Privacy Policy

1. Our commitment to your privacy

FFI Financial Services (Pty) Ltd ("FFI FS", "we", "us" or "our") recognises the importance of protecting your Personal Information and respecting your constitutional right to privacy.

This Privacy Policy explains how FFI FS collects, uses, stores, shares and protects Personal Information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA").

This Policy applies to all individuals and entities whose Personal Information is processed by FFI FS, including but not limited to:

• Merchants;
• Merchant representatives and authorised signatories;
• Customers;
• Employees;
• Contractors;
• Agents;
• Prospective clients;
• Service providers; and
• Website users.

By providing your Personal Information to FFI FS, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and consent to the processing of your Personal Information as described herein, where consent is required by law.

2. What is Personal Information?

Personal Information means information relating to an identifiable, living natural person or an identifiable existing juristic person, including but not limited to:

• Name and surname;
• Identity or registration numbers;
• Contact details;
• Physical and postal addresses;
• Email addresses;
• Banking information;
• Financial information;
• Employment information;
• Device identifiers;
• Merchant transaction information;
• Biometric information where applicable;
• Correspondence records;
• Any other information defined as Personal Information under POPIA.

3. Why we process Personal Information

FFI FS processes Personal Information for legitimate business purposes, including:

3.1 Merchant Services

• Merchant onboarding and due diligence;
• Know Your Customer ("KYC") verification;
• Fraud prevention and risk assessment;
• Providing payment acceptance services;
• Settlement of funds;
• Terminal deployment and support;
• Payment link services;
• Point-of-sale solutions;
• Reporting and reconciliation.

3.2 Financial Services

• Evaluating eligibility for merchant cash advance products;
• Assessing transactional behaviour;
• Managing funding arrangements;
• Performing affordability and risk assessments where applicable.

3.3 Regulatory Compliance

• Compliance with POPIA;
• FICA obligations;
• Anti-money laundering requirements;
• Tax legislation;
• Payment association rules;
• Court orders and lawful requests from regulators.

3.4 Operational Purposes

• Maintaining customer relationships;
• Responding to queries;
• Internal administration;
• Quality assurance;
• Training;
• Product improvement;
• Security monitoring.

4. Information we collect

Depending on the services provided, we may collect:

• Identification documents;
• Company registration documents;
• Banking confirmations;
• Proof of address;
• Merchant application forms;
• Transaction data;
• Settlement information;
• Device and terminal information;
• Contact records;
• Communication records;
• Website usage information.

We only collect information necessary to fulfil lawful and legitimate business purposes.

5. Sharing of Personal Information

FFI FS may share Personal Information where necessary to provide services, fulfil contractual obligations, comply with legal requirements, or protect legitimate business interests.

Information may be shared with:

• Banks and acquiring institutions;
• Payment networks;
• Fraud prevention agencies;
• Credit bureaux where legally permitted;
• Auditors and professional advisers;
• Regulators and law enforcement agencies;
• Technology providers;
• Service providers assisting FFI FS in delivering its products and services.

All third parties receiving Personal Information are required to maintain appropriate confidentiality and security standards.

6. Payment partners and service providers

To provide payment acceptance and related services, FFI FS utilises technology platforms, infrastructure and support services provided by its acquiring, switching and processing partners — including AddPay, Paycorp, Glimmer and their authorised operators — as well as any additional or future service providers FFI FS may engage from time to time.

FFI FS will take reasonable steps to ensure that all such parties process Personal Information in accordance with POPIA and maintain appropriate safeguards.

7. Cross-border transfers

Certain service providers utilised by FFI FS may process Personal Information outside South Africa.

Where cross-border transfers occur, FFI FS will ensure that:

• the recipient is subject to laws, binding corporate rules or agreements providing an adequate level of protection; or
• the transfer is otherwise permitted under POPIA.

8. Information security

FFI FS implements appropriate technical and organisational safeguards designed to protect Personal Information against:

• unauthorised access;
• unlawful processing;
• accidental loss;
• destruction;
• misuse;
• alteration;
• disclosure.

Security measures include access controls, authentication procedures, contractual confidentiality obligations and ongoing monitoring of our systems and service providers.

9. Retention of information

FFI FS retains Personal Information only for as long as necessary to:

• fulfil the purposes for which it was collected;
• comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
• enforce agreements;
• resolve disputes;
• protect legitimate business interests.

Information that is no longer required will be securely destroyed or de-identified.

10. Your rights

Subject to POPIA, you have the right to:

• request access to your Personal Information;
• request correction of inaccurate information;
• request deletion of information where lawful;
• object to certain processing activities;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

Proof of identity may be required before requests can be processed.

11. Cookies and website technologies

FFI FS websites and digital platforms may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• improve functionality;
• analyse usage trends;
• enhance security;
• personalise user experiences.

You may manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.

12. Changes to this policy

FFI FS reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, technology, business operations or regulatory guidance.

The latest version will be made available through our communication channels and websites.

13. Contact details

Should you remain dissatisfied after contacting FFI FS, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.