NOTICE:

Access Credit Union's 2023 Annual Report and Financial Statements are now available. Learn More.

Your Privacy is Important to Us

We are committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal and financial information. While the Internet continues to revolutionize the way that we do business — providing convenient access to financial services from your home, office, and on the go — we also recognize that it may bring legitimate concerns about privacy and security.

The July 1st Access Credit Union merger is now complete. In order to perform integration activities leading up to the formal merge date, member personal information has been shared between the three entities in strict accordance with section 7.2(1) of PIPEDA as it relates to business transactions.
Privacy Code
Access Credit Union is committed to protecting the personal information of our members, employees, and other individuals. In order to protect all personal information collected, used, or disclosed by the credit union, we have adopted the Credit Union Code for the Protection of Personal Information.

Privacy Online
We describe in general terms how your personal information is collected and used within the online banking section of our site, the area of our website that requires you to use your Member ID and Personal Access Code (PAC) to enter.


Privacy Code

Access Credit Union is committed to protecting the personal information of our members, employees, and other individuals.

In order to protect all personal information collected, used, or disclosed by the credit union, we have adopted the Credit Union Code for the Protection of Personal Information.


Ten principles form the basis of our Privacy Code:


1. Accountability. We are responsible for the personal information under our control and have designated a Privacy Officer who is accountable for our compliance with the principles of the Code.

2. Identifying Purposes. We will identify what your personal information will be used for when we ask for it.

3. Consent. We will require your knowledge of and consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information, except where it is required or permitted by law.

4. Limiting Collection. We will collect personal information by fair and lawful means and limit our collection to those details necessary for the identified purposes.

5. Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention. We will only use or disclose your personal information for the purpose(s) for which it was collected, unless you consent otherwise, or when it is required or permitted by law. We will retain personal information only for the time required to fulfill the purpose(s) for which it was collected.

6. Accuracy. We will maintain and update your personal information as accurately and completely as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it is to be used.

7. Safeguards. We will protect your personal information with security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity level of the personal information.

8. Openness. We will make information readily available to you concerning the policies and practices that apply to the management of your personal information.

9. Individual Access. At your request, and subject to applicable law, you will be informed of the existence, use, and disclosure of your personal information and shall be given access to that information. You may verify the accuracy and completeness of your personal information provided and may request that it be amended.

10. Compliance. Our Privacy Officer will answer any questions or enquiries you have about this Privacy Code or our privacy practices.

Our full Access Credit Union Privacy Code is available by contacting us.

 

Questions or Concerns

In most cases, a question or concern regarding our Privacy Code or practices can be resolved through discussion with the Managing Partner at your local branch. If an issue concerning privacy is not resolved to your satisfaction and/or you would like additional information, you are encouraged to contact our Privacy Officer.

 

Email: privacyofficer@accesscu.ca

 

Mail: Access Credit Union
Attention: Privacy Officer
PTH #14 Unit #2 – 23111
Stanley Business Centre
Winkler, MB R6W 4B4



Why We Ask for Your Information
We hold personal information about members to help us meet and maintain the highest standards of financial service. The information we ask for will depend on which products or services you would like. For every product or service, we need your name, address, and some identification. We only collect and use the information for the purposes explained to you. Here is why we need some of the other information we ask you to provide:


Birth Date. This helps us identify you and may also be used to determine your eligibility for products and services that may be of benefit to a particular age group.

Social Insurance Number (SIN). Your SIN is required for products which earn investment income, in order to comply with the Canada Revenue Agency's income reporting requirements. We also use it to keep your information separate from that of other members with a similar name, including information we obtain with your consent through the credit approval process.

Financial Information. This is used to assess your eligibility for any credit products such as a line of credit or loan. We also use it to ensure that the advice we give you is appropriate for you.

Health Information. This is required for some insurance products to ensure you are eligible for coverage.


Consent

We require your knowledge and consent to collect, use, or disclose your personal information, except as permitted or required by law. How you give consent may vary depending on the product or service requested and the information required. Express consent is most often given in writing when you sign applications or forms. You can also give express consent orally or electronically in certain circumstances. Implied consent is when we assume you have given consent based on an action you take or decide not to.

Consent may also be given through an authorized representative, such as a legal guardian or a person having power of attorney.

Limiting or Withdrawing Consent

You may limit or withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. Please be advised that by failing to provide consent or withdrawing your consent, we may not be able to provide the products and services requested or continue existing services.  Our staff can discuss the consequences of withdrawing consent with you and assist with submitting your request.  Please note, we require a reasonable time period to process your request.

 

How We Collect Information

Most of the information we collect comes directly from you and from product and service arrangements you make with or through us. We may also collect personal information from third parties such as credit reporting agencies, other financial institutions, public records, government registries, or from references you provide.

These are some ways we collect personal information:

  • On applications, agreements, and forms

  • Through your ongoing interactions with us in branch, by phone, email, or chat

  • If you submit a contact or appointment request on our website

  • From affiliates or third parties

 

When We Use and Share Information

Access Credit Union does not sell member lists or personal information to others. However, we may release personal information to parties outside the credit union in limited circumstances.

 

These are some examples of when we may share information:

  • Within Access to manage your relationship with us

  • With consent, we may disclose your credit history with us to other lenders if you apply for credit at another financial institution or to credit reporting agencies as part of the credit process

  • With others who share ownership or liability for a product or service, you have with us, such as a joint account holder or guarantor on a loan

  • With your legal representatives

  • In response to a valid subpoena, warrant, court order, or other legal demand or request. We will only disclose the information required or permitted by law.

  • To comply with legal and regulatory requirements

  • To help us collect a debt owed to us by you

  • To an organization to prevent, detect, or investigate fraud

  • During an emergency that threatens the life, health, or security of an individual

  • To investigate an offense under the laws of Canada or another jurisdiction

  • In order to complete a business transaction such as a merger with another credit union

  • To a government institution or an individual’s next of kin or authorized representative when there is reason to believe a member has been, is, or may be the victim of financial abuse

  • When permitted or required by law

In the course of doing business, personal information may be shared with affiliates, external agents, or service providers that perform services on our behalf. We choose reputable companies, provide only the minimum amount of information necessary, and use contracts and other measures to provide a comparable level of protection and compliance while information is being sent to or processed by them.

 

These services could include but are not limited to data processing, cheque orders, statement production, secondary support, marketing, and administrative services. Service providers are not allowed to use your personal information for any unauthorized purpose.

In some cases, our service providers may be located outside of your province or Canada. Please note, personal information may be subject to and accessed under the laws of the jurisdictions in which these service providers operate.

 

Automated Decisions

We may use automated processes to make decisions about you.  For example, when you apply for a credit product, automated credit adjudication tools may be used to make a decision on whether to approve your application.

 

 

How to Make an Access Request, Inquiry or Complaint

Please provide the following in a written request:

Access Request

  • A description of the information to which you seek access

  • Your name, address and phone number where you can be reached during the day

Inquiry or Complaint

  • The nature of the inquiry or complaint (please be as specific as possible)

  • Your name, address and phone number where you can be reached during the day

Our Privacy Officer will contact you if additional information is required to verify your identity or respond to your request.

All access requests, inquiries or complaints are to be sent to our Privacy Officer:

Email: privacyofficer@accesscu.ca

Mail: Access Credit Union
Attention: Privacy Officer
PTH #14 Unit #2 – 23111
Stanley Business Centre
Winkler, MB R6W 4B4

Privacy Online

Protecting Your Privacy Over the Internet

This information page describes in general terms how your personal information is collected and used within the online banking section of our site, the area of our website that requires you to use your Member ID and Personal Access Code (PAC) to enter.

Controlled Access to your Information
To ensure that you are the only person accessing your personal financial information, we restrict access to the online banking section of the site by requiring that you enter your Member ID and PAC to login. Only you know your PAC. Our employees do not have access to your PAC, and they will not ask you to reveal it. If someone does ask you to provide your PAC to them, we ask that you refuse to do so and contact us immediately.

Transactional Services
By nature, our Internet banking site has many transactional functions such as transfers between accounts and bill payment functions. These transactions are all logged to ensure that your accounts are debited or credited appropriately, and a history of each transaction is available to verify your account information. We store and use your transactional information in the same fashion as if you performed the transaction at a branch or through any other service channel.
We may also use transactional information for servicing your account — for example, billing you for the particular transactions that you perform, or for the services that you use.

Creating a Secure Channel
We create a secure channel between your browser and our server to protect your information when you use the site. To learn more about how we do this, please review our information on Internet Security.

Application Forms
To provide you with a convenient method for applying for loans and mortgages, or for purchasing other financial services products such as Registered Savings Plans, we may provide secure online application forms. These forms capture personal information that we use to provide you with the products and services you request. This information is processed in a similar way to application forms received through our other channels.

Website Usage Statistics
To continually improve our site, we often collect statistics about how our members are using it. These usage statistics are only viewed in the aggregate and are not associated with you as an individual. We use this information for purposes such as improving the pages where our members are having difficulties.

The information collected may include your IP address, your browser type, and your operating system, as well as data such as the number and types of pages visited, and the length of time spent per page and on the site overall.

Our use of Cookies
We also use a key web technology called cookies. A cookie is a small information token that sits on your computer. As you use this site, cookies are passed back and forth between our server and your browser.

Specifically, we use two kinds of cookies — session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie exists only for the length of your browsing session and is deleted when you close your browser. A persistent cookie stays on your computer after you close your browser, and may or may not expire on a given date.

We use a session cookie to maintain the integrity of your online banking session. With each page that you visit, the cookie is passed back and forth between our server and your browser. We use the cookie to distinguish your session from the many others that may be happening at the same time. Our session cookies never store any personal information, such as your name, or date of birth, or financial information, such as your accounts and balances.

We may use persistent cookies to (i) provide you with a customized experience by recording your preferences; (ii) gather statistical information such as average time spent on a page; and (iii) to show you targeted marketing information about us when you visit other websites. The data gathered provides us with information on how we can improve the design, content, and navigation of our website.

Most recent browser versions allow you to set some level of control over which cookies are accepted and how your browser uses them. For example, it may be set to notify you when it is receiving a cookie so that you accept cookies from only known, reliable sites such as this one. If you are concerned about cookies, we encourage you to upgrade your browser to the most recent version and review the Help section of your browser to learn more about its specific control features.

Cookies of third party providers and tracking
We use the services of other companies to optimize this website and our services as described below:

1. Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies, text files stored on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators, and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage to the website operator. Your IP address, which has been transmitted by Google Analytics, will not be associated with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. However, please note that if you do this, you may not be able to use all functions of this website. Furthermore, you can prohibit Google from collecting and analyzing the cookie generated data about your use of the website (including your IP address) or downloading and installing the browser plugin available here. If you visit this website using a mobile device (e.g. a smartphone or tablet), you can refuse the future use of Google Analytics via this link. By activating the link, we will put a cookie in your browser which signals to us that we should prevent Google Analytics from using your device. Please keep in mind that you will have to repeat the refusal process if you remove the cookies from your browser.

2. Google AdWords Conversion Tracking
Cookies related to Google’s AdWords service are in use on this website. These are small text files saved on the user's computer. The information generated by the cookie about the website use will be transmitted to and stored on servers in the United States by Google. Using cookies, the user behavior on a website can be analyzed and subsequently utilized to provide targeted product recommendations and advertising based on the user's interests. Data stored in these cookies do not contain personally identifiable information.

If you would prefer to not receive any targeted advertising, you can deactivate the use of cookies for these purposes through Google by visiting the website. Alternatively, users can deactivate the use of cookies by third party providers by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative's deactivation website.

Please note that Google has its own data protection policy which is independent of our own. We assume no responsibility or liability for their policies and procedures. Please read Google's privacy policy before using this website.

3. Google AdWords Remarketing
This website uses Google's remarketing technology. This technology enables users who have already visited our online services and shown interest in our services to see targeted advertising on the websites of the Google partner network. Likewise, users that are similar to the visitors of this website can be included as part of the remarketing audience.

4. Facebook Conversion Tracking Pixel
With your permission, this website utilizes the Conversion Tracking Pixel service of Facebook Inc. This tool allows us to follow the actions of users after they are redirected to a provider's website by clicking on a Facebook advertisement. We are thus able to record the efficacy of Facebook advertisements for statistical and market research purposes. The collected data remain anonymous. This means that we cannot see the personal data of any individual user. However, the collected data are saved and processed by Facebook. We are informing you on this matter according to our information at this time. Facebook is able to connect the data with your Facebook account and use the data for their own advertising purposes, in accordance with Facebook's Data Use Policy found here. Facebook Conversion Tracking also allows Facebook and its partners to show you advertisements on and outside Facebook. In addition, a cookie will be saved onto your computer for these purposes.

Only users over 13 years of age may give their permission.

5. Twitter Conversion Tracking
We use the Conversion Tracking service of Twitter Inc. This tracking records if a user of this website clicks on a link posted by Twitter. In this way, both we and Twitter can see if a registration has taken place. The identity of the user remains anonymous. In addition, we use Twitter's Tailored Audiences service. This enables us to appeal to this website's users with targeted advertisements. To do this, Twitter uses a code snippet (tag) which we have integrated into this website. No personal data are collected during this process. Tailored Audiences is also used to create lookalike targeting lists.
You can find more information about Twitter's privacy policy in their data privacy statement. You can adjust your privacy settings for tailored advertisements at this link. Twitter also supports “Do Not Track” (DNT). If you have activated this option in your browser, Twitter will not receive any browser-related information (browser cookie ID) from web partners in order to tailor their advertisements to you.

We welcome any questions or concerns about your privacy relating to use of our website. Please email your questions or comments to us at info@accesscu.ca. As we continue to expand our online banking services to serve you better, we may update the information on this page at any time, to reflect changes.

Signing Out of your Session
To ensure that no one else can access your personal information, always use the logout button to end an online banking session. It is located at the top of every page. When you exit using the logout button, we delete your session cookie so that your session cannot be resumed unless your Member ID and PAC are re-entered.

Automatic Session Time-outs
To help protect your information, your online banking session will end automatically if there has been no activity for 20 minutes or if your visit lasts longer than 60 minutes. If your session has timed out, no further transactions can be made until you log in again. This time-out feature helps protect your accounts from unauthorized access if your PC is left unattended or if you have forgotten to log out. To restart the session, you will need to login again.

Email
To communicate with us electronically, we strongly recommend that you use our Contact Us feature, which provides a secure channel for sending us comments, questions, or instructions.

General email is not secure since it passes through many points on its route from you to us. If you are using general email to communicate with us, we strongly recommend that you do not include personal financial information (such as account numbers) within the email as we cannot guarantee its confidentiality en route to us.

When you email us your comments, questions, or instructions, you provide us your email address which we use to correspond with you. We then store your email and our replies to you in case we correspond further.

Links to Other Sites
Our site may also contain links to other websites or Internet resources. As an example, from time-to-time we may provide links to Microsoft or Google to assist you in upgrading your Internet browser. However, we have no control over these other websites or Internet resources and do not control their collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information. Always review the Privacy Statements of the sites that you are viewing.

Contact Us
We welcome any questions or concerns about your privacy relating to use of our website. Please Contact Us to submit your questions or comments.

As we continue to expand our online banking services to serve you better, and as new Internet technologies become available, we may update the information on this page at any time, to reflect changes.
MOBILE APPS

The following list of permissions and activities are required by our mobile app to operate. These include:

  • “Access Camera” permission is used by the app to deposit a cheque via mobile deposit capture, store a custom profile picture and background.
  • “Access Location” permission is used by the app to accurately locate the nearest ATM or branch in the “Find Us” feature.
  • “Call Permission” is used to automatically call the user’s preferred branch by tapping on the phone number in the “Find Us” feature.
  • “Contact List” permission is used to set up new Interac e-Transfer® contacts and send an Interac e-Transfer®. Only the device contact information a user confirms is readable by Interac.
  • “Internal Storage” permission is required to view, share and download PDF files from the mobile app to a user’s device.
  • “App Activities” uses mobile app interaction data for analytics on usage and crash information for the current app version. We also monitor application stability using the crash logs to make ongoing improvements. Data collected on app activities, information and performance is completely anonymous and aggregated – individual users are not identifiable.
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