MasterCard's Commitment to your Privacy
As part of an industry dealing with sensitive financial information,
MasterCard has always recognized the importance of consumer privacy.
Years ago, we implemented policies and programs designed to create an
awareness of these issues and to help protect your privacy.
Today, with the rise of the Internet, concern about privacy has
sky-rocketed. MasterCard's commitment to your privacy has evolved with
technology and encompasses our website and online relationships.
MasterCard's consumer privacy initiatives include:
- Website Privacy Statement
- MasterCard's Formal Privacy Position
- Providing More Information
Website Privacy Statement
MasterCard respects and upholds your right to privacy protection under
the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 and we are required to comply with
the National Privacy Principles in respect of the collection, use,
disclosure and handling of personal information. We respect your right
to privacy at all times. This includes the time you spend with us here,
on mastercard.com/au. Each time you come to our website, you may
provide two levels of information about your visit:
1. Statistics collected on an aggregate basis as you browse the
site, and
2. Personal information you knowingly choose to furnish.
We want you to be aware of how we handle this information.
1. Statistics about your visit
As you browse the site, MasterCard's computer collects information
about your visit, not about you personally. We monitor statistics such
as:
- How many people visit our site
- How many people return to our site
- Which pages people visit on our site
- Where people were before they came to mastercard.com/au
- The number of people who leave to visit another site promoted on
mastercard.com/au
This information is collected on an aggregate basis. No personal
information is associated with the statistics. For example, while we
can determine that on a specific day the site had thousands of
visitors, we do not know anything about those visitors in terms of
name, e-mail address or any other personal data.
Different technologies are used to collect aggregate statistics.
These include: cookies and web server logs. Web server logs tell which
pages are more and less popular in our site and where people were
before they came to mastercard.com/au. Cookies tell how many people
visit MasterCard's site, how many people return to our site, and what
language preferences our users have.
These statistics are used to monitor traffic so we can effectively
handle site capacity. The statistics also help us determine which parts
of the site are most popular. With this information we can continually
improve the MasterCard site to better meet the needs of cardholders,
merchants and prospective customers.
2. Personal Information You Choose to Share
Throughout the MasterCard site, you have the opportunity to send
e-mails, register to download and order MasterCard brand marks, request
brochures, enter contests and respond to various promotions. If you
choose to participate in any of these activities, you will be providing
MasterCard with some type of personal information about yourself.
In terms of personal information on the MasterCard site, you can be
assured that:
- MasterCard does not collect personal information from you unless
you provide it to us voluntarily and knowingly.
- If you do choose to provide us with personal information,
MasterCard uses it only for the purpose specified.
For example, if you give us personal information, as part of the
registration process in one of our promotions, and consent to us
advising you of future promotions, the information will be used only as
necessary to conduct the promotion and to advise you of future
MasterCard promotions only if you consent to receiving such
information. MasterCard does not use this information for any other
purpose. Nor do we sell, rent or give this information to any other
entity.
As another example, a special area on our site allows you to report
problems you have had using your MasterCard or other situations
requiring personal attention. Messages sent via this form are all
individually read by our Customer Service department. Information you
send to our Customer Service department is used only to help resolve
your problem and is otherwise kept completely private.
MasterCard uses the services of data capture and management
organisations to assist in the organisation and administration of this
website. Accordingly it is necessary for us to share personal
information collected through this website with these organisations.
3. Access to Personal Information we hold about you
If your personal information changes (such as your address), or if you
no longer wish us to keep your personal information on file, we will
endeavour to provide a way to correct, update or remove your records.
We may charge you a small fee to cover any administrative costs that we
may incur in providing personal information to you. If you believe for
any reason that we are holding inaccurate or incomplete information
about you, you may ask us to correct it.
If you wish to access your personal information or have any
questions in relation to our treatment of your personal information,
please contact:
The Privacy Officer by e-mail to: privacy@mastercard.com
If the information you are requesting includes sensitive data, such
as an account number, we will ask you to identify yourself properly
when you request access to the information.
MasterCard's Formal Privacy Position
The foundation for all of MasterCard's efforts in the area of consumer
privacy is MasterCard's Privacy Position ,
adopted at the end of 1995. The purpose of the Privacy Position is to
provide flexible guidelines that can be adapted to meet the demands of
changing technology and varying consumer expectations regarding
privacy. These guidelines apply worldwide, but note that in Australia
and certain other countries additional privacy protections or
procedures are required by law and are observed by MasterCard.
Providing More Information
MasterCard will continue to stay at the forefront of the critical issue
of privacy. In addition to consumer education and policy
implementation, MasterCard's efforts include ongoing research into
consumer attitudes on privacy and continuing communications with others
in our industry.
To learn more about the privacy issue, consider visiting:
The Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner (OFPC). OFPC is
responsible for administering the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). It provides
information on the Privacy Act and the National Privacy Principles
which came into effect on 21 December 2001 and handles complaints and
enquiries about privacy and privacy breaches.
