Privacy Policy

Our privacy philosophy

At Loans Canada, trust, support, and reliability are core to our guiding principles. Read through this Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) so you understand how we use, share, secure, and store your data.

1. Our Policy

Welcome to the website https://loanscanada.ca/ (the “Website”) of Loans Canada & CompareHub & Prets Quebec (6069321 Canada Inc) (“Loans Canada”, “we,” “us,” or “our”). Loans Canada is a loan comparison platform and is used to learn about lenders and credit or to apply for loans and other financial services and other related services (collectively, the “Service(s)”). Loans Canada does not arrange or underwrite any financial services and is simply a referral service. When you apply for a service on Loans Canada, our platform will make a referral of your application to qualified providers. “Users” and “you” refer to anyone who visits or uses our Services, or communicates with us. The Website is a copyrighted work belonging to 6069321 Canada Inc. 

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and share that personal information, and your choices concerning our personal information practices. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, “Personal Information” is any information about an identifiable individual, but does not include business contact information used to contact the individual for purposes relating to their job.  For any collection, use, disclosure or other processing that is not reasonably necessary to provide what you’ve asked from us or for purposes connected to enforcing or protecting your or our rights, you can opt-out of such information handling practice. To learn how to opt-out, please see Section 15 below entitled “Your Choices”. 

2. Agreeing To The Terms Of Our Privacy Policy

Before using the Services or submitting any Personal Information to Loans Canada, please review this Privacy Policy carefully and contact us if you have any questions. By using Loans Canada or submitting any information to Loans Canada, you have agreed to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, please do not access the Website or otherwise use the Services. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and subject to our Terms of Service (the “Terms of Service”). 

The Service is intended to be used by Users only in Canada. If you are not in Canada, please do not use our Services.

3.  Personal Information We Collect

Our primary purpose when collecting Personal Information is to provide the Services expected from us by our Users, to achieve optimal operation of our business, and to improve the quality of their interactions by creating customized experiences. The type of Personal Information we collect is reasonably connected to these purposes. For any information that is not reasonably connected to the reason you reached out to Loans Canada, you may opt-out of the information handling practice.

Loans Canada only collects information required to match Users with providers for the Services they request. Our goal is to minimize intrusiveness and maximize the protection of your Personal Information. The type of information that may be collected varies on the Service used (including loan applications, debt relief, business financing, credit building solutions, car loan services, mortgage services, and money transfers), and includes, but is not limited to:

1. Key Contact Information: We collect your name, email address, phone number, mailing/billing addresses, and any other information you choose to provide when you submit information to get a quote.
2. Financial& Employment Information: When you inquire about a quote/estimate with us, we ask you to provide, and will collect, the financial information necessary to provide further details to qualified third-party providers who can assist you with your search. Financial information we collect from Users will be used to find eligible third-party providers for the financial service the User applied for. The information provided to us by Users may be shared with other financial service partners to process the User’s information on their behalf. Information is only disclosed to partners that have been bound by confidentiality obligations. In addition to this, we may use other third-party financial tools or integrations that allow us to better track and manage our transaction history. In some instances, your personal or financial information recorded by us might be shared with these tools so that we have access to related management options. We make every effort to ensure your personal and financial information is safeguarded and that the service providers we work with are credible and practice proper security protocols.
3. Communication Information: We may collect information when you contact us with questions or concerns (such as for support purposes) and when you voluntarily respond to questionnaires, surveys, or requests for market research seeking your opinion and feedback. Providing communication information is optional for you. This includes communication preferences and your preferences in receiving marketing from us and third parties.
4. Commercial Information: We may retain a history of the products you browse and/or purchase using the Services.
5. Profile Information: This includes your username and password, purchases, your interests, preferences, feedback, and survey responses.
6. Social Media Information: We have pages on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (“Social Media Pages”). When you interact with our Social Media Pages, we will collect Personal Information that you elect to provide to us, such as your contact details. In addition, the companies that host our Social Media Pages may provide us with aggregate information and analytics regarding the use of our Social Media Pages. 

Technical and Internet Activity Information: When you use the Services, we may automatically log the following information: 

1. Device Information: This includes information like device manufacturer and model, device identifier, IP address, MAC address, location, browser type, operating system, duration of use, user behaviour, length of time spent on the services, frequency of use, and unique identifiers of the device you use to access the Service. We may also collect diagnostic information relating to app crashes, app performance, network latency, and network errors. The information we collect may vary based on your device type and settings. 
2. Usage Information: Information about how you use our Service (including on the Website or App), such as the types of content that you view or engage with, the features you use, the actions you take, and the time, frequency, and duration of your activities.  For the Website, we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”) to help collect and analyze Usage Information. For more information on how Google uses this information, click here. Other tracking and analytics tools may be utilized by Loans Canada, including those provided by Facebook and other social media or digital advertising platforms.
3. Location Information: We may derive a rough estimate of your location from your IP address when you visit our website. For users of our App, we may also collect and maintain a history of your precise location information using WiFi and Bluetooth technologies, as well as your device identifiers and GPS coordinates (e.g. latitude/longitude). If you want to prevent the collection of your location information, please adjust your settings in your device to limit the mobile application’s access to your location information.
4. Email Open/Click Information: We may collect information about the date and time you open or click links in emails we send.
5. App Access: For users of the App, we may ask permission to access certain information from your mobile device, including your contact list, photos and videos, and microphone and camera. It is optional for you to provide us with access to this information. However, certain features of the App may not function optimally if you decide to not provide us with permission.

4. How We Collect Your Information

Personal Information may be collected in a number of ways, primarily through the Services.

In general, you can browse the Website without telling us who you are or revealing any Personal Information about yourself. If you would like to proceed with the Services, we require certain information from you in order to fulfill service features and functionality, verify your identity, and provide a safe experience for all parties. Information collected includes, but is not limited to, identifying information, and contact information.

We may use the following technologies to collect information:

1. Cookies, which are text files stored on your device to uniquely identify your browser or to store information or settings in the browser to help you navigate between pages efficiently, remember your preferences, and enable functionality (“Cookies”), help us understand user activity and patterns, and facilitate online advertising. By using Loans Canada, its website or any of its services, you are accepting Cookies and in continuing to visit or use our Website, you are agreeing to the use of Cookies and similar technologies for the purposes we describe in this Privacy Policy.
2. Local storage technologies, like HTML5, that provide cookie-equivalent functionality but can store larger amounts of data, including on your device, outside of your browser in connection with specific applications.
3. Web beacons, also known as pixel tags or clear GIFs, which are used to demonstrate that a webpage or email was accessed or opened, or that certain content was viewed or clicked.
4. Third-party metrics and analytics, including Google Analytics and other social media or digital advertising tracking pixels, on certain pages or features of the Service to help us understand and analyze visitor traffic, measure the promotional effectiveness and efficacy of our features, offerings, and marketing campaigns. We also use these tools to identify pitfalls, shortcomings, and areas of our operations in need of improvement, and to view the overall performance and ranking of our online presence. These tools might store Cookies on your device at their discretion. We sometimes use surveys or other forms provided by a third party. It is possible that when engaged, the third-party provider might collect information or store a Cookie. We never explicitly provide information that we have collected about you to any third parties. We recognize your right to employ the use of programs that may block our use of any third-party tools.
5. Social media, if you post a review, make a comment, or otherwise submit Personal Information on a public forum such as with one of our social media accounts, your communications may be viewable by the public.

You do not have to use the Services if you do not want to disclose your information. You have the right to refuse to provide us with information by disengaging from the feature or offering that is making the request

5. How We Use Your Information

We use your Personal Information for the following purposes:

1. Service Delivery, including to:
   1. Provide, operate, maintain, and secure the Service.
2. Communicating with You, including to:
   1. Send you updates about administrative matters such as changes to our Terms of Service or Privacy Policy; and
   2. Provide user support, and respond to your requests, questions, and feedback.
3. Service Improvement, including to: 

1. Improve the Service and create new features; 
2. Personalize your experience; and 
3. Create and derive insights from de-identified and aggregated information. 
4. Marketing and Advertising, including for:

1. Direct Marketing: To send you marketing communications, including notifying you of special promotions, offers, and events via email and other means; and
2. Interest-Based Advertising: We engage advertising partners, including third-party advertising companies and social media companies, to display ads on the Service and other online services. These companies may use cookies and similar technologies to collect Technical and Internet Activity Information over time across the Service, our communications, and other online services, and use that information to serve online ads that they think will interest you. This is called interest-based advertising. We may also share information about our users with these companies to facilitate interest-based advertising to similar users (known as a “lookalike audience”) on other online platforms. 
3. Compliance and Protection, including to:

1. Comply with applicable laws, lawful requests, and legal process, such as to respond to subpoenas or requests from government authorities;
2. Protect our, your, or others’ rights, privacy, safety, or property (including by making and defending legal claims);
3. Audit our compliance with legal and contractual requirements and internal policies; and
4. Prevent, identify, investigate, and deter fraudulent, harmful, unauthorized, unethical, or illegal activity, including cyberattacks and identity theft.

6. Personal Information Sharing

Our Sharing: We do not sell, rent, license, or lease your Personal Information to third parties except for the purpose of servicing your financial product or service request. Additionally, we may share Personal Information with our staff as well as:

1. Service Providers, including hosting services, email services, advertising and marketing services, payment processors, customer support services, and analytics services. We take commercially reasonable steps to ensure our service providers adhere to the security standards we apply to your Personal Information.
2. Professional Advisors, such as lawyers and accountants, where doing so is necessary to facilitate the services they render to us. 
3. Business Transaction Recipients, such as counter parties and others assisting with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, dissolution, asset sale, or similar transaction, and with successors or affiliates as part of or following that transaction.
4. Regulatory requirements, where required to comply with all laws and applicable regulatory requirements.

Loans Canada may disclose your Personal Information: (a) to any governmental authority as part of an investigation to determine our compliance with any applicable law, rule, or regulation (including privacy laws, rules, and regulations); (b) in response to a court order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful judicial or administrative proceeding; (c) as otherwise required or permitted under any applicable law, rule, or regulation; and (d) in good faith, to protect or defend the rights or property of Loans Canada or a third party.

In the instances described above, we may be required to share your Personal Information with or without your consent. In limited circumstances, we may be legally prohibited from advising you that your information was shared in this way.

7. Personal Information Retention And Data Deletion

We keep Personal Information until:

1. We no longer need it to satisfy the purposes described in this Privacy Policy; and 
2. The information is no longer reasonably necessary to enforce, defend, or protect our, yours or a third party’s rights and no longer reasonably necessary to satisfy legal requirements. 

If you wish to have us delete your data held on our servers, please contact us at the support contact information listed in this Privacy Policy. 

8. Children

Our Service is not intended for children who are under the age of 18. Loans Canada does not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under the age of 18. If you have reason to believe that a child under the age of 18 has provided Personal Information to Loans Canada through the Service please contact us and we will endeavour to delete that information from our databases.

9. Job Applicants

When you apply for a job with Loans Canada, we collect the information that you provide in connection with your job application. This includes name, contact information, professional credentials and skills, educational and work history, and other information that may be included in a resume or provided during interviews (which may be recorded). This may also include demographic or diversity information that you voluntarily provide. We may also conduct background checks and receive related information.

We use applicants’ information to facilitate our recruitment activities and process employment applications, including evaluating candidates and monitoring recruitment statistics. If you are a successful applicate, we have a separate privacy policy for employees; however, as a general overview, we use successful applicants’ information to administer the employment relationship. We may also use and disclose applicants’ information (a) to improve our Website; (b) as otherwise necessary to comply with relevant laws; (c) to respond to subpoenas or warrants served on Loans Canada; and (d) to protect and defend the rights or property of Loans Canada or others.

10. Links To Other Websites

The Service may contain links to other websites not operated or controlled by Loans Canada, including social media services (“Third Party Websites”). The information that you share with Third Party Websites will be governed by the specific privacy policies and terms of service of the Third Party Websites and not by this Privacy Policy. By providing these links we do not imply that we endorse or have reviewed these sites. Please contact the Third Party Websites directly for information on their privacy practices and policies. 

11. Data Security and Risk

You use the Service at your own risk. We implement commercially reasonable technical, administrative, and organizational measures to protect Personal Information both online and offline from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. In addition, our employees and contractors understand the importance of keeping your information private. All employees and contractors are expected to maintain the confidentiality of Personal Information.

However, no Internet or e-mail transmission is ever fully secure or error-free. In particular, e-mail sent to or from us may not be secure. Therefore, you should take special care in deciding what information you send to us via the Service or e-mail. Risks resulting from breaches depend on the nature of the information at issue and the circumstances around the breach. When third-party threat actors are involved, the risks increase and are varied including phishing attempts and identity theft. Please keep this in mind when disclosing any Personal Information to Loans Canada via the Internet. In addition, we are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Service or Third Party Websites. We encourage all individuals to provide only the information they are comfortable with providing a third-party, keep watch for communications that are suspicious, and report any suspicious activity to us as soon as possible.

12. Disclosure Of Personal Information Outside Canada

To the extent we transfer or disclose Personal Information to a third party outside Canada, your Personal Information may be subject to the laws of the foreign jurisdictions to which the data is processed or in which it is stored, including any law permitting or requiring disclosure of the information to the government, government agencies, courts, and law enforcement in that jurisdiction. We have undertaken due diligence and have taken appropriate safeguards to require that your Personal Information will remain protected and require our third-party service providers, and partners if applicable, to have appropriate safeguards as well. Where we transfer any Personal Information out of the jurisdiction where you live, including for one or more of the purposes as set out in this Privacy Policy, we will do so in accordance with the requirements of applicable data protection laws, including by entering into data transfer agreements with the recipient to ensure your Personal Information is accorded an adequate level of protection.

13. Your Choices

1. Update or Correct Personal Information: You can contact us and request any updates or corrections needed to keep your Personal Information accurate, current, and complete. 
2. Opt-Out of Marketing Communications: You may opt-out of marketing communications by following the unsubscribe instructions in any marketing email we send you. Please note, however, that you may continue to receive communications after opting out of marketing communications.
3. Opting out of Information Handling Practices:  You may opt-out of those information handling practices set forth herein that are not reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes you’ve requested, subject to certain limitations. To communicate your wishes, please contact us at legal@loanscanada.ca
4. Limit Online Tracking: Here are some of the ways you can limit online tracking:

1. Block Cookies: Most browsers let you remove or reject cookies, including cookies used for interest-based advertising. To do this, follow the instructions in your browser settings. Many browsers accept cookies by default until you change your settings. Use the following links to learn more about how to control cookies and online tracking through your browser:
   1. Firefox; Chrome; Microsoft Edge; Safari
2. Limit the Use of Advertising ID: You may be able to limit use of your mobile device’s advertising ID for interest-based advertising purposes through your device’s settings.
3. Use Privacy Plug-Ins or Browsers: You can block our Services from setting cookies used for interest-based ads by using a browser with privacy features, like Brave, or installing browser plugins like Privacy Badger, DuckDuckGo, Ghostery or uBlock Origin, and configuring them to block third party cookies/trackers. You can also install a browser add-on to opt-out of Google Analytics.
4. Advertising Industry Opt-Outs: You can also use these opt-out options to limit use of your information for interest-based advertising by participating companies:
   1. Digital Advertising Alliance 
   2. Network Advertising Initiative 
5. Do Not Track: We currently do not respond to “Do Not Track” or similar signals.  Learn more about “Do Not Track” here.

Note that the above opt-out mechanisms are specific to the device or browser on which they are exercised. You will need to opt-out on every browser and device that you use to access the Website.

14. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy and all related matters shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the applicable federal laws of Canada.

15. Changes To Privacy Policy

The Service and our business may change from time to time. As a result, we may change this Privacy Policy at any time. Unless another type of notice is required by applicable law, we will post an updated version on this page indicating the effective date of the update at the top of this Privacy Policy. By continuing to use our Service or providing us with Personal Information after we have posted an updated Privacy Policy, or notified you by other means if applicable, you consent to the revised Privacy Policy and practices described in it.

We encourage you to periodically review our Website for the latest information on our privacy practices. If at any point you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, you must not use the Website or our Services.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy or information practices, please feel free to contact us at our designated request address: legal@loanscanada.ca.