Revision Date May 2, 2020
What You Should Know
This Online Privacy Policy applies to this Ameris Bank online property and any Ameris Bank affiliate or subsidiary online interface that links to this Policy. The term “Ameris Bank” or “we” or “us” or “our” in this Policy refers to banking and non-banking affiliates or subsidiaries of Ameris Bank and Ameris Bancorp that link to this Policy. This Policy describes how our Sites may collect, use and share information from or about you, and explains how information may be collected and used for advertising purposes.
For account holders and visitors to this Sites, we will use and share any information that we collect from or about you in accordance with the Ameris Bank Privacy Policy, which outlines what information we share and how we share it.
Additional information on our privacy practices related to Online Banking may be found on our Site and within the Disclosures and Policies section at the footer of our website. Although the additional information is provided as a resource, the terms and conditions of this Policy control, and by using the Sites, you agree to the terms and conditions of this Policy.
HOW WE COLLECT, USE AND SHARE INFORMATION
What Information Do We Collect?
We collect data which may be considered to be personally identifiable information. Please see the Personal Identifiable Information section below for more information. We also collect non-identifiable data, which is information considered to not reveal specific details related to your identity. Please see the Non-Identifiable Information section below for more information.
What is considered Personal Identifiable information and how is it collected?
Personal identifiable information is information that can be used on its own to identify, locate or contact a single person. This information includes that which you may submit through forms, surveys, applications, or other online fields. The types of information collected may include, but is not limited to: name, address (postal and email), and phone numbers.
How Do We Use Personal Information?
We may use any information collected through this Sites in order to do any of, but not limited to, the following:
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Respond directly to your questions and/or inquiries;
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Provide you updates regarding changes in policies, procedures and/or information regarding your account;
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Deliver marketing communications including, ads, surveys or offers tailored to you;
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Personalize your interaction and experience on the Sites;
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Allow you to apply for products or services you may be interested in, as well as assessing eligibility for those enrollments;
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Allow you access to Ameris Bank financial planning tools and calculators. Information that you enter into one of these planning tools may be stored for future access and use.
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Collect data for the purposes of data analysis, audits, developing and improving products and services, enhancing the Sites, identifying usage trends and determining the effectiveness of promotional campaigns;
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Assess risk management, fraud detection and prevention, comply with laws and regulations, and to comply with other legal process and law enforcement requirements;
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Allow you to utilize features within our Sites by granting us access to information from your device such as contact lists, or geo-location when you request certain services.
How is Personal Information Shared?
For more detail on how Personal Information may be shared and how you may be able to limit certain types of Personal Information that may be shared, please reference the Ameris Bank Privacy Policy.
What is Considered to Be Non-Identifiable Information?
Non-identifying Information (“Other Information”) that we collect is considered to be any information other than Personal Information that doesn’t reveal specific details related to your identity. Examples of this type of information includes, but is not limited to: browser type, pages visited, duration of visit, information collected through cookies and any other identifiable information provided by you such as birthdate, and household income.
How Do We Collect and Use Other Information?
Along with our third-party service providers, we may collect and use Other Information in a variety of ways, including:
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Through your browser or device: Certain details are collected by most browsers and/or through your device, such as: device type, screen resolution, operating system and internet browser type and version. We use this information to ensure Sites function properly, for fraud detection and prevention, and security purposes.
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Using cookies: Cookies are small pieces of data that are downloaded to your device when you visit a website. Your device sends this data back to the Sites whenever you revisit the Sites in order to uniquely identify you and therefore tailor your experience on the Sites. Cookies allow us to provide you with access to certain features of the Sites, improve and tailor your browsing experience, and also to collect information for security purposes. Examples of the type of analytical information we collect would be, but are not limited to: time spent on Sites, pages visited, and browser type. We use this information along with statistical data to ensure the Sites function well and serve your needs. We also utilize cookies for advertising purposes. Please see the Advertising section below for more information. If you wish us not to collect cookies from your browsers, please refer to individual browsers for their process in removing cookies from your device. Please note that you will need to remove cookies from each device and each browser used to access our Sites.
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Other technologies such as: Pixel tags, web beacons, and clear GIFs: These technologies may be used in connection with some Site pages, downloadable mobile applications and HTML formatted email messages to measure the effectiveness of our communications, the success of our marketing campaigns, to compile statistics about usage and response rates, to personalize/tailor your experience while engaging with us online and offline, for fraud detection and prevention, for security purposes, for advertising, and to assist us in resolving account holders’ questions regarding use of our Sites. Please see our Advertising section below for more information regarding our use of other technologies.
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IP Address: Your IP Address is a number that is automatically assigned to each device by your Internet Service Provider. We may collect and hold this information in order to identify issues with your profile/account specifically as well as tailor your experience through advertising. Please see the Advertising section below for more information.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Third-Party Widgets
The Sites may enable the use of third-party widgets to allow you to share content on other websites (i.e. social media channels). These widgets and third-party sites may therefore have the ability to access some information about your user behavior. For complete details regarding the types of information they are able to collect and how they use it, you should visit the individual third-party sites.
Advertising
Ameris Bank collects non-identifying information such as page visits, keywords used to find the Sites, pages viewed within our Sites and geography of those visiting our Sites. This information is used to create informed advertising and marketing strategies based on the general preferences, user behavior, and other user attributes. We may also use this information to determine the effectiveness of the above-mentioned strategies. Advertising types may include:
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Relationship-based Advertising
We may use general information about your relationship with Ameris Bank to help determine which advertisements or offers to present to you. Examples of this information could be, but are not limited to: the state in which you bank and the types of accounts you currently have with Ameris Bank. -
Online Behavioral Advertising
We may use certain information about your user behavior on our Sites, such as search key words entered to help choose which of our advertisements may be of most interest to you. We may also use this information for the purposes of offline marketing and advertising. -
Advertising on Third-Party Sites and Mobile Applications
Ameris Bank contracts with advertising companies to advertise our products and services on Sites and mobile applications (apps) not affiliated with us. We may share some of the information provided by you to these Third Parties in order to tailor the ads being served to you. Third Party Sites and mobile apps are not subject to Ameris Bank Privacy Policies. If you have additional questions regarding these Third Party Sites and apps, please refer to the privacy policies and opt-out policies associated with those Sites. -
Online Behavioral Advertising on Third-Party Sites and Mobile Applications
Some of our tailored ads are online behavioral advertising, and may be served using data collected by third party providers. Ads served on our behalf by these companies do not contain unencrypted Personal Information and we limit the use of information by companies that serve our ads. To learn more about this practice and your choices in connection with it, see the section Advertising Preferences below:
ADVERTISING PREFERENCES
Online Behavioral Advertising
If you prefer we not use information based on online Sites behavior to provide online and offline tailored content and advertising, you may opt out of online behavioral advertising. Please note that if you opt out of this advertising, you may still receive untailored advertising from Ameris Bank. Information that you provide may still be used by team members in order to provide you with details on products and services in accordance with account agreements.
Direct Marketing
If you prefer we not deliver you marketing offers via email, you may opt out of these solicitations by clicking on the “Opt Out” button at the bottom of an Ameris Bank email. If you prefer not to receive solicitations via postal mail, you may opt out through speaking with an Ameris Bank representative, by calling our Customer Care Center at 866.616.6020. Linking to Third-Party Sites We may provide links to third party sites. If you follow links to sites not controlled by Ameris Bank, you should review and understand those individual privacy policies and terms and conditions of using those sites as they may differ from Ameris Bank. We do not guarantee or accept responsibility for the privacy or security of these external sites.
Social Media
Sites Ameris Bank operates on various social media channels including, but not limited to, Facebook®, Twitter®, YouTube® and LinkedIn® which enable online engagement among users who have registered to use them. Any content you post on official Ameris Bank managed social media pages, such as pictures, information, opinions, or any Personal Information that you make available to other participants on these social platforms, is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policies of those respective platforms. Please refer to the individual privacy policies and terms and conditions of those channels to understand your rights and obligations with regard to such content. In addition, please note that when visiting any official Ameris Bank social media page, you are also subject to the Ameris Bank Privacy Policy and the, Ameris Bank Social Media Policy and Community Guidelines.
SECURITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
To protect Personal Information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with applicable federal and state laws. Please visit the Ameris Bank Privacy Policy for additional information. Using Other Aggregation Websites There are some online services which allow you to consolidate your financial information across multiple banks and credit services. Please be aware that the security and privacy information for these third party sites may differ from that of Ameris Bank. You should review the privacy and security policies of those sites prior to use. In order to use these sites you may need to provide your username and password for your Ameris Bank online banking. Ameris Bank is not responsible for the use or disclosure of any Personal Information accessed by any company or person to whom you provide your Site username and password. Should you choose to enroll in these aggregation sites, we will assume that you have authorized any subsequent transactions which occur as a result of said enrollment. Current Information You are responsible for ensuring that all your personal information such as name, address, and contact information is up to date at all times. If you find that some information is out of date, you can call a Customer Care Representative at 866.616.6020 or visit your local Ameris Bank branch to make updates to this information.
PROTECTING CHILDREN’S ONLINE PRIVACY
The Sites are not directed to individuals under the age of thirteen (13), and we request that these individuals do not provide Personal Information through the Sites. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13 without parental consent. Visit the Federal Trade Commission website for more information about the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
UPDATES TO THIS ONLINE PRIVACY POLICY
This Online Privacy Policy is subject to change. Please review it periodically. If we make changes to the Online Privacy Policy, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this Policy. Any changes to this Policy will become effective when we post the revised Policy on AmerisBank.com. Your use of the Sites following these changes means that you accept the revised Policy.