Client Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy With Respect to Data Received From Clients
INTRODUCTION
Accertify, Inc. (“Accertify”) provides a hosted software data management tool that enables merchants to process and manage data associated with their consumer transactions. Accertify also provides other related offerings to its merchant clients. In connection with providing its services, Accertify receives personally identifiable information (“personal information”) from its merchant clients about a variety of online and offline consumer transactions (“transaction data”). This policy sets forth Accertify’s general privacy and security practices with respect to this personal information. While this policy sets forth Accertify’s general privacy and security practices, the detailed obligations and commitments of Accertify to our merchant clients is set forth in the contractual arrangements with merchant clients. In the event of a conflict between this policy and a merchant contract, the merchant contract prevails.
This policy does not describe how personal data is collected and processed by our merchant clients who obtain personal information directly from consumers. Consumers should review the privacy policies of the business entities with which they directly share their data to learn about such entities’ privacy practices.
For information about Accertify’s privacy and security practices relating to visits to the Accertify website, please review the Accertify Website Privacy Statement.
Accertify also has registered branch offices in Spain and Australia, as well as employees and commonly-owned affiliate entities that provide services to our clients from England, Mexico and India all of which also adhere to all aspects of Accertify’s written agreements with our clients, the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework and the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework.
NATURE OF THE DATA RECEIVED
Accertify receives transaction data from its merchant clients, which generally are merchants selling goods or services on the Internet and in other card-not-present scenarios. Accertify does not conduct or fulfill consumer transactions, and, except as otherwise disclosed, Accertify does not collect or receive personal information directly from consumers. Rather, Accertify processes transaction data that consumers have provided to Accertify’s merchant clients.
Transaction data may relate to the purchase and sale of goods or services, website registration, chargeback requests, unauthorized use of a credit card or other form of payment, payment requests or other events relating to a merchant client’s website, property, or resources. This transaction data may include personal information, including but not limited to, a consumer’s name, billing address, telephone number(s), email address, IP geolocation information, device identification information, credit card number, behavioral analytics or other payment information.
The determination of which data elements a merchant client should provide to Accertify is made by the merchant client in consultation with Accertify personnel. Accertify only accepts data elements from merchant clients if the data are rationally related to the performance of the applicable service that a merchant client purchases from us. In general, Accertify does not accept data from merchants prior to execution of a definitive services agreement. Accertify advises merchant clients not to send data to Accertify in any manner that is outside of Accertify’s hosted software platform.
USE OF THE DATA RECEIVED
Accertify processes personal information to help its merchant clients prevent fraud related to card-not-present purchases, online scams, and policy abuse; address other transaction data management challenges; manage chargebacks, and obtain payment gateway services. Accertify may also process personal information received from its merchant clients to develop and provide other similar types of services to its merchant clients. For purposes of providing these services, Accertify retains records of commercial transactions and other interactions between Accertify’s merchant clients and individual consumers, which may contain personal information provided by a consumer in completing a transaction. Additional data elements may be added to the transaction record, through the use of third-party data services if those data services are elected by merchant clients. At the direction of our merchant clients, Accertify also collects information from consumers through data scripts placed on a merchant’s website.
The period for which personal information is retained is determined by the contract between Accertify and each individual merchant client and may vary based on the type of Accertify service.
However, specific elements of a transaction (such as an email address or phone number), believed to have been used in a fraudulent manner will be retained for longer periods consistent with Accertify’s agreements with its individual merchant clients. Consumers should contact the business entities with which they directly share their data to learn how long their transaction data may be retained. Accertify has put in place mechanisms to protect the accuracy and integrity of personal information.
In addition, subject to its agreements with merchant clients, Accertify may apply statistical analytics to aggregate data received from merchant clients, in order to identify patterns or anomalies that are useful in predicting the likelihood of fraud in any given transaction.
In certain cases, when agreed to by our merchant clients, Accertify may transfer transaction data from merchants to our corporate affiliates.
DISCLOSURES TO THIRD PARTIES
Accertify shares transaction data with third parties only in the following limited circumstances: (1) personal information may be accessible to third-party service providers processing data on behalf of Accertify; however, any such service providers are required by contract to implement privacy and security safeguards consistent with this policy, including the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework and the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework; (2) personal information may be disclosed to third parties as directed by the merchant client which sent the information to Accertify, including to third-party services used to validate data elements; (3) Accertify may be required to disclose an individual’s personal information in response to a lawful request by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements; and (4) personal information may be provided to a third party to the extent Accertify enters into a transaction for the acquisition of all or substantially all of Accertify’s assets.
In addition, as part of one or more of Accertify’s discrete service offerings, such as RiskID or Accertify Index, elements of data may be retained and accessed in a limited manner by other clients of Accertify solely for the purpose of validating a consumer’s identity (specifically, to validate elements of data independently collected by such client) and only as directed by the merchant client that sent the information to Accertify. Accertify faces potential liability when we onward transfer to third parties.
EU-U.S. AND SWISS-U.S. PRIVACY SHIELD FRAMEWORKS
Accertify complies with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework and the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information we receive from our merchant clients with respect to their consumers in the European Union, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as applicable. Accertify has certified to the Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles. If there is any conflict between the terms in this privacy policy and the Privacy Shield Principles, the Privacy Shield Principles shall govern. To learn more about the Privacy Shield program, and to view our certification, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov/.
DATA SUBJECT REQUESTS FOR ACCESS, CORRECTION OR DELETION OF PERSONAL DATA
Accertify commits to address data subject access requests and to provide individuals with choices about privacy and our collection or use of personal information. Individuals or clients with requests from individuals seeking access to, correction of, deletion of, or choices about use of their personal data, or with inquiries or complaints regarding this privacy policy should submit a request on the following page, Data Subject Access Request.
In order to receive a response from Accertify, you must provide all required information in your request.
Accertify has further committed to refer unresolved privacy complaints under the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Principles to an independent dispute resolution mechanism, the BBB EU PRIVACY SHIELD, operated by BBB National Programs. If you do not receive timely acknowledgment of your complaint, or if your complaint is not satisfactorily addressed, please visit https://bbbprograms.org/privacy-shield-complaints/ for more information and to file a complaint. This service is provided free of charge to you.
ENFORCEMENT
Accertify has implemented internal mechanisms to verify ongoing adherence to this policy. We periodically verify that this policy remains accurate, comprehensive for its intended purpose, and is accessible in accordance with applicable law. Accertify is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
AMENDMENTS
This privacy policy may be amended from time to time consistent with the requirements of the Privacy Shield. Accertify will post any revised policy on this website.
CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, you may contact Accertify as set forth below. If your question is a Data Subject Access Request, you will be directed to the following page, Data Subject Access Request.
E-mail: legal@accertify.com
Mailing address: Legal/Privacy Compliance
Accertify, Inc.
2 Pierce Place, Suite 900
Itasca, Illinois, 60143 USA
Telephone: +1 (630) 735-4400 (ask for Legal)
Effective Date: March 23, 2020
Updated Date: July 21, 2022