Financial Hardship Policy

Effective 1 April 2026.

PICKLE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP POLICY Pickle Pty Ltd ABN 36 165 711 731 Effective date: 1 April 2026

Table of contents

We're here to help

If your business is going through a difficult time and you're finding it hard to pay for your Pickle services, please reach out. We want to keep you connected and work with you to find a way forward.

All Pickle customers have the right to ask for payment assistance. There is no cost to apply, and asking for help will not affect your ability to make a complaint or dispute a charge.

This policy explains:

  • what financial hardship means and who is eligible
  • the support options we can offer
  • how to apply and what to expect
  • how we can work with a financial counsellor on your behalf
  • where to find free external financial help
  • your rights if you are unhappy with our response

1. What Is Financial Hardship?

Back to top

Financial hardship means a situation where you are temporarily unable to meet your payment obligations for Pickle services, but where you expect to be able to do so over time if your payment arrangements are adjusted.

This definition is consistent with the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code (TCP Code C628:2019).

Financial hardship can result from a wide range of business and personal circumstances, including:

  • loss of a major client, contract, or revenue source
  • business downturn, economic hardship, or cash flow disruption
  • illness, incapacity, or hospitalisation of a key person in the business
  • a death affecting the business or its principals
  • family breakdown affecting a sole trader or principal
  • natural disaster or emergency affecting business premises or operations
  • unexpected major business expense or supplier dispute
  • use of Pickle services by an unauthorised third party resulting in unexpected charges

This list is not exhaustive. We will consider any circumstances that have genuinely affected your ability to pay.

2. Who Is Eligible?

Back to top

To be eligible for financial hardship assistance, you must:

  • be a current Pickle customer with an active service; and
  • be experiencing genuine difficulty paying for your Pickle services; and
  • wish to access one or more of the support options described in this policy.

You can still apply for hardship assistance even if you have:

  • an open billing dispute or complaint with Pickle
  • an open complaint with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)

You are not eligible for hardship assistance if:

  • you have already transferred all your Pickle services to another provider and have an outstanding balance — in this case, please contact us to arrange payment
  • Pickle cannot verify that you have an active service with us

If you are not eligible, we will tell you why in writing.

3. How We Can Help

Back to top

We offer a range of flexible support options, depending on your circumstances and how long you need assistance.

3.1 Short-term support (up to 3 months)

If you need help for up to 3 months, we can offer:

  • Payment extension — more time to pay an overdue invoice
  • Deferred payments — temporarily pause or reduce your monthly payments
  • Revised payment schedule — restructure how and when you pay

For short-term support, we will not ask you to provide evidence of your circumstances. We will take your account of the situation in good faith.

3.2 Long-term support (more than 3 months)

If you need help for more than 3 months, we can offer any of the short-term options above, plus:

  • Tailored payment plan — a structured arrangement to repay your outstanding balance over time at a rate that matches your ability to pay
  • Service review — we will review your current services and help you identify whether moving to a lower-cost plan or removing features you don't currently need would reduce your ongoing costs
  • Service modifications — where appropriate, we may restrict certain service features to help limit further charges during the arrangement period
  • Fee waiver or credit — in appropriate circumstances, we may consider waiving or discounting fees or applying a credit to your account

For long-term support, we may ask you for more information about your circumstances. We will tell you what information we need and give you a reasonable amount of time to provide it. The types of supporting information we may ask for include:

  • a statement of your financial position
  • evidence that you have consulted a financial counsellor
  • a statutory declaration or written confirmation from a person or organisation familiar with your situation

You can apply for hardship assistance more than once. If you have previously received assistance and your circumstances change again, please contact us.

4. How to Apply

Back to top

Call us: 1300 688 588 Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm AEST

Email us: [email protected] Include your account number and a brief description of your situation.

There is no cost to apply. Once we receive your application, we will review it and advise you of the outcome within 7 business days.

If we need additional information to assess your application, we will let you know promptly and give you reasonable time to provide it. The 7 business day timeframe starts from when we receive all required information.

Once we have made a decision, we will confirm the details of any support arrangement in writing (by letter or email) within 2 business days of your agreement to that arrangement.

5. What Happens While We Assess Your Application?

Back to top

We will not suspend or disconnect your service while we are assessing your application for hardship assistance, provided you have contacted us and an assessment is underway.

If your application is not approved, we will tell you why and discuss any other options available to you before taking any action on your account.

6. Working With a Financial Counsellor or Support Person

Back to top

You can ask a financial counsellor, welfare agency, accountant, friend, or family member to contact us on your behalf.

To allow us to speak with them:

  • you must give us prior written authority (by email or letter) to deal with the nominated person; or
  • the nominated person must provide us with an "Authority to Act" form completed by you.

We cannot discuss your account with a third party without your prior authority.

7. Your Ongoing Obligations Under a Hardship Arrangement

Back to top

Once we reach an agreement:

  • We will put the arrangement in writing within 2 business days
  • You must inform us if your circumstances change — for better or worse — during the arrangement
  • You must make payments as agreed under the arrangement

We may end a hardship arrangement early if:

  • you fail to make agreed payments and do not contact us to explain why
  • you do not respond to our reasonable attempts to contact you about the arrangement
  • we reasonably believe you are unable or unwilling to pay and continuing the arrangement would increase the debt you owe; or
  • you advise us you cannot complete the arrangement

We will not suspend or disconnect your service while an agreed hardship arrangement is in place. If we need to take action on your service, we will give you at least 10 business days' written notice before doing so.

If you fail to meet an agreed arrangement, we will contact you and offer to review it before taking any further action.

8. Free External Financial Help

Back to top

If you would like independent financial advice, the following free services are available:

Small Business Debt Helpline For small business customers in financial difficulty. Phone: 1800 413 828 Website: sbdh.org.au Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm AEST

National Debt Helpline Free financial counselling for individuals and business owners. Phone: 1800 007 007 Website: ndh.org.au Monday – Friday, 9:30am – 4:30pm AEST

9. Complaints About This Policy

Back to top

If you are unhappy with how we handled your hardship application or with the outcome, you have the right to make a complaint.

Contact Pickle: Email: [email protected] Phone: 1300 688 588

We will acknowledge your complaint and work to resolve it promptly. Making a complaint will not affect your ability to apply for or continue receiving hardship assistance.

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO): If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you can contact the TIO — a free, independent dispute resolution service.

Website: http://www.tio.com.au Phone: 1800 062 058 Monday – Friday, 8:00pm – 8:00pm AEST

10. Privacy

Back to top

All information you provide in connection with a hardship application is handled in accordance with our /legal/privacy-policy and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). We will use your information only to assess and administer your hardship application and will not disclose it to third parties except as required by law or with your consent.

Contact Us

Back to top

Pickle Pty Ltd ABN 36 165 711 731 Office 12, 7-9 Churchill Ave, Strathfield NSW 2135 Phone: 1300 688 588 (Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm AEST) Email: [email protected]

Pickle Pty Ltd ABN 36 165 711 731 — Financial Hardship Policy — Effective 1 April 2026