Privacy Policy | Morningstar Merchant

This Privacy Policy describes how Morningstar Merchant Solutions and its subsidiaries (“Morningstar," "we," or "us") process personal data and other information through its websites, platforms, or mobile applications (collectively, the "Services") by explaining what types of information Morningstar Merchant Solutions collects, how that information is used, Morningstar Merchant Solutions’ sharing practices, and your choices. Unless otherwise stated in this policy, by visiting www.MorningstarMerchant.com, you are deemed to have accepted the practices described in this policy. Morningstar Merchant Solutions is the controller for purposes of this Privacy Policy. This policy was revised on November 19, 2024.

Collection and Use of Personal Information

Morningstar is committed to protecting your privacy. We collect personal information, such as your phone number, to provide text messaging services for various purposes, including notifications, customer service, and marketing communications.

Information We Collect

We collect information from you directly when you provide it to us, automatically through the Services, and from third parties. Each collection mechanism is described in more detail in this Privacy Policy. Please note that we do not collect any Special Categories of personal data about you (such as details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health, and genetic and biometric data), and we do not collect any information about criminal convictions and offenses. You can opt out of allowing us to collect this information by refusing access to the information; however, if you choose to opt-out, you may not be able to use certain aspects of the Services.

Information You Provide Directly

Account Registration

When you set up a merchant account with us, we typically request your name, email address, social security number, business name, address, corporate entity data, and banking information. We use this information to provide you with the Services you requested.

Registration for an Event

When you register for an event, we collect your name and email address. We use this information to communicate with you about the event and related services.

Schedule a Demonstration

When you schedule a demonstration of our products, we ask you to provide your name, organization, email address, city, state, and telephone number. We collect this information to communicate with you and provide you with the information you requested.

SMS/MMS

We collect any information you submit through SMS/MMS functionality on our Services to respond to your inquiries, which may include gathering additional information, such as images of the issue occurring in real-time. By providing your mobile number, you are authorizing Morningstar to send you text messages. Standard message and data rates apply. Messaging frequency will vary. Reply STOP to unsubscribe from SMS/MMS messages sent from us.

Chat

We collect any information you submit through any chat functionality on our Services to respond to your questions. This chat functionality uses automated processes to assess how we can best support your request(s).

Support

We collect any information you provide in connection with support queries, such as contact data, supporting documentation reflecting your support needs, and the content of any communications with us. We use this information to respond to your support needs and provide you with information.

Apply for a Job with Us

If you apply for a job with Morningstar, we collect any information you provide in connection with your application submission, including application information submitted through any third-party recruiting platforms we use. If you register to receive email updates from us about job postings, we collect your email address to provide you with this information.

When you contact us, we ask you to provide us your name, email address, and phone number. We request this information to effectively address your comments and questions and provide you with relevant information in response to your inquiry.

Other

Other Services we offer may request or require you to provide us with additional information, which will be described at the point of collection.

Automatically Collected Information

We automatically collect the following types of information when you use our Services, including:

Usage Details

We collect information about your use of our Services, including referring/exit pages, date/time stamp, and clickstream data.

Other Technical Data

We collect information about the device you use to access our Services, including your internet connection, internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, referral domain, internet service provider (ISP), and operating system.

Cookies and Similar Tracking Technologies

A cookie is a small text file stored on your device through your browser. The cookies used by our Services include both session-based cookies, which expire after you close your browser or turn off your computer, and persistent cookies, which remain on your device until you affirmatively remove them. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can set your browser to decline cookies.

We use this automatically collected information to analyze trends, provide, administer, and improve our Services, track users' movements while using the Services, gather demographic information about our user base, market our products and services, and monitor interactions with our marketing communications.

Mobile Applications

We may suggest downloading specific third-party mobile applications, including iOS and Android, for optimal use of Services. These mobile applications may collect additional information from you. For example, these applications may ask you to turn on location services to provide more relevant information based on your location. Some mobile applications may also collect your device’s unique identifier to tailor and improve the mobile application’s utility to you. Please refer to the respective application's privacy page for more information on what these mobile applications collect and how the data may be stored.

How We Use Your Information

In addition to the uses described above, we also use your information:

to protect our interests or the interests of third parties;
to maintain and enhance the security of our Services;
to prevent abuse of our Services;
to comply with our legal obligations;
to perform or enforce our agreements;
for any other purpose with your consent.

Basis for Processing

The legal basis for our processing activities include:

your consent;
Morningstar Merchant Solutions exercising its rights and performing its obligations in connection with entering into or performing under any contract it makes with you;
compliance with our legal obligations;
Morningstar Merchant Solutions’ legitimate interests that are not overridden by your interests or your fundamental rights and freedoms.

Third Parties

You may also be able to engage with our Services through social media services and third-party social media plug-ins, integrations, and applications. When you engage with our content on or through social media services or other third-party platforms, plug-ins, integrations, or applications, you may allow us to access certain information in your profile and your interaction with our content. For a description of how social media services and other third-party platforms, plug-ins, integrations, or applications handle your information, please refer to their respective privacy policies and terms of use, which may permit you to modify your privacy settings.

Third parties may also use cookies or similar technologies on our Services for advertising, retargeting, analytics, and tracking. Please see "More About Analytics and Advertising" and "Your Choices and Rights" below for more information about third-party cookies.

Sharing of Personal Information

We do not share, sell, or disclose your personal information to third parties without your explicit consent, except where required by law. Your information is kept confidential and used solely for the purposes you have agreed to.

Opting Out of Text Messages

You have the right to opt out of receiving text messages from Morningstar Merchant Solutions at any time. To opt out, reply "STOP" to any text message you receive from us.

Consent and Opt-In

By providing your phone number and opting in to receive text messages, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this policy. We ensure that your consent is obtained explicitly, and you are informed about the types of messages you will receive.

Third-Party Platforms and Social Media

This Privacy Policy applies only to Morningstar Merchant Solutions’ Services and not to any other platforms, websites, or mobile applications operated by third parties. Our Services may contain links to other platforms, websites, and mobile applications that we believe may interest you. Our Services also include links that allow you to connect with us on social media.

Morningstar Merchant Solutions is not responsible for the privacy practices of any platforms, websites, or mobile applications not controlled by us. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any platforms, websites, or mobile applications you use outside of our Services before providing any information to or through them.

Similarly, we are not responsible for any mobile application tracking or monitoring activities by third-party providers such as Google, Inc., Apple, Inc., or your wireless or network carrier. You should always read and understand the policies of any third-party provider before downloading or using any mobile application.

Data Retention

We only store information for as long as is needed to fulfill our contractual or legal obligations or any other permissible purpose for which we have collected it, including to prevent fraud or security incidents.

No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with third parties.

Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Your data security is of utmost importance to us. By using commercially reasonable administrative, physical, and technical measures, we safeguard your information and help protect it from unauthorized access. However, we cannot guarantee complete protection of your information since transmission via the internet is not 100% secure. You play a vital role in keeping your information secure. You should not share your account username, password, or other security information with anyone. If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure, please immediately notify us by contacting us as detailed in the Contact Us section below.

Children

Our Services are not directed to children, as defined under applicable law. If you believe a child has provided their information to us through our Services, please contact us as detailed in the Contact Us section below, so we can delete it.

Your Choices and Rights

You can control the use of cookies within your browser. However, please note that disabling some or all cookies may affect the functionality of our Services. Our Services do not respond to browser “Do Not Track” signals.

You can change the information collected through the suggested mobile application(s) in your device’s settings. Disabling the collection of certain information may decrease the utility of the mobile application.
We do not control third parties' collection or use of your information to serve interest-based advertising. However, these third parties may provide ways to refrain from having your information collected or used this way. You can opt out of receiving targeted ads from members of the Network Advertising Initiative ("NAI") on the NAI's website at https://www.networkadvertising.org. You may also be able to opt out of receiving third-party behavioral ads by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) website at http://www.aboutads.info/choices. We are not responsible for the effectiveness of or compliance with any third-party opt-out options.

To the extent required by law, we provide you with (i) reasonable access to your personal information collected through our Services and (ii) the ability to review, correct, export, or delete your information, restrict its processing, or object to its processing. You may exercise the preceding rights by contacting us using any of the mechanisms detailed in the Contact Us section.

Opting out of marketing and promotional communications: You can unsubscribe from our marketing and promotional communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the emails that we send or by contacting us using the details provided in the Contact Us section below. You will then be removed from the marketing lists. However, we may still communicate with you to send service-related messages necessary for the administration and use of your account, to respond to service requests, and for other non-marketing purposes.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy for the latest information on our privacy practices. If we make any material changes to our privacy practices, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law prior to the changes becoming effective. We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this Privacy Policy, our privacy practices, or wish to exercise your individual rights, please contact us by email at Privacy@MorningstarMerchant.com or by phone at 850-270-7419.

If you are the customer of a merchant or other organization to whom we provide products or services, please direct your request directly to that merchant or organization so they may address it.