card data. When you pay, you are redirected to Stripe's secure checkout, and the property receives your payment through their own connected Stripe account. By making a Book Today, Stay Tonight booking you acknowledge and agree that: • All payments for same-night bookings are processed by Stripe, not by Motel Stay. • The booking is for same-night accommodation and is generally non-refundable. The standard cancellation policy is: a 100% cancellation fee applies if you cancel; this is reduced to 50% if the room is subsequently resold; and a 100% no-show fee applies if you do not arrive. Individual properties may display their own terms before payment — those terms take precedence where shown. • Any card handling fee shown at checkout is added to cover Stripe processing fees. • Payment disputes or chargebacks are governed by Stripe's terms and the terms displayed by the property at the time of booking. Direct Booking Only Motel Stay connects members directly with motel properties. Bookings are made directly with the property owner or operator — whether via the property's own direct booking website, by phone, or by email — and we do not redirect members to third-party booking platforms such as Booking.com or Expedia. Properties that take direct bookings by phone or email (even without a dedicated booking website) are welcome. Properties that rely solely on a third-party booking platform (such as Booking.com or Expedia) without offering any direct booking option are not eligible to be listed on Motel Stay and will be declined or removed. Premium Member Pricing — Exclusivity & Restrictions Property pricing displayed to Premium Members is offered EXCLUSIVELY to Premium Members ONLY. Members must understand and agree that: • Premium Member rates are available ONLY to active Premium Members of Motel Stay and are NOT available to the general public. • Premium Member rates will NOT be published on any other website, app, or third-party platform. • Premium Member rates CANNOT be used to make a comparison to any published rate, advertised rate, or rate available on any other booking platform or website. • The rate offered is EXCLUSIVELY for Premium Members ONLY and must not be shared, disclosed, or distributed to any non-member. • Any attempt to use a Premium Member rate for price-matching, comparison, or publication purposes is strictly prohibited and may result in suspension or termination of your membership. Data Retention We retain your membership and referral information for as long as your membership is active or as needed to provide our services, and you may request deletion of this data at any time. Book Today, Stay Tonight — Identity Data Retention Your identification scan and the personal verification data collected at check-in (such as extracted name, date of birth, and licence number where entered manually) are retained ONLY until your stay is concluded. A scheduled process runs nightly to delete identification images and clear associated personal fields from check-in records after the scheduled check-out date. Once cleaned, only a basic audit trail (that a check-in occurred and how the guest was verified) is retained. We do not keep copies of your identification document or image beyond the period needed to complete and reconcile your stay. Book Today, Stay Tonight — "No Stay" List Each participating property may maintain its own internal "No Stay" list of guests it does not wish to accept future bookings from. When you submit a Book Today, Stay Tonight booking, the name, email address, and mobile number you provide are checked against that property's No Stay list before your booking is confirmed. If you match an entry on a property's No Stay list, your online booking will be declined and you will be asked to contact the property directly. The reasons for a No Stay listing are determined solely by the property owner or operator and are kept private — they are never disclosed to you or any other guest. The No Stay list is used only to prevent unwanted bookings at that specific property and is not shared across properties or used for any other purpose. Your Rights You have the right to: • Access the personal data we hold about you • Request correction of inaccurate information • Request deletion of your personal data • Opt out of marketing communications and data sharing Cookies Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though some features may not function correctly. Contact Us If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us through our website. Changes to This Policy We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.