Overview
Consumers
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Consumers
Businesses
Branch Messenger, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Branch", "our", "us", or "we") respects your privacy. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our users while providing a personalized and valuable service. With that in mind, we have created this Privacy Policy (or “Policy”) to help you understand how and describe our practices regarding our collection and use of your Personal Information when you use the Branch Service and to inform you of our data collection practices. This Policy applies to the collection, use, storage, and processing of the Personal Information of consumers in connection with transactions conducted through the Website, our mobile app, or any other component of the Branch Service.
We may change or update this Policy periodically. When we do, we will notify you of any material changes as required by law by appropriate means which may include, but are not limited to, posting the revised Policy on our website and/or sending notice to an email or approved communication device pursuant to our [Electronic Consumer Consent]. Any changes to this Policy will become effective when posted unless indicated otherwise.
Branch operates the Branch Website www.branchapp.com (the “Website”)and the Branch App, through which workers can access a Branch Account, Branch Mastercard Debit Card and certain banking services and products (collectively, the “Branch Service” or “Service”). For the purposes of this Policy, “Branch App” includes the following applications: 1) the Branch App, 2) the Shiftkey Wallet App, and 3) any other application controlled by Branch. The Mastercard debit cards and related banking services are offered by Evolve Bank & Trust, member FDIC (“Evolve”), as card issuer and depository. Our Terms of Service (available at http://www.branchapp.com/legal/terms), contain more detail about the Branch Service that are available to you.
By using the Branch Service, you agree to this Privacy Policy and consent to the collection and use of your Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not consent to these terms, do not use the Website, mobile app, or any other component of the Branch Service. This is our entire and exclusive Privacy Policy for Consumer Accounts and it supersedes any earlier version. To withdraw consent and have data deleted or corrected, if legally applicable, please see the section below for “Opt-out – Your Choices,” “How long we keep your information, your right to delete it and correct it,” and “Questions and contact information”.
“Personal information” is personally identifiable information (i) provided by a consumer to Branch, (ii) resulting from a transaction or any service performed for the consumer, or (iii) otherwise obtained by Branch. This Policy is intended for consumers. If you are an independent contractor or business using the Branch Service, please refer to the Business Privacy Policy, located [here].
We obtain Personal Information about you in various ways, such as when you visit our Website or use the mobile app, when you use your Branch Card, Branch Account or any other Branch Service. We also may obtain Personal Information about you in other ways, such as when you call, mail, email us, or engage with us through the Branch App or chat features.
The types of Personal Information we obtain may include:
Your device’s operating platform may provide you with a notification when the app attempts to collect your precise geolocation. Please note that if you decline to allow Branch App to collect your precise geolocation, you may not be able to use all of the app’s features (like locating ATM locations near you). We do not control or supervise how third-party sources process your Personal Information, and any request that you have regarding the disclosure of your Personal Information from them to us should be made directly to those third parties (such as Meta or LinkedIn).
Branch obtains your information in the following ways:
Branch uses Personal Information to provide you with reliable and secure Branch Services. This may require us to use your Personal Information for a number of legitimate business purposes, including without limitation, one of the purposes described below:
In using your Personal Information, we may share some or all of it with authorized representatives of Evolve, your employer, and other entities that you may designate whose activities relate to the Branch Service without seeking your consent. Please refer to “Who Does Branch Share Your Information With?” Section of this Policy below for a full description of our information sharing practices.
Branch does not sell or share Personal Information we collect about you with third parties, except as set for below:
We use the following technologies to facilitate the automatic data collection described above:
Cookie Opt-outs. You can disable cookies via most browsers. This may affect site functionality. To opt out of cookies on our site, click the “Your Privacy Options” link in the footer of our website, click “cookie choices” and select your preference.
Branch may use automated processes to help us determine your eligibility for new services or products and for processes. In such cases, if and as applicable, and to the extent required by applicable law, we will endeavor to implement suitable safeguards , including, for example, an opportunity for you to contest any decisions made, and request that we restrict the use of your Personal Information for the purposes of these automated decisions.
We retain information we collect about you, and use the following factors to determine the retention period of personal information:
You may have additional choices if you are from California and Nevada. Please see the “California Privacy Rights” and “Nevada Privacy Rights” Sections below if you are a resident of those areas.
You may choose to opt out of marketing communications from Branch. For more information on opting out of marketing communications, please see our [Electronic Consumer Consent]. You can request to opt out by contacting us using the information provided in the “How to Contact Us” section below.
Some personal information is required to provide the Service. If you choose not to provide Branch with required information, Branch will not be able to provide the Services to you.
We want you to be aware of the choices you have in limiting the sharing of your personal information.
Direct Mail Opt-Out
To opt out of Branch’s marketing and advertising campaigns conducted via direct/postal mail, please make your request at [link to form?].
Access or Update Your Information (Registered Users)
If you have an account with us, you may review and update certain account information by logging into your account. To update your profile, open your Branch App and log into your account. The Branch App is password protected to safeguard your information. As a registered user, you can update your password, physical address, and phone number at any time on the Branch App. If you need to change any other information in your profile, please contact our customer service hotline at [phone number].
Advertising choices You can limit use of your information for interest-based advertising by:
A special note about your telephone number – By providing your telephone number to us, you agree that this action constitutes an “inquiry” for purposes of telemarketing laws. Regardless of the fact that your telephone and/or mobile number may be listed with the Federal Do-Not-Call Registry or your State Do-Not-Call list, you are providing your express written consent to receive future information (including telemarketing) about products and services from us, and you hereby agree and consent to our contacting you using the information you have provided and will provide to us. This means we may contact you by e-mail, phone and/or mobile number or any other means of communication that your wireless or other telecommunications device may be capable of receiving (e.g., video, etc.). You are not required to consent to marketing communications in order to obtain Services through us. Consent to receive marketing communications may be revoked by you at any time and by any reasonable means, including by the methods detailed in the “How to Contact Us” Section of this Policy.
Our Service and this Privacy Policy are strictly intended for users located in the United States and are provided in accordance with and subject to applicable United States law. Our Website, mobile app, and the Services are U.S. based and are controlled and administered by Branch from within the United States. Branch service providers may operate from locations outside of the United States and may process and store Personal Information for the purposes described in this Policy in the United States or in any other country where Branch or its Processors operate. These countries may have data privacy or protection laws that are different to the laws of your country and may not be as protective. If you decide to continue to access our Website or app from a location outside the United States, you hereby agree that your use of the Website, mobile app or any Branch Services we may offer are subject to this Policy and your Personal Information will be transferred or processed in the United States.
To help protect the privacy of your Personal Information collected by us, we maintain reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards. We update and test our security technology on an ongoing basis. For security of data, we use the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol for data in transit, which encrypts all information you send to us electronically. The encryption process protects your information, by scrambling it before it is sent to us from your computer or mobile device. Once we receive your transmission, we make commercially reasonable efforts to ensure its security on our system by using industry grade 256-bit encryption algorithms. We also restrict access to your Personal Information to those employees who need to know that information in order to provide the Branch Service to you. In addition, we train our employees about the importance of confidentiality and maintaining the privacy and security of your information. Despite the actions and precautions we take, no data transmissions over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Consequently, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of your Personal Information.
Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to use the Branch Service, the Website, or our mobile app, and we do not intentionally collect or maintain Personal Information from those who are under 13 years old. Protecting the privacy of children is very important to us. Thus, if we obtain actual knowledge that a user is under 13, we will take steps to remove that user’s Personal Information from our databases. We recommend that children between the ages of 13 and 18 obtain their parent’s permission before submitting information over the Internet. By using the Website, mobile app or Service, you are representing that you are at least 18 years old, or that you are at least 13 years old and have your parents’ permission to use the Website, mobile app and any Services offered by us.
If you are a California resident (“you” or a “California Customer”), California law may apply to how we collect and use your Personal Information, and what rights you have in some circumstances. The following terms supplement our Privacy Policy and explain the rights of California Customers under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). Under the CCPA, “Personal Information” is information that identifies, relates to, or could reasonably be linked directly or indirectly with a particular California resident. The CCPA, however, does not apply to certain information, such as information subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”).
Branch may collect and process California Consumers’ Personal Information in accordance with this policy.
In the past 12 months, we have not sold the information listed in the Policy to third parties - we do not sell the Personal Information of our Customers (including the Personal Information of those under 16 years of age). We have, during this time period, disclosed Personal Information to our Processors and Business Partners for permissible business reasons. More details on the Personal Information we may collect are set forth in the “Categories of Information We Collect and its Sources” section above. More details on the Personal Information we have disclosed are set forth in the “With Whom We Share Your Information” section above.
Your California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, you have certain rights over the information that we have about you. You can:
Branch will not discriminate against you for any use of your privacy rights.
To exercise any of these rights, you may make a request by contacting us as detailed in the “How to Contact Us” Section of this Policy. Branch will confirm receipt of your request and provide you with information about our processes for acting on your request, including when you can expect a response, within 10 business days. We will need to verify your identity to ensure the security of your Personal Information before providing you with any Personal Information.
Do Not Track Disclosure. California Business & Professions Code Section 22575(b) provides that California residents are entitled to know how Branch responds to “Do Not Track” browser settings. We currently do not respond to “Do Not Track” signals because a uniform technological standard has not yet been developed.
FOR RESIDENTS OF NEVADA ONLY. In accordance with N.R.S. 603A.340, Nevada consumers may opt-out of the sale of their Personal Information to third parties, as provided by law. As provided in Section III, above, we do not share, sell or rent your Personal Information collected by us with third parties so that they can license or sell it to additional parties for any reason, including advertising and marketing purposes.
If you have questions about our privacy practices and this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to correct any of your information or exercise your rights under the law or this Policy, you can contact us as follows:
By email: [email protected]
By phone: 1 (866) 547-2413
By mail:
Branch Messenger, Inc.
Attn: Legal
2261 Market Street STE 5936
San Francisco, CA 94114
Please be specific when telling us what your request is.