Get startup privacy and user terms that match how your product actually works

It helps to separate the two documents by purpose. A privacy policy explains how your business collects, uses and shares personal information. User terms set the rules for access to your website, app or platform, including acceptable use, account conditions, payment or subscription wording where relevant, and liability limits. Many startups need both because they solve different problems. If users can sign up, upload content, make purchases, book services or interact with your platform in a meaningful way, relying on one document alone is often not enough.

The short answer is that the detail matters more than the label. Two startups may look similar from the outside but handle information very differently in practice. Your product may collect account data, usage analytics, location information, uploaded content or support enquiries in a way that another business does not. Privacy wording works best when it is matched to your real collection, use, storage and disclosure practices. Copying another set of documents can leave gaps, create inconsistencies with your real processes, and make your public statements harder to stand behind.

A privacy policy usually covers the kinds of personal information collected, why it is collected, how it is stored, when it is disclosed, and how users can access or correct their information. User terms often cover account creation, acceptable use, intellectual property, user content, subscription or payment wording if relevant, disclaimers, suspension rights and liability limits. The exact content depends on your product. For example, an app with user-generated content raises different issues from a simple marketing website or a SaaS tool with paid accounts.

We usually need a practical picture of how the product operates. That can include what information you ask users for, what tracking or analytics tools are in place, whether third parties help deliver the service, whether users create accounts, whether payments or subscriptions are involved, and whether users can upload content or interact with each other. We also need to understand your customer journey, because the legal position depends on the way the business handles information in practice. If your setup changes, your documents may need updating too.

These documents are an important part of your legal setup, but they are not a once-and-done answer for every future change. This gives you a stronger basis for decision-making, but it should be applied alongside the way your business actually operates. If you later change your onboarding flow, add new features, start sharing information in new ways, or expand into different channels, the documents may need to be reviewed. Good drafting works best when it stays aligned with your real operations rather than sitting untouched while the product evolves.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Startup Privacy And Terms Starter Pack service, pricing starts from $1,200.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.