Privacy Policy
We're committed to:
- Keeping your personal information secure
- Using it appropriately
- NEVER selling it to third parties for marketing purposes
- Respecting your privacy wishes
It is our privilege to earn your business and our responsibility to treat your personal information carefully.
We believe an important part of building a strong relationship with you is by respecting your privacy and the information we collect about you. You may have questions about how we do this. That's why we created this Privacy Notice. Our goal is to be upfront and clear about:
- How we collect and use your information
- Who we might share it with
- What steps we take to make sure it stays private and safe
This notice applies to any account, product or service you have with us - from the time you start dealing with us and throughout our relationship. We have strived to make this document easy to read, understand and use. The bottom line is, when it comes to your information we are committed to transparency - not surprises.
First things first: Getting your permission
We don't ask for your personal information unless we need it to provide or improve our products and services for you.
As part of doing business with us, we collect some details about you. Before we do, first we ask for your permission. We want to be sure we have your consent to collect, use and, where necessary, share your information with our partners and suppliers that help us serve you. Whenever we introduce new services and technologies, we'll ensure you understand and agree to any new ways in which your information is handled.
There are a limited number of situations - for example, if we receive a subpoena or other legal request - where we may disclose certain personal information without your consent. These exceptions are discussed further in this notice.
What information we collect and why
We collect personal information to:
- Know and serve you
- Comply with laws
- Meet government information requests
- Protect you and our business from financial crime
We collect information about you to help us serve you as our customer, to understand and meet your financial needs, and to improve our products and services. In addition, we collect certain details required by governments and regulators in Canada, including information that helps protect HSBC, the financial system and our customers from financial crime.
There is basic information we gather from every customer. Then depending on your relationship with us, we may collect other details. For example:
- To set up your banking account, we need personal details to know who you are
- If you want a credit card or loan from us, we need to get a credit report so we understand your experience with managing debt
- If you're an investor, we want to know your investment objectives and knowledge
Will other people be connected to your products or services?
When our customers have financial connections or important relationships with other people, we need to know about these connections and people to help us understand how, for whom and by whom our products and services are being used and funded. Some common examples are a guarantor, trustee, executor or joint owner of an account or credit card. We are required to collect information from these people too.
Identification and contact details
Types of information we collect | How we use it |
Your name, home address, phone numbers, email |
• To identify and verify you • To communicate with you • To protect you and HSBC |
Date of birth |
• To verify you when you contact us • To assess products and services that may be of interest |
Citizenship and country of birth |
• To meet laws in other countries where you bank with us |
Social insurance number (SIN) |
• For tax reporting purposes - for example, the Government of Canada requires all financial institutions to collect the SIN for financial products that earn interest or investment income, such as GICs, mutual funds and Registered Education Savings Plans • As another way to identify and verify you |
Tax residency and tax identification number (if applicable) |
• To comply with Canadian law such as the Common Reporting Standards (CRS) and Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) |
Occupation, employer name and address |
• To comply with government regulations such as anti-money laundering laws |
Your communication preferences, including:
|
• To honour your privacy choices • To help us tailor our interactions with you - including serving you in your preferred language and through your preferred channel (branch, online, phone) • To inform you of news about our products and services, as well as special promotions, offers or events • To contact you for customer surveys and research |
Financial data
Types of information we collect | How we use it |
Account and transaction data:
|
• To set up your account and process withdrawals/deposits • To support and improve your financial products and services • To track your credit card and debit card purchases for you • To understand how you use your accounts and the nature of transactions you conduct through the bank, as required by regulators |
Account and transaction data:
|
• To assess your eligibility for certain products • To help us ensure we provide financial advice, products and investment options that are appropriate for you |
Citizenship and country of birth |
• To meet laws in other countries where you bank with us |
Social insurance number (SIN) |
• For tax reporting purposes - for example, the Government of Canada requires all financial institutions to collect the SIN for financial products that earn interest or investment income, such as GICs, mutual funds and Registered Education Savings Plans • As another way to identify and verify you |
Tax residency and tax identification number (if applicable) |
• To comply with Canadian law such as the Common Reporting Standards (CRS) and Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) |
Occupation, employer name and address |
• To comply with government regulations such as anti-money laundering laws |
Your communication preferences, including:
|
• To help us tailor our interactions with you - including serving you in your preferred language and through your preferred channel (branch, online, phone) • To inform you of news about our products and services, as well as special promotions, offers or events • To contact you for customer surveys and research |
Managing our risks and interests
Types of information we collect | How we use it |
Credit information:
|
• To understand your experience with managing credit, so we can decide if you are initially eligible to receive credit from us and continue to be on an ongoing basis • We obtain credit reports from the two major credit reporting agencies (“credit bureaus”) in Canada: Equifax and TransUnion. They maintain credit information about Canadians, such as types of loans/credit you have, the balances you owe and your bill payment habits. |
Information to monitor financial crime:
|
There are certain things the law says we have to do to help detect, prevent and investigate financial crime - such as money laundering, terrorist financing, bribery, corruption and tax evasion. We may be required to use your information to do this, even if you have asked us to stop using your information. That could include (among other things): • Screening, intercepting and investigating any payments, instructions or communications you send or receive (including drawdown requests and application forms) • Investigating who you're paying or who's paying you • Passing information to fraud prevention agencies, if we think you've given us false or inaccurate information, or we suspect fraud • Combining the information we have about you with information from other HSBC companies • Checking whether the people or organizations you're paying or receiving payments from are who they say they are, and aren't subject to any sanctions |
Video surveillance
|
• To view and record images at our banking facilities • To prevent robberies and investigate crimes |
Product/service data:
|
• To measure how our products/services are performing • To identify opportunities for new products/services or improvements to existing ones |
Your interactions with us
Types of information we collect | How we use it |
Through branch, phone and email:
|
• For quality assurance and staff training purposes • To retain a record of your interactions with HSBC • To understand any concerns you may have so that we can resolve and improve your experience |
Through digital interactions:(such as our websites, apps, chat services, SMS and social media sites)
|
• To personalize your experience and track how you use our sites and apps • To recommend products and display ads on our websites that match your interests (internet-based advertising) • To notify you of any relevant issues • To understand any concerns you may have so that we can resolve and improve your experience |
* A cookie is a small file that is passed from our website to the device you use to access our services. The cookie is used to save information about the interaction between you and our website or online banking platform, such as login credentials, preferences and any work in progress.
Government and law enforcement agencies
Sometimes it may be necessary for HSBC to disclose customer information to meet our compliance, regulatory and financial crime risk management obligations. In such cases, we may not need your consent and will only disclose it under proper authority. For example:
- If we receive a subpoena, search warrant, court or government order, we release the information and limit it only to what's legally required.
- When required, we release some customer information to government authorities and investigative bodies for law enforcement purposes - for example, to combat financial crime and to investigate violations of the law.
Other third parties
We may exchange information about your credit history with other lenders or credit reporting agencies in Canada. Credit information sharing is something that all financial institutions do because it helps evaluate your eligibility to receive credit.
The law also allows us to disclose personal information without your consent when collecting a debt owed to us. In this situation we will work directly with a collection agency and give them the information they need to resolve the amounts due.
In the event of a merger, sale or reorganization, we may transfer some or all customer information to the relevant third party.
How we protect your information
You've entrusted us with your information. It's our job to keep it private - and safe.
Our security measures
We are accountable for protecting your privacy. It's a responsibility we take very seriously, so we strive to treat all of your information with great care. We have powerful safeguards in place to keep your information safe and confidential. These include:
Physical security
- Secure access areas that require passcards
- Branch and head office security guards
- Dual-key security deposit boxes
- Video surveillance
Electronic security
- Strong authentication (e.g., PINs)
- Data encryption techniques
- Network security (e.g., firewalls)
- Digital monitoring systems
Procedural measures
- Mandatory employee training on the importance of privacy and protecting customer data
- Strict policies to prevent unauthorized access to customer information by anyone, including HSBC staff
- Employee Code of Conduct that defines our expectations for employee behaviour around protecting customer privacy
How long we'll keep it
We only keep your information for as long as we need it to serve you and to meet legal requirements. When we no longer need the information, it is either destroyed or made anonymous.
About this Privacy Notice
Effective date: September 1, 2017
This Privacy Notice highlights how we collect, use and share information. More information is available in our general Terms and Conditions and Customer Information Consent documents, which are provided to you when you purchase products and services from HSBC Bank Canada and during your ongoing relationship with us.
Updates to this notice
We may modify this notice from time to time, and will post the most current version online. If we revise it, updates will take effect 30 days later.
Who this notice applies to?
In this notice, HSBC means HSBC Bank Canada and all HSBC Canadian companies you may deal with now or later1. Our privacy commitments on this website apply to:
- HSBC customers and possible customers (prospects)
- Individuals connected to HSBC's commercial business
- Individuals connected to our customers
Wherever we've said ‘you' or ‘your', that includes your organization and your people - including the other people on your account, anyone who handles your financial affairs or deals with us for you, and other people in your organization (including partners, directors, officers, members, shareholders and trustees).
Who this notice doesn't apply to?
Job candidates - information on personal information management for these individuals is housed in our job application system
1 Our affiliates and subsidiaries in Canada include: HSBC Asset Management (Canada) Limited; HSBC Investment Funds (Canada) Inc.; HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc. (including HSBC InvestDirect); HSBC Trust Company (Canada); HSBC Loan Corporation (Canada); HSBC Mortgage Corporation (Canada); HSBC Loan Corporation (Canada); HSBC Insurance Agency (Canada) Inc.; HSBC Finance Mortgages Inc.; HSBC Retail Services Limited; HSBC Privacy Wealth Services (Canada) Inc.; and Household Trust Company.
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees, investment management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus and Fund Facts before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed or covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, HSBC Bank Canada, or any other government deposit insurer or financial institution. The net asset values of all mutual funds, including the Funds, change frequently and any past performance may not be repeated. For money market funds, there can be no assurances that such funds will be able to maintain its net asset value per security at a constant amount or that the full amount of your investment in the fund will be returned to you. Read more