Protecting your personal information.

What we collect.

When you choose to bank with Vancity, you are asked to give us permission to collect personal and anonymous information from you, both directly from you and from the product and service arrangements you make with or through us.

We only collect personal information with your express or implied consent. This includes but not limited to:

Email address
SIN number
Device ID and IP addresses
Domain name
Frequented web pages
Web pages most interacted with

We, however, do not collect information about individual users. We also obtain information from the credit reporting agencies, other financial institutions and from the references you authorize us to contact.

Why we collect.

Keep track of your enviro™ Visa* account activity and monitor your spending easily through enviro Visa credit card alerts. They’re available through the Manage my Visa card website and Online Banking.

The personal information we collect about you helps us:

Match you to the right products and services.
Determine your eligibility for products like loans
Ensure high service standards
Meet regulatory requirements
Verify your identity
Protect you from fraud

Ways we collect said info.

Subscriptions and registrations

In some areas on our website, we may ask for information that enables us to help serve your needs, or to follow-up with you at another time. We may ask for your name, email address and other personal information when you provide feedback in an online survey, participate in an online promotion or contest, subscribe to a newsletter or other periodic mailings, fill out an application form or change your banking information. In all cases, providing this information is completely optional.

Anonymous website tracking information

We gather anonymous information about the name of the domain from which you access the Internet, such as telus.net or shaw.ca, your device ID and IP address. We do the same with the date and time you access our website and the address of the website you came from. We do not, however, collect information about individual users. This information simply tells us which areas of our website are of most interest to members, which methods of site promotion are most effective and when peak use occurs.

We use cookies to obtain certain types of information when your web browser accesses our website. A cookie is a small file we transfer to your computer that tells us when you return to our website, which can save you time online and help vancity.com to be more efficient.

Opting out.

You can choose to opt-out of receiving marketing and communication materials from us. Make a request for an opt-out form at any branch or call our Member Services Centre. You can also use our online Opt Out Form. Opt-out requests may require up to six weeks to take effect and do not affect your eligibility for products or services.

Steps we take to protect you.

Vancity has a robust privacy and security framework, and we have implemented several privacy practices and procedures to prevent unauthorized access, use or manipulation of your personal information, including:

Requiring all employees sign a confidentiality agreement and undergo training to deal with confidentiality requirements around sensitive financial information and appropriate safeguarding procedures
Identifying clear lines of accountability for any and all privacy and security incidents
Implementing electronic security measures such as passwords, pass codes, multi-factor authentication and, where necessary, encryption
Limiting physical access to secure areas in our buildings
Limiting information access to only those employees that need it to provide you with services
Requiring contractual agreements with our business partners to ensure confidentiality

To further protect against unauthorized access to your accounts, our online banking system is designed to automatically log you off after an extended period of inactivity. If this happens, you will be required to log in again to resume your online banking transactions.

How you can protect yourself.

You can help ensure that your personal information is accurate, up to date and protected in a few simple steps:

Keep confidential your account information, member card #, user ID, online banking password, in-branch member identification code (MIC) and other personal information
Review your monthly account statements thoroughly and report suspicious activity to us immediately
Verify the identity of any person asking for your personal information by phone before you provide information, including anyone calling from Vancity
Refrain from using unsecured email to send sensitive or confidential information
Log off your online applications when you are finished conducting business online, so that no one else can enter your accounts
Update your software and operating system – including your personal firewall, anti-virus, and anti-spyware protection – on a regular basis
Shred unwanted printed financial and account information – like a bank statement or receipts – so that they don’t fall into someone else’s hands
Update your address and contact information as soon as you move

FAQs.

Why does Vancity need my social insurance number (SIN)?

You become a Vancity member by buying an equity share, which may earn dividends. For this reason, we are required for income tax purposes to request your social insurance number (SIN) and report these dividends and any interest you earn on your accounts. Your SIN is also required for all government-registered investment products. And, if we request your credit report, your SIN ensures that the information we receive refers to you and not to someone else.

You may choose to limit the use of your SIN to income tax reporting purposes. Doing so will not prevent you from accessing credit.

How can I keep my personal information up to date?

You can contact us at any time to ensure that the information we have about you is accurate. If you wish to make changes to your personal information, you can call us, visit a Vancity branch, or write to us. Also, each time you sign a document at Vancity, you should verify that your personal information is correct and request changes if required.

We retain your personal information only as long as it is needed to provide you with service and to meet legal requirements. We destroy the information when it is no longer required.

Do you share my personal information within Vancity?

Yes. We may share your personal information within Vancity to manage all your business with Vancity, to administer Vancity’s banking operations, to detect and prevent fraud and money laundering and to collect debts owed to Vancity. We may also share your personal information within Vancity to introduce products and services that could be of interest to you (unless you opt-out of receiving such information and always subject to applicable law).

Do you share my personal information with other organizations?

Yes, but in specific instances only.

We share your personal information with credit bureaus and other financial institutions to maintain the integrity of the credit reporting system. And, we occasionally share information with legal or regulatory authorities when required to by law.
We share limited personal information with our business partners and third parties who work on our behalf to provide products and services. These business partners may be located within or outside Canada. Whenever we request services from our business partners, we enter into a contractual agreement to ensure confidentiality and share the least information needed to perform the required task. For example, companies that mail out promotional materials on our behalf are provided with your name and address only. When statistics are compiled for research purposes, all information that can identify you is removed to ensure confidentiality.

What happens if I opt-out of receiving marketing and communication materials from Vancity?

If you choose to opt-out, you will no longer receive information on special promotional offers. For example, time-limited or special rates on products and services like term deposits or mortgages, offers and discounts for events open only to Vancity members, and information about new products and services that may be relevant to you. You will still receive important notices from us such as changes to the products and services you have with us, as well as election bulletins, policy changes and regulatory updates. You will also continue to receive priority statement inserts.

Can I see the personal information you have about me?

Yes, you may access your personal information at any time. However, we do not share information that contains references to other persons or information that cannot be disclosed for legal, security or proprietary reasons. To update or access your information, please visit a Vancity branch or call our Member Services Centre at 604-877-7000 or toll-free at 1-888-Vancity (826-2489). It also makes good sense to check your credit report every year to check that you have not become a victim of identity theft without your knowledge.

You can access your credit history through the following credit reporting agencies:

Equifax Canada: 1-877-227-8800
TransUnion Canada: 1-877-525-3823

How long do you keep my information on file?

We retain your personal information only as long as it is needed to provide you with service and to meet legal requirements. We destroy the information when it is no longer required.