Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

• Name, email address, and business information when you join the waitlist or create an account
• Merchant processing statements or other business documents you upload to the Service
• Communications you send us, including support requests and feedback

Information collected automatically:

• Usage data including pages visited, time spent, clicks, and navigation paths
• Device and browser information including IP address, browser type, and operating system
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

Information we do not collect:

• We do not collect payment card numbers or full payment card data
• We do not collect Social Security numbers or government-issued ID numbers through the standard Service workflow

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and improve the Service
• Analyze uploaded merchant statements to generate rate assessments, benchmarks, and recommendations
• Communicate with you about your account, the Service, and relevant updates
• Send product updates, educational content, and notifications (you may opt out at any time)
• Comply with legal obligations
• Enforce these Terms and protect the rights, safety, and property of RateIQ and its users

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

We do not use your uploaded merchant statements for any purpose other than delivering the Service to you, including analysis, benchmarking, and generating the outputs you request.

3. Statement and Business Document Data

Merchant processing statements contain sensitive financial information. RateIQ treats this data with heightened care:

• Uploaded statements are used solely to provide analysis and recommendations to the uploading merchant
• Statement data is not shared with payment processors, ISOs, or any third party without your explicit consent
• Statement data is not used to train machine learning models or shared for research purposes without anonymization and explicit consent
• You may request deletion of your uploaded documents at any time by contacting privacy@rateiq.org

4. Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

Service providers.

We work with third-party vendors who help us operate the Service. These vendors access information only as necessary to perform their functions and are contractually bound to protect it.

Processor marketplace.

When the RateIQ marketplace is active and you choose to connect with a processor through the platform, we will share information necessary to facilitate that introduction — such as your business type, monthly processing volume, and contact information — only with processors you explicitly select. We will not share your full statement data with any processor without your explicit consent.

Legal requirements.

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or government authority, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of RateIQ, our users, or the public.

Business transfers.

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify users before information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

5. Cookies and Tracking

RateIQ uses cookies and similar technologies to operate the Service, remember your preferences, and understand how the Service is used. You can control cookie settings through your browser. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some features.

We do not currently use third-party advertising cookies or sell data to advertising platforms.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time by contacting privacy@rateiq.org. We will process deletion requests within 30 days, subject to any legal obligations to retain certain records.

Uploaded merchant statements are retained only as long as necessary to deliver the Service outputs you have requested and for a reasonable period thereafter for dispute resolution purposes. You may request earlier deletion.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

If we become aware of a data breach affecting your information, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
• Portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time via the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting privacy@rateiq.org

California residents: Under the CCPA, you have additional rights including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights. Contact privacy@rateiq.org for CCPA requests.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, contact us immediately at privacy@rateiq.org.

10. Third-Party Links

The Service contains links to third-party websites. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you by email or prominent notice on the Service. Your continued use of the Service after any change constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact

Privacy inquiries and data requests: privacy@rateiq.org

General support: support@rateiq.org