Privacy Policy
At Collective Point of Sale Solutions (Collective P.O.S.), the privacy of your personal information has always been an important aspect of how we operate. On January 1, 2004, the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) began to apply to provincially regulated organizations that collect, use and disclose personal information in the course of commercial activity. As such, Collective P.O.S.has developed the following Privacy Policy in order to ensure compliance with PIPEDA, as well as to inform individuals of our continuing commitment to the protection of their personal information.
What is personal information?
Personal information includes any factual or subjective information, recorded or not, about an identifiable individual. This includes information in any form such as a personal e-mail address, credit card numbers, home addresses and so on. It does not include information normally found on a business card, such as name, title, company, business address, business telephone or fax number.
Who is responsible for protecting the personal information collected, used and disclosed by Collective P.O.S.?
The Chief Operating Officer of Collective P.O.S. is the Chief Privacy Officer for the organization. The Chief Privacy Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with PIPEDA and with this Privacy Policy. At times, Collective P.O.S. staff may be delegated to act on behalf of the Chief Privacy Officer or to take responsibility for occasional collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
Why does Collective P.O.S. collect, use or disclose personal information?
Collective P.O.S. is committed to providing its customers and business partners with quality payment processing services and customer service. In order to meet these goals, Collective P.O.S. may collect, use and disclose personal information, when applicable, for the following purposes:
- To verify the identity of customers
- To comply the by-laws of the Interac Association, VISA Canada Association, MasterCard International Incorporated and AMEX Bank of Canada.
- To market and sell Collective P.O.S.’ products and services;
Collective P.O.S.does not sell or rent its customer information to any external parties.
How do individuals provide Collective P.O.S. with their consent for the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information?
Individuals may provide personal information expressly through the completion of our Equipment & Services Agreement and partner processing applications or by visiting our website at www.collectivepos.com. Collective P.O.S. staff and business partners members have access only to the personal information provided by individuals that is required to fulfill the purposes stated within this policy. Personal information about prospective merchants may also be collected from individuals when they call Collective P.O.S. to inquire about our products and services or when they are contacted by Collective P.O.S.regarding same. At times, Collective P.O.S. may communicate information and details about its products and services to these individuals.
Consent can be withdrawn by contacting the Collective P.O.S. Chief Privacy Officer who will ensure that the individual’s personal information is no longer used or disclosed by the organization.
How much personal information does Collective P.O.S. collect, use or disclose?
Collective P.O.S. collects, uses and discloses personal information only to the extent required to fulfill the purposes stated within this policy.
How long does Collective P.O.S. retain personal information?
Collective P.O.S. retains personal information only for as long as is required to fulfill the purposes stated within this policy, and to meet all requirements by law. For example, inactive merchant records are retained in protected storage for a seven (7) year period as required by law.
How accurate is the personal information collected, used and disclosed by Collective P.O.S.?
Personal information that is collected, used and disclosed by Collective P.O.S. is provided by individuals and is updated by Collective P.O.S. when requested by the individual. If an individual’s personal information requires amendment, they may contact Collective P.O.S. Head Office at 4576 Yonge Street, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M2N 6N4 or by fax at 1-888-761-4767 (416-214-2185) to ensure that the correction is made.
How secure is the personal information stored at Collective P.O.S.?
Collective P.O.S. is committed to ensuring that personal information is protected from unauthorized access, unintended disclosures or theft. This protection is provided by firewalls in the computer system, passwords to protect databases, locked filing cabinets and restricted access to offices. Only the Chief Privacy Officer and delegated individuals have access to this information.
How is personal information collected, used or disclosed via Collective P.O.S.’ web site?
In order to enhance your browsing experience when accessing the Collective P.O.S. web site, a small text file called a "cookie" is sent from our web server to your browser and stored on your computer. Cookies enhance your browsing experience, and also allow us to recognize you when you return to COLLECTIVE P.O.S.’ web site. You may set your browser to notify you when you receive cookies and you may choose to disable or delete cookies if you wish. Cookies are not programs or code, and are only used to optimize browsing.
COLLECTIVE P.O.S.’ web site also logs IP addresses of visitors. This information is used, in aggregate form, to provide statistical measures about usage of the site. This in turn allows us to continually improve the content and design of our web site.
COLLECTIVE P.O.S.’ web site may contain links to other web sites owned and operated by third parties. While we attempt to ensure that these organizations adhere to similar privacy policies, we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such sites. It is highly recommended that you review the privacy policies of other sites prior to providing any personal information.
How can individuals learn more about Collective P.O.S.’ Privacy Policy?
Updated versions of this Privacy Policy will continue to be posted on the Collective P.O.S. web site at www.collectivepos.com/privacy-policy as we make improvements. This Policy is also available in hard-copy at the Collective P.O.S. office, a copy of which can be requested by contacting Collective P.O.S. at:
Collective Point of Sale Solutions
4576 Yonge Street, Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario M2N 6N4
Attention: Chief Privacy Officer
Phone: 1-888-760-4767 (416-640-2640)
Fax: 1-888-761-4767 (416-214-2185)
E-mail: privacy@collectivepos.com
How can individuals access their personal information held by Collective P.O.S.?
Individuals have a right to access their own personal information in the possession and control of Collective P.O.S. They also have a right to know if their information has been disclosed to any third parties. If individuals wish to access their personal information, they need to contact Collective P.O.S. in writing at the above mailing or e-mail address. Collective P.O.S. reserves the right to charge a reasonable fee for the copying of this information.
How can individuals relay their concerns about their personal information held by Collective P.O.S.?
If individuals have a complaint related to Collective P.O.S. Privacy Policy, they can contact the Chief Privacy Officer in writing using the above contact information. If the Chief Privacy Officer is unable to resolve the concern, or if there are further complaints, individuals may contact the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at www.privcom.gc.ca or at:
112 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H3
Tel: (613) 995-8210
Toll free: 1-800-282-1376
Fax: (613) 947-6850
E-mail: info@privcom.gc.ca
Updated: January 1, 2011
