Who we are
This policy applies to Options Credit ("we", "us") and the website optionscredit.ca. We connect Canadians with independent, provincially licensed payday lenders. We are responsible for the personal information we collect, and we've appointed a privacy officer who is accountable for our compliance.
What personal information we collect
- Identity and contact details: name, date of birth, address, email and phone number.
- Financial details: income source, employer, pay schedule, and bank account information needed to process your application.
- Verification data: results from identity and read-only bank verification providers. We don't receive or store your banking password.
- Technical data: IP address, device and browser type, and pages visited, collected through cookies and similar tools.
- Communications: messages you send us through our contact form, email or phone.
We don't ask for your Social Insurance Number to process an application.
How we use your information
- To process your application and match you with licensed lenders in your province
- To verify your identity and help prevent fraud
- To respond to your questions and complaints
- To meet our legal and regulatory obligations
- To improve our website and services, using aggregated or de-identified data where possible
- To send you service messages and, only with your consent, marketing messages you can unsubscribe from at any time
Who we share it with
We share your information only as needed to provide our service:
- Licensed lenders you're matched with, so they can review your application and, if approved, provide your loan.
- Service providers that help us operate, such as identity verification, bank verification, hosting and email providers. They're contractually required to protect your information and use it only for the services they provide to us.
- Authorities when required by law, such as in response to a court order.
We never sell your personal information. Some service providers may store data outside Canada, in which case it may be subject to the laws of that country.
Consent
By submitting an application, you consent to us collecting, using and sharing your information as described here. You can withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual limits, by contacting our privacy officer. Withdrawing consent may mean we can't process your application.
How long we keep your information
We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes above or as required by law. When it's no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.
How we protect your information
We use 256-bit SSL encryption on every page, access controls that limit who can see your data, and security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. No system is perfectly secure, and if a breach creates a real risk of significant harm, we'll notify you and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as the law requires.
Cookies and analytics
We use essential cookies to make the site work and, with your consent where required, analytics cookies to understand how visitors use it. You can control cookies in your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the application from working.
Your rights
- Ask what personal information we hold about you and how it's been used and shared
- Ask us to correct information that's inaccurate or incomplete
- Withdraw consent for marketing or other optional uses
- Make a complaint to us, and if you're not satisfied, to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
We respond to access requests within 30 days.
Contact our privacy officer
Email privacy@optionscredit.ca or write to: Privacy Officer, Options Credit, [Your business address].
We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last changed.