Privacy Policy.

1. Who we are

Vantage Merchant Group LLC (“Vantage,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a payments consultancy based in Atlanta, GA. We help businesses find payment processing, merchant accounts and business funding through our network of processing, banking and funding partners. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect information when you visit vantagemerchantgroup.com, contact us, or apply for a merchant account or funding through us.

2. Information we collect

Contact and business information

• Your name, email address, phone number and company name
• Business legal name and DBA, business and mailing addresses, website, years in business and number of locations
• Business structure and ownership type, type of goods or services sold, and federal tax ID (EIN)

Owner and principal information

• Name, title, home address, phone number, email address and percentage of ownership
• Date of birth, Social Security number and driver’s license information, which processors and banks require for identity verification and underwriting

Financial and processing information

• Bank account and routing numbers for deposits and settlement
• Processing history, sales method, statements and volume details
• Answers to underwriting questions, such as prior bankruptcies or processor terminations
• Documents you upload or send us, such as IDs, voided checks, processing and bank statements, and ownership documents

Technical information

• Our hosting provider may automatically record basic technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, device information and the pages requested, to keep the site secure and running

Calls and emails

• Anything you choose to share with us when you call, email or message us

3. How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to you: answer questions, follow up on requests and provide updates about your inquiry.
• Review your needs: analyze your current processing setup and costs and recommend payment or funding solutions.
• Process applications: prepare and submit your application to processing, banking or funding partners for underwriting, identity verification and approval.
• Support your account: help set up your merchant account and provide ongoing support after you go live.
• Protect our business and clients: help prevent fraud, abuse and unauthorized activity.
• Meet legal obligations: comply with applicable laws, regulations, partner requirements and record-keeping obligations.

4. How we share your information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as needed to provide our services, including with:

• Payment processors, acquiring banks and funding partners: to review, underwrite and approve the services you apply for. These partners may run identity, credit or background checks and handle your information under their own privacy policies.
• Service providers: companies that help us run our business, such as website hosting and email, which may process information only to provide those services to us.
• Legal requirements: when required by law, regulation, subpoena or court order, or to protect the rights, property or safety of Vantage, our clients or others.
• Business transfers: if Vantage is involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganization or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. Data security

We take the protection of your information seriously and use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards, including:

• Encrypted connections: our website uses HTTPS, so information you submit through our forms is encrypted while it travels to us.
• No website database: contact form and application submissions, including uploaded files, are sent by email directly to our team. Our website does not save submissions in a database.
• Limited access: access to applications and supporting documents is limited to the people who need it to serve you and to the partners reviewing your application.

No method of sending or storing information over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you would prefer another way to share sensitive documents, call us at +1 (678) 274-2137.

6. Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Access: request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: ask us to delete your personal information, subject to legal, regulatory and underwriting retention requirements.
• Opt out of marketing: ask us to stop sending marketing emails or calls at any time, or use the unsubscribe link in any marketing email.

State privacy rights

Residents of certain states, such as California, Virginia, Colorado and Connecticut, may have additional rights under their state privacy laws, such as the right to know what personal information is collected and to request its deletion. We do not sell personal information. To make a request, contact us using the details in Section 12. We will respond in line with applicable law and will not treat you differently for exercising your rights.

7. Cookies and tracking

We do not use advertising or analytics cookies, and we do not track you across other websites.

• Essential functions: our forms need basic browser features to work and to protect against spam submissions.
• Temporary browser storage: if you enter your email on our homepage, your browser may hold it temporarily so it can be filled in on the contact page. It stays on your device and is cleared when you close the browser tab.

You can manage or clear cookies and stored site data through your browser settings. If we add analytics tools in the future, we will update this policy first.

8. Data retention

We keep personal information only as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described in this policy and to meet our legal obligations. Specifically:

• Clients: information for approved merchant accounts or funding is kept for the length of our relationship and for a period afterward as required by payment industry rules, partner agreements and record-keeping laws.
• Applications not approved: may be kept for a limited period for compliance and fraud-prevention purposes.
• Inquiries: contact form messages and emails are kept as long as needed to respond and follow up.

When information is no longer needed, we delete it or make it anonymous.

9. Children’s privacy

Our website and services are intended for businesses and are not directed to anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Other websites

Our site may link to other websites, including those of our partners. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, so please review their policies.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we do, we will post the updated policy on this page and change the “Last updated” date at the top.

12. Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your privacy rights, or need to reach us for any reason, contact: