Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

ChargeAct ("ChargeAct," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website, submit an application, or use our payment processing services.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using our website or services, you consent to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use our services.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information:

Information You Provide Directly

• Identity Information: First name, last name, date of birth, and government-issued identification numbers
• Contact Information: Email address, phone number, mailing address
• Business Information: Business name, business type, industry, website URL, years in business, monthly processing volume
• Financial Information: Bank account details, tax identification numbers, processing history, and financial statements (as required for underwriting)
• Application Data: Any information you submit through our application forms or communications with our team

Information Collected Automatically

• Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device identifiers
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, referring URLs
• Cookie Data: Information collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 7)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To process and evaluate your merchant account application
• To provide, operate, and improve our payment processing services
• To assign and connect you with a dedicated account manager
• To communicate with you about your account, application status, and service updates
• To send you information about our services, promotions, and industry updates (with your consent where required)
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) requirements
• To detect, prevent, and investigate fraud, security breaches, and other prohibited activities
• To analyze usage trends and improve our website and services
• To enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Acquiring Banks and Payment Processors: We share your application and business information with our banking and processing partners for underwriting and account setup purposes
• Service Providers: We may share information with trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you (e.g., CRM platforms, email providers, analytics tools), subject to confidentiality obligations
• Legal and Regulatory Compliance: We may disclose your information to comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, or government requests, or to respond to lawful requests from law enforcement
• Fraud Prevention: We may share information with fraud prevention agencies and financial institutions to protect against financial crime
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction
• With Your Consent: We may share your information with third parties when you have given us your explicit consent to do so

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. For merchant applicants and active merchants, we typically retain records for a minimum of five (5) years following the end of the business relationship, in accordance with financial regulatory requirements. When your information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical, administrative, and physical security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include encryption of data in transit (SSL/TLS), access controls, and secure data storage practices.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any credentials or account information you use to interact with our services.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website, analyze usage patterns, and deliver relevant content. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track campaign effectiveness

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For more information on managing cookies, visit allaboutcookies.org.

8. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe we may have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately.

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: You may request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources of that information, the purposes for which we use it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it
• Right to Delete: You may request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions
• Right to Opt-Out: You have the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. ChargeAct does not sell personal information
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights

To exercise your California privacy rights, please contact us using the information in Section 13 below. We will respond to verified requests within 45 days.

11. Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send you marketing communications about our services, promotions, and industry news. You may opt out of receiving marketing emails at any time by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in any marketing email or by contacting us directly. Please note that even after opting out of marketing communications, we may still send you transactional or service-related messages.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: