Footprint
Footprint is New Zealand's largest online Will provider, offering subscription and one-time Will packages to individual consumers through a cloud-based platform with professional review, digital vault storage, and distribution partnerships with employers, financial advisers, and 40+ charities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersAlbany, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Footprint does
Footprint (legally Footprint New Zealand Limited) is a privately held New Zealand legal technology company founded in 2018 by Andrew Barnes as a digital spin-off from Perpetual Guardian. The company operates an online Will writing platform that enables individual consumers to complete a legally binding Will in approximately 15 minutes through a step-by-step questionnaire, followed by professional review by qualified Will drafters before signing and witnessing. Footprint offers three product tiers: the Will Package ($120/year subscription including estate administration services valued at $10,000), the Will It Package ($85/year subscription without estate administration), and a Single Will ($100 one-time purchase). All subscription tiers include digital vault storage, flood and earthquake-proof physical storage, annual Will updates, and notifications to family members about the Will's existence and location.
The underlying technology is a cloud-based platform with a digital vault, annual update workflow, integration with the NZ Charity Register for charitable bequests, and integration with the NZ Will Registry for post-death Will discovery. Footprint generates revenue primarily through recurring subscriptions and one-time purchases from direct-to-consumer customers, augmented by B2B2C distribution via the Footprint Connect partner programme with employers (Aon, NZDF, Accordant), financial advisers (Halo Advisers, Fidelity Life, Sue Tierney Mortgages), and 40+ charities (Barnardos, Cancer Society, SPCA, UNICEF NZ, World Vision NZ, Red Cross NZ, etc.). The company is led by CEO Belinda Heunis and describes itself as New Zealand's largest online Will provider, operating exclusively within New Zealand.
The business model combines direct-to-consumer marketing through an SEO-optimised website and educational Info Hub content with partner-driven referral channels; charity partnerships are emphasised as a brand and customer acquisition lever, with 5% of profits committed to charitable donation and a reported 442% increase in average bequests to partnered charities. The flagship strategic partnership with Perpetual Guardian provides estate administration, executor services, and a referral pathway for complex Wills, while the Footprint Rewards Program offers executorship fee discounts to subscribers who appoint Perpetual Guardian as executor, creating cross-sell economics between the two entities.
Footprint firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Footprint
- Legal name
- Footprint New Zealand Limited
- Website
- https://myfootprint.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Footprint is New Zealand's largest online Will provider, offering subscription and one-time Will packages to individual consumers through a cloud-based platform with professional review, digital vault storage, and distribution partnerships with employers, financial advisers, and 40+ charities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Footprint is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Albany
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Footprint business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Will Package Subscription: Annual subscription model at $120/year including online Will, estate administration package valued at $10,000, annual updates, digital vault access, physical storage, and will notifications. Auto-renews annually.
- Will It Package Subscription: Annual subscription model at $85/year providing online Will creation, annual updates, digital vault access, physical storage, and will notifications. Does not include estate administration.
- Single Will Purchase: One-time purchase at $100 for a standard Will with physical storage. Can return to purchase additional Wills as life changes.
- Charity Partnership Packages: Charity organisations can partner with Footprint to offer discounted Wills to their donors, with features including prioritised logo placement, dedicated landing pages, and real-time reporting dashboards.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Will Package - Full subscription with estate administration |
| Subscription | Annual | Will It Package - Subscription without estate administration |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Single Will - One-time purchase |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Footprint product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Footprint operates an online Will-writing platform that lets New Zealanders complete legally binding Wills in approximately 15 minutes through a step-by-step questionnaire. Each Will is reviewed by professional Will drafters before signing and witnessing, with secure digital vault and flood/earthquake-proof physical storage included. The company offers subscription-based Will packages combining Will creation with estate administration services, alongside one-time Single Will purchases and a partner program for employers, financial advisers, and charities.
Product overview
Footprint is New Zealand's largest online Will provider offering a portfolio of three distinct Will products: the Will Package ($120/year subscription) as the flagship offering including comprehensive estate administration valued at $10,000; the Will It Package ($85/year subscription) as an entry-level option without estate administration; and the Single Will ($100 one-time purchase) for standalone Will creation. All subscription packages include digital vault access, physical storage, annual Will updates, and will notifications. The platform integrates with Perpetual Guardian for professional executor services and estate administration. Additional offerings include the Footprint Connect partner program for B2B distribution, a charitable giving feature integrated with the NZ Charity Register, and the Footprint Rewards loyalty program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Footprint Connect: A partner program providing access to Footprint services through employer benefit programs and financial adviser partnerships.
Products and services
- Will Package Annual subscription at $120/year that provides an online Will, an estate administration package valued at $10,000, annual Will updates, digital vault access, physical storage in flood and earthquake-proof location, will notifications, service support via phone and email, access to the Footprint Rewards Program, and discounts on trusts and enduring powers of attorney. Targeted at adult New Zealanders wanting comprehensive estate planning including executor support.
- Will It Package Annual subscription at $85/year providing online Will creation, annual updates, digital vault access, physical storage, will notifications, and support. Does not include the bundled estate administration package offered in the Will Package. Targeted at individuals getting started with estate planning who do not require immediate executor services.
- Single Will One-time purchase at $100 for a standard online Will with physical storage included. Customers can return to purchase additional Wills as life circumstances change. Targeted at individuals who want a Will without ongoing subscription obligations.
- Footprint Connect B2B2C partner program allowing employers (such as Aon and NZDF), charities, and financial advisers to offer Footprint Will products to their employees, members, or clients. Partners can include dedicated landing pages, real-time reporting dashboards, prioritised logo placement, and discounted client pricing.
- Leave a Legacy (Charitable Giving) Integrated feature within the Will creation platform that enables users to select and include charitable bequests in their Wills. Backed by integration with the New Zealand Charity Register, with 40+ charity partners (including Barnardos, Cancer Society, SPCA, UNICEF NZ, and Red Cross NZ). Reported 442% increase in average bequests to partnered charities.
Companies that use Footprint
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Footprint technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Footprint partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Perpetual GuardianflagshipPrimary estate planning partner and New Zealand authorised trust company. Perpetual Guardian is a key strategic partner providing executor services and estate administration. Footprint was created as a separate digital entity from Perpetual Guardian's 2014 online Will research. The partnership provides innovation and industry expertise, with Perpetual Guardian offering executor services to Footprint customers and a $50 discount for Will Package subscribers requiring complex Will referrals.
- Aon New Zealand LimitedcoreAon is a major employee benefits partner providing Footprint Wills to employees through the Footprint Connect programme. Aon employees receive the Will Package or Will It Package as employer-paid benefits. Special terms include free two-hour consultation with referral providers for complex Wills instead of standard $50 discount.
- New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)minorMilitary organisation providing Footprint Wills as part of employee benefits programme for defence force personnel.
- AccordantminorFinancial services organisation partnered with Footprint to offer Wills to their clients or employees.
- Halo AdvisersminorFinancial adviser firm actively referring clients to Footprint for estate planning services. Provides testimonials about Footprint's fast service and customer support quality.
- Sue Tierney Mortgages LtdminorMortgage broker firm partnered to refer clients for Will writing services as part of holistic financial planning.
- Super-AdviceminorFinancial advice firm partnered to refer clients for estate planning through Footprint's platform.
- Fidelity LifeminorLife insurance provider partnered to offer Wills to their customers as part of financial wellness.
- Bricks and MortgagesminorFinancial services firm referring clients to Footprint for Will writing services.
- Branson & AssociatesminorFinancial advisory firm partnered to offer Wills to clients through Footprint.
- Hencoz Financial ServicesminorFinancial services firm referring clients to Footprint.
- Lesa FinancialminorFinancial advisory firm partnered to refer clients for estate planning.
- Leuluai FinancialminorFinancial services firm referring clients to Footprint.
- BarnardosminorChildren's charity partnered with Footprint, featured on charity page with logo and link. Part of Footprint's charitable giving ecosystem where 5% of profits are donated to partnered charities.
- Cancer SocietyminorCancer charity partnered with Footprint, included in charity bequest programme. Receives charitable donations from Footprint customers through Wills.
- SPCAminorAnimal welfare charity partnered with Footprint, highlighted on charity page for legacy giving.
- St JohnminorEmergency services charity featured on Footprint's charity page for bequest giving.
- UNICEF New ZealandminorInternational charity partnered with Footprint for legacy giving programme.
- World Vision New ZealandminorInternational development charity partnered for charitable bequests through Footprint's Will platform.
- PlunketminorChild health organisation featured on Footprint's charity page for legacy giving.
- Mental Health Foundation of NZminorMental health charity partnered with Footprint for charitable bequest programme.
- Forest and BirdminorConservation charity partnered for legacy giving through Footprint's Will platform.
- Red Cross New ZealandminorHumanitarian charity partnered with Footprint for bequest programme.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Footprint competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Willed: Australia-based online Will writing service offering subscription Will packages with annual updates. Regional peer serving the Australian market with a near-identical subscription Will product to Footprint's NZ offering.
- Lawpath: Australia-based online legal services platform offering Will creation alongside broader legal document templates. Regional peer providing subscription-based Will services to Australian consumers and small businesses.
- Beyond (Australia): Australia-based online Will, estate planning, and deceased estate services platform. Regional peer with a comparable subscription-based online Will product serving the Australian market.
- Gathered Here: Australia-based online Will and estate planning provider offering digital Wills with professional review. Regional peer operating in Australia with a comparable online Will + professional review model.
Broad incumbents
- Rocket Lawyer: Global online legal services platform with subscription-based Will creation and access to attorneys. Broad incumbent offering Will-writing as part of a wider legal document and advice subscription.
- LegalZoom: US-based large-scale online legal services platform offering Will creation alongside business formation, trademarks, and other legal documents. Broad incumbent with overlapping Will-writing capability but much wider portfolio; comparable as a benchmark for online legal services scale.
Direct peers
- FreeWill: US-based free online Will-writing platform with a charity-bequest partnership model similar to Footprint's Leave a Legacy programme. Direct peer in product (online Wills) and channel strategy (charity partner network).
- Trust & Will: US-based online Will and estate planning platform offering digital Will creation, trust formation, and estate documents on a subscription model. Direct peer to Footprint in product category (online Wills), business model (subscription), and target market (consumers seeking DIY estate planning).
Others
- Perpetual Guardian: Footprint's flagship strategic partner providing estate administration and executor services. Not a competitor but the institutional trust company that anchors Footprint's premium Will Package; comparable as an adjacent estate-planning services provider in NZ.
Emerging players
- Estate Mentors: Smaller US-based digital estate planning service with comparable online Will creation and storage offering. Emerging player with narrower scale than Trust & Will but overlapping product and target customer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Footprint social profiles
Digital presenceFootprint compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Footprint financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Footprint leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Footprint funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Footprint M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Footprint
What does Footprint do?
Footprint operates an online Will-writing platform that lets New Zealanders complete legally binding Wills in approximately 15 minutes through a step-by-step questionnaire. Each Will is reviewed by professional Will drafters before signing and witnessing, with secure digital vault and flood/earthquake-proof physical storage included. The company offers subscription-based Will packages combining Will creation with estate administration services, alongside one-time Single Will purchases and a partner program for employers, financial advisers, and charities.
Is Footprint a public or private company?
Footprint is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Footprint founded?
Footprint was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Footprint based?
Footprint is headquartered in Albany, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Footprint make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Will Package Subscription is the primary driver. The others are will It Package Subscription, single Will Purchase and charity Partnership Packages.
Who are Footprint's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Willed, Lawpath, Beyond (Australia) and Gathered Here. Broad incumbents are Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom. Direct peers are FreeWill and Trust & Will. Perpetual Guardian is listed as an others. Estate Mentors is listed as an emerging player.
Does Footprint have an API?
No public API is recorded for Footprint.