Questions concerning this information? Please email hsi@higherstandards.net or call 952.736.1700.
As a leading provider of merchant payment processing solutions, Higher Standards, Inc. (“Higher Standards”) understands the importance of privacy and data protection. This Privacy Policy explains the practices and policies of Higher Standards regarding the collection and protection of personal data supplied by users or collected by us from users of Higher Standards services and websites.
By registering to use Higher Standards services, you agree (1) to comply with the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy and (2) Higher Standards may process (i.e., collect, use, etc.) your personal data as described in this Privacy Policy. Personal Data may be processed by Higher Standards in the country where it was collected as well as other countries (including the United States) where laws regarding processing of personal may be less stringent. Please note that by visiting and using Higher Standards’ website, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT
The type of Information submitted to or collected by Higher Standards varies depending upon the nature of the activity and relationship with Higher Standards.
Browsing the Website
When you browse the company’s website, Higher Standards may collect information regarding the domain and host from which you access the Internet, the Internet Protocol (“IP”) address of the computer or Internet Service Provider (“ISP”) you are using, and anonymous site statistical data. This information is collected for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of the company’s website and for security reasons.
Inquiries
The Higher Standards website contains various forms, links to company email addresses, fax numbers, and telephone numbers that you may use to solicit information about the website, Higher Standards services, and the company in general. When you complete and submit a form, send us an email, send us a fax, or contact us by telephone, Higher Standards may store the inquiries and their contents, including any personally identifiable information you may have provided. Any personally identifiable information you submit via an inquiry is collected only with your knowledge and active participation.
Use of Higher Standards Payment Processing Services
When you register to use Higher Standards payment processing services, You will be required to provide personally identifiable information and to enter into a written agreement with Higher Standards. If You ordered any products or services from businesses that use payment processing services (“Merchants”), You were required to submit personally identifiable information (“Order Information”). Merchants transmit Order Information to Higher Standards for the purpose of processing the Order. Order Information is maintained in servers located within the United States for a specific time then archived and stored in vaults for later retrieval to comply with audits or for disaster recovery purposes.
Applying for a Merchant Account
When you submit an application to obtain a merchant account through Higher Standards, you may be required to provide financial statements, banking statements and other information to Higher Standards. If you apply for a merchant account through Higher Standards, we may also obtain information about you from consumer and corporate reporting agencies where applicable.
Children
Higher Standards does not request or knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of eighteen (18).
HOW WE USE THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT
Higher Standards will not sell or market the email addresses or other collected personal information of registered users to third parties. You acknowledge and agree that Higher Standards may occasionally send you administrative communications regarding your account and/or our services via email.
Browsing the Website
Information collected while you are browsing the Higher Standards website may be used to for security purposes and to analyze trends, administer the website, improve site performance, and gather demographic information. Such information may be disclosed to third parties to provide any of the aforementioned activities on behalf of Higher Standards.
Inquiries
Information collected during the course of you submitting an inquiry via online form, email, fax, or telephone call may be used by Higher Standards to respond to your inquiries or to contact you to inform you of Higher Standards services that may be of use to you. Information collected during the course of an inquiry will not be disclosed to any third party unless such third party has been contracted by Higher Standards, with obligations of confidentiality, to contact you on our behalf.
Use of Higher Standards Services
If you are a Merchant, Higher Standards will use your Information during the course of providing you with payment processing services. During the course of providing such services, Higher Standards may disclose your Information to third parties that have contracted with Higher Standards to perform certain functions within the payment processing servicers on our behalf (“Licensors”). Higher Standards may also use your Information to contact you about other Higher Standards offerings and to inform you about general company news and industry trends. Higher Standards may also use your Information for internal business analysis. If you are a customer of a Merchant, Higher Standards will use Order Information during the course of providing processing services to such Merchant. Higher Standards may also use Order Information at an aggregate level for internal business analysis and fraud prevention. During the course of providing payment processing services to Merchants, Higher Standards may disclose Order Information to banks, processors, card associations, and other financial institutions that are involved in the course of processing or screening the transaction applicable to the Order Information.
Applying for a Merchant Account
If you apply for a merchant account from or through Higher Standards, we may use and disclose the Information only where applicable to evaluate your eligibility for a merchant account, including disclosure to consumer reporting agencies, relevant financial institutions, merchant service providers, and other entities involved in providing the merchant account services. Higher Standards may also use and disclose your Information during the course of providing or procuring on your behalf the merchant account services. Any Information used in determining your eligibility for a merchant account shall be treated as strictly confidential and shall only be disclosed to those entities that will actually be involved in providing service on your account and have a need to know about the financial stability of you in order to determine your eligibility for a merchant account. Furthermore, such entities shall also treat the Information as confidential as Higher Standards and the entities we work with consider the privacy of your Information as paramount. Should you have any questions about the entities Higher Standards may disclose you Information to in order to determine eligibility, simply ask your Higher Standards representative, and the names of such entities shall be promptly provided. Higher Standards may also use your Information to contact you about other Higher Standards offerings and to inform you about general company news and industry trends. Higher Standards may also use your Information for internal business analysis.
Use of Cookies
Higher Standards uses cookies, IP addresses, and URL information to provide enhanced or geographically differentiated features and service levels to our users. We use cookies to save user screen names and session validators, and on users’ browsers and hard drives. We may use cookies to provide tailored products and services to those users. IP Addresses also help us diagnose network congestion, problems with our servers and otherwise assist in the administration and delivery of services to our users.
Confidentiality Obligations
All contracts entered into between Higher Standards and Merchants, Higher Standards and Licensors, and Higher Standards and other third party service providers contain express provisions governing the confidential treatment of any and all Information.
Investigations and Proceedings
Higher Standards may use Information to conduct internal investigations. Higher Standards may disclose Information to cooperate with an investigation by law enforcement agencies or other governmental authorities and may also disclose Information in response to a police or federal agency fraud or theft investigation, subpoena, warrant, court order, or other comparable legal processes.
LINKS TO THIRD PARTY SITES
The Higher Standards website may contain links to other sites that are not under our control. These websites have their own policies regarding privacy. You should review those policies before visiting the websites. We have no responsibility for linked websites, and we provide these links solely for the convenience and information of our visitors.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
Higher Standards does not disclose personal data unless disclosure is necessary to comply with an enforceable government request such as a warrant.
We endeavor to not use or share personally-identifying information about you in ways unrelated to those described in this Policy without also providing the end user with an opportunity to opt-out or otherwise prohibit the unrelated uses. However, there may be special circumstances in which we need to disclose, with or without the end user’s knowledge, limited personal information, or information regarding site use or services we believe that it is reasonable to do so, including:
- To satisfy any laws, regulations, or governmental, or legal requests for such information
- As part of legal action against individuals or groups who may be violating our Terms & Conditions or other policies
- If we are compelled to do so by lawful criminal, civil, or administrative process, subpoenas, or court orders
- If we suspect credit card fraud or abuse, or other fraudulent activity
- If we sell or transfer the Site or company to a third party; however, we will first provide reasonable notification or disclosure of such sale or transfer
CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP
In the event of a change in ownership, or a direct merger or acquisition with another entity, we reserve the right to transfer all of Higher Standards’ user information, including personal data, to a separate entity. We will use commercially reasonable efforts to notify the appropriate users (by posting on our website or an email to the email address provided during registration) of any change in ownership, merger or acquisition of Higher Standards’ assets by a third party.
SECURITY
Higher Standards uses industry standard security measures to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. Although we make good faith efforts to store the information we collect in a secure operating environment that is not available to the public, there is inherited risk to any online transaction which can never be completely removed.
REVISIONS TO THIS POLICY
Higher Standards reserves the right in our sole discretion to revise, amend, or modify this policy and our other policies and agreements at any time and in any manner. Notice of any revision, amendment, or modification of this policy will be posted on the Higher Standard website, and a user’s continued use of the website will signify agreement to such changes.
CORRECTION AND DELETION OF INFORMATION
If you want Higher Standards to correct or delete your Information that is stored on our systems, please submit your request in writing to: Higher Standards Inc., 10531 165th St. W., Lakeville, MN 55044. Subject to our ability to verify your request and provided that Higher Standards is not required to maintain the Information by applicable laws, regulations, or contractual obligations, we will correct or delete the Information within thirty (30) days of receipt of your request.
Effective Date: August 20, 2019