Privacy Policy for Consumers


Important Information About Your Financial Privacy

The financial products and services of FIA Card Services, N.A. are endorsed by hundreds of financial institutions. We back our products and services with top-quality service. Collecting and sharing data about you helps us do this. This notice explains the data collection and sharing practices of FIA Card Services, N.A. and its affiliate, IFIA Insurance Services, Inc. (collectively “FIA”).It also lets you choose whether FIA may share certain data about you.

This notice describes the privacy practices of FIA for consumer financial products and services governed by the laws of the United States of America. It applies to open, closed and inactive accounts with these entities.

Our Security Procedures Protect Your Data

Keeping financial data secure is one of our most important jobs. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect customer data. Appropriate employees are authorized to access customer data for business purposes only. Our employees are bound by a code of ethics that requires private treatment of customer data and are subject to discipline if they fail to follow this code.

Information We Collect to Conduct Our Business

We collect information about you to conduct our business and deliver the top-quality service you expect.

Sources include:

  • Information we receive from you.
  • Information we receive from third parties, such as consumer reporting agencies, to verify statements you've made to us, or regarding your employment, credit or other relationships.
  • Information about your transactions with FIA, and with other companies.

Information Shared Internally

We may share internally all the information we collect within the FIA family of companies. The FIA family of companies is made up of a number of companies.

These companies include:

  • financial service providers (brokerage company and our credit card company)
  • nonfinancial companies (our operations and servicing subsidiaries).

For example, we may share:

  • ID information (such as name and address);
  • Transaction and experience information (such as purchases and payments);
  • Credit eligibility information (such as credit reports); and
  • Other information.

You may tell us not to share certain credit eligibility information about you within the FIA family family of companies, as explained below in the section captioned, Information Sharing: It's Your Choice. Your choice will not affect the sharing of identification information and transaction and experience information.

Information Shared Outside of Our Family of Companies

FIA may share all the information we collect with the following types of nonaffiliated third-party companies:

  • Financial service companies (such as banks, insurance companies, and organizations with which we have joint marketing agreements);
  • Nonfinancial companies (such as retailers, direct marketers, communications companies and travel companies); except for IFIA Insurance Inc. customers.
  • Companies performing marketing or other services for us (such as data processing or direct mail services); and
  • Other companies (such as nonprofit organizations); except for IFIA Insurance Inc. customers.

FIA may also share all of the information we collect with outside companies as permitted by law.

You may tell us not to share information about you with a nonaffiliated third party, as explained below in the section captioned, Information Sharing: It’s Your Choice. Your choice will not affect sharing with:

  • Companies performing marketing or other services for us;
  • Other financial institutions under joint marketing agreements;
  • Government entities in response to subpoenas or regulatory requirements;
  • Consumer reporting agencies; and
  • As otherwise permitted by law.

Information Sharing: It's Your Choice

We respect your choices related to privacy. You may tell us not to share credit and insurance eligibility information within the FIA family of companies (other than the transactions and experiences that you have with the FIA family of companies). You may also tell us not to share information with nonaffiliated third parties as described above. If you wish to opt out of such data sharing, please call our toll-free automated response line at 1-866-325-8310. We will ask you to verify your identity and the specific accounts to which your opt-out applies. Please have your account or reference numbers available when you call.

For sharing among the FIA family of companies, each customer may tell us his or her preferences individually, or you may tell us the preferences for any other customers who are joint account owners with you.

For sharing outside of the FIA family of companies, your opt-out preference will be applied to each individual account. When any customer on an account requests that we not share with third parties, we apply that preference to the entire account. This includes co-applicants, joint account holders and authorized users.

Federal law requires us to provide this notice on an annual basis, whether or not you previously opted out. Please remember that if you previously opted out an account, you do not need to opt out for that account again.

You may have other privacy protections under state laws. We will comply to the extent applicable.

For Vermont and California residents only

The information-sharing practices described above are in accordance with Federal law. Vermont and California law place additional limits on sharing information about Vermont and California residents so long as they remain residents of those states.

For Vermont Customers

In accordance with Vermont law, FIA will not share information we collect about Vermont residents to nonaffiliated third-party companies except:

  • With the authorization or consent of the Vermont resident;
  • To companies that perform marketing or other services on our behalf;
  • Name, contact and transaction and experience information (such as your account balance and payment history) to other financial institutions with which we have joint marketing agreements; or
  • As permitted by law.

In addition, we will automatically treat residents of Vermont as if they opted out of sharing credit and insurance eligibility information with the FIA family of companies as described in the section captioned, Information Sharing: It’s Your Choice.

For California Customers

To the extent required by California law, FIA will not share information we collect about California residents with companies outside of the FIA Card Services's family of companies except:

  • With the consent of the California resident;
  • To service the customer's accounts;
  • To fulfill on rewards or benefits; or
  • As permitted by law.

We will limit sharing among the FIA Card Service's family of companies to the extent required by applicable California law.

Keeping Information Accurate

You can make sure information is accurate by:

  • Accessing your account information (for example, on a statement or in response to specific requests)
  • Telling us if it is incorrect by calling or writing to us at the telephone number or appropriate address for such changes on your statement or other account materials

Updates and Additional Data

This notice replaces any previous notices from FIA about the privacy, security, and protection of data. You may have other privacy protections under state laws. We may amend this privacy notice at any time. We will inform you of changes as required by law.

Tips to Protect Your Information

FIA works hard to keep your information secure. You can help by following these tips to protect your information:

  • Store personal information in a safe place, and tear up or shred old receipts and account statements before throwing them away.
  • Protect your PINs and other passwords. Do not share them with anyone unless it's for a service or transaction you request and you are confident the other party will protect the information as you would.
  • Do not respond to e-mails requesting account numbers, passwords or PINs. Call the institution to verify the legitimacy of the e-mail.
  • Carry only the minimum amount of identifying information you require.
  • Pay attention to billing cycles and statements. Inquire if you do not receive a bill.
  • Check account statements carefully to ensure all charges, checks or withdrawals are authorized.
  • Guard your mail from theft. Do not leave bill payment envelopes in your mailbox with the flag up. Instead, deposit them in a post office collection box or at the local post office. Promptly remove incoming mail.
  • Order copies of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once a year to ensure they are accurate.
  • If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, take action right away. Keep records of your phone calls and email or letters. While the steps you must take will vary with your individual circumstances, four basic actions are appropriate in almost every case:
    • Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file:
      • Equifax (equifax.com): 1.888.766.0008 / P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
      • Experian (experian.com): 1.888.397.3742 / P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
      • Trans Union (transunion.com): 1.800.680.7289 / P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834
    • Contact the creditors for any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
    • File a report with your local police, or the police in the community where the identity theft took place, and get a copy of the police report.
    • File a complaint with the FTC. Complaints can be filed by phone, 1.877.IDTHEFT, or through the FTC's identity theft Web site at ftc.gov/idtheft.

Although many consumers appreciate the convenience and customer service of direct marketing:

  • If you prefer not to receive pre-approved offers of credit, you can opt-out of such offers by calling 888.5.OPT OUT.
  • To have your phone number added to the National Do Not Call Registry, you may call 888.382.1222 or register at donotcall.gov. While this will stop most calls, you may still receive calls from businesses where you are a customer.

Online Practices Privacy Policy


The Online Practices Privacy Policy explains how we may collect information from you online when you visit the FIA Card Services, N.A.'s (FIA Card Services), Web site.

The Online Practices Privacy Policy, effective as of October 23, 2006, is for general guidance and subject to change. Please review periodically.

Privacy Policy for Consumers

In addition to the protections you enjoy through our Online Practices Privacy Policy, your online activities may also be covered by our Privacy Policy for Consumers. This policy explains our collection, use, sharing and security of consumer information and applies to FIA Card Services products and services offered within the United States for consumer (not business) purposes.

How to manage your privacy online

Maximize your experience on our site
You can get more out of your FIA Card Services Web site experience when you tell us who you are. You can choose to do this through a number of online opportunities - for example, by registering for an online service, completing an e-mail profile, or applying for a product on our Web site. As a result, we'll work hard to move information, products and services that best fit your profile to the front of your browsing experience.

Browsing our site
You can browse our site anonymously by choosing not to provide us with any personally identifiable information, such as your name or e-mail address, during your visits to our site. When you browse this way, we won't be able to link your online activity with the accounts you have with us.

Browsing anonymously after you've identified yourself involves setting your browser to disable cookies and similar files or by deleting the cookies that you have accepted from us. To do this, you'll need to follow your browser's instructions for disabling cookies or deleting cookies. Please note that the use of certain online products do require the acceptance of cookies.

Cookies
In all cases, cookies and similar files that we place on your computer do not contain any personal information unless encrypted, and we never use cookies to track your use of other web sites. We may place cookies on your hard drive for security purposes, to facilitate site navigation, and to personalize your experience while visiting our site. Our cookies do not identify you as an individual or by account number.

If you do not accept these cookies, you may experience some inconvenience in your use of some online products. For example, we will not be able to recognize your computer and you will need to answer a challenge question each time you log on to bank online with us.

Cookies are pieces of information stored directly on the computer you are using. FIA Card Services uses cookies in two ways:

  • Web Browsing Cookies.Cookies used for Web Browsing can contain a variety of information, such as a simple count of how often you visit a Web site or information that allows customization of a Web site for your use. FIA Card Services uses cookies to display information more effectively to you and to gather data about the usage of our Web site.
  • Online Banking Cookies.FIA Card Services uses cookies during your online banking Session. For example, to continually improve the design and functionality to better serve you. Any time a cookie is used personal information is encrypted and used solely to support your online experience.

Collecting information
When you visit our Web site, we may collect the following information about you to conduct our business and deliver the top-quality service you expect. Sources include:

  • Information we receive from you.
  • Information we receive from third parties, such as consumer reporting agencies, to verity statements you've made to us, or regarding your employment, credit or other relationships.
  • Information about your transactions with FIA Card Services and with other companies.

How we may share information
FIA Card Services may share internally all of the information we collect within the FIA Card Services family of companies. The FIA Card Services family of companies is made up of a number of companies, including financial service providers such as a brokerage company and our credit card company, and nonfinancial companies such as our operations and servicing subsidiaries. For example, we may share:

  • Identification information such as name and address;
  • Transaction and experience information such as purchases and payments;
  • Credit eligibility information such as credit reports; and
  • Other information.

We also may share customer information we collect about you online with nonaffiliated third-party companies such as:

  • Financial service companies (bank, insurance companies, securities broker-dealers and organizations with which we have joint marketing agreements;
  • Nonfinancial companies (like retailers, direct marketers, communications companies and travel companies);
  • Companies performing marketing or other services for us (like data processing or direct mail services);
  • Other companies (like nonprofit organizations)

For more information on how FIA Card Services shares your information, and how you may tell us not to share credit eligibility information within our family of companies or share information about you with a nonaffiliated third party, please refer to the FIA Card Services Privacy Policy for Consumers.

Making sure information is accurate
Keeping your account information accurate and up to date is very important. If your account information is incomplete, inaccurate or not current, please call or write to us at the telephone number or appropriate address for such changes listed on your account statement, bank records or other account materials.

Online advertising
FIA Card Services sometimes contracts with advertising companies to advertise our accounts and services on Web sites not affiliated with the Bank. These Internet ads are often called "banner ads." If you click on one of our ads, you link to the FIA Card Services site that offers the advertised account or service. These ads may contain cookies that allow tracking of your response to our advertisements. These cookies do not identify you personally. We prohibit any company that places our banner ads from using this information for any purpose other than to assist us in measuring the effectiveness of our ads.

From time to time consumers will experience 'Pop Ups' from other companies while visiting our site. Pop Ups are generated by 'Adware' placed on your computer when other sites have been visited. FIA Card Services does not participate in the use of Adware.

Banner advertisements and online applications may contain small graphics with tags in them. These tags are not personally identifiable and work in conjunction with these cookies. These tags allow us to measure the effectiveness and response rates of our advertising.

Aggregation sites
Aggregation sites are Internet sites that allow you to consolidate account information from several sources to be viewed on one site. To do this, an aggregation provider may request access to your personal financial information. You should ensure that the aggregator company has appropriate policies to protect the privacy and security of any information you provide or to which they are gaining access.

  • Using aggregation sites. If you provide information about your FIA Card Services accounts to an aggregator company, we will consider that you have authorized all transactions initiated by an aggregation site using access information you provide, whether or not you were aware of a specific transaction.

If you decide to revoke the authority you have given an aggregator company, we strongly recommend that you change your FIA Card Services password to ensure that the aggregator company cannot continue to access your account.

Linking to other sites
We may provide links to non-FIA Card Services companies, such as credit bureaus or merchants. If you choose to link to Web sites not controlled by FIA Card Services, we are not responsible for the privacy or security of these sites, including the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of their information. If you are asked to provide information on one of these Web sites we strongly urge you to carefully study their privacy policies before sharing your information.

When you are leaving the FIA Card Services site, you will be notified that you are leaving the site and that FIA Card Services cannot guarantee the security of the site you are entering and that the site may have different a different Privacy Policy.

E-mail fraud
One of the most common types of email fraud is the practice of sending a phony email message, which is sometimes referred to as "phishing." Such phony emails are disguised as legitimate, and often include company logos that look real.

Emails such as these are most likely from criminals who send thousands of emails at a time to random addresses. These criminals are trying to entice the recipient to visit a phony website and provide personal and confidential information, such as online IDs and passcodes, or Social Security numbers and account numbers. Although the site may look like a bank's, it is not - which is why this practice is known as "spoofing."

Looking out for children
We do not knowingly market to or solicit information from children under 13 without parental consent. We recognize that protecting children's identities and privacy online is important and that the responsibility to do so rests with both the online industry and with parents. While FIA Card Services works to protect your personal information, you also have responsibility.

  • Internet safety for children.The Internet is a public network. Children's access to the Internet can allow them to visit inappropriate Web sites and be exposed to unwanted risks. COPPA, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, protects children under the age of 13 from the online collection of personal information. Learn more about COPPA on the Federal Trade Commission's Web site. Parents can be proactive by installing filtering software that gives them more control over their family's Internet experience.
  • Cyber ethics for children.Cyber ethics is the practice of being a good citizen on the Internet superhighway. Kids should understand the rules of the road, too. Learn more by visiting the U.S. Department of Justice's kids and youth Web site.

Changes to the Online Practices Privacy Policy
If we make changes to the Online Practices Privacy Policy or make any material changes to our online services, we will revise the Online Practices Privacy Policy to reflect such changes and revise the policy's effective date.

Safeguarding Social Security Numbers


Tips to Protect Your Social Security Number

  • Carry only necessary identification with you. Don't carry your Social Security card.
  • Never provide your Social Security Number unless you have initiated the contact and have confirmed the business or person's identity
  • Do not use your full or partial Social Security Number as a Personal Identification Number (PIN) or as a password
  • If you must send your Social Security Number in an email ensure that the email is encrypted
  • Only enter your Social Security Number into internet web sites when the site is secure and you know how the recipient will protect it
  • Be cautious of your surroundings when disclosing your Social Security number, e.g. if a retail store requests your Social Security Number to look up your store credit card number
  • Do not transmit your Social Security Number over the Internet unless you know that the connection is secure or you have encrypted the Social Security Number
  • Be cautious when faxing your Social Security number, double check the fax number to ensure it is the correct number
  • Do not record your Social Security Number on a check, traveler’s check, gift certificate, money order or other negotiable instrument unless required by law

FIA Card Services Safeguards Your Social Security Number

FIA Card Services Privacy Protection Policy (1) protects the confidentiality of Social Security numbers, (2) prohibits unlawful disclosure of Social Security Numbers, and (3) limits access to Social Security Numbers. Our consumer customers can obtain more information by reviewing the FIA Card Services.