This Privacy Policy explains how Bear Merchant ("Bear Merchant", "we", "us") collects, uses, discloses and safeguards information when you visit https://bearmerchant.com, apply for a merchant account, or use our payments services.
1. Information we collect
We collect information you provide directly, information generated through your use of our services, and information from third parties such as acquiring banks and identity-verification providers.
- Business & identity data: company details, beneficial owner information, government identifiers and documents used for KYC/KYB.
- Transaction data: payment amounts, tokens, network responses and settlement details (we do not store raw card numbers outside our PCI environment).
- Contact data: name, email, phone and messages you send us.
- Technical data: IP address, device and browser information, and usage analytics.
2. How we use information
- To provide, maintain and improve our payments services.
- To underwrite, onboard and monitor merchant accounts.
- To detect, prevent and investigate fraud and abuse.
- To comply with legal, regulatory and card-network obligations.
- To communicate with you about your account and, where permitted, marketing, including text messages if you have opted in (see SMS / text messaging).
3. Legal bases for processing
Where applicable law requires, we process personal data on the bases of contract performance, legitimate interests (such as fraud prevention), legal obligations, and consent (which you may withdraw at any time).
4. Sharing & disclosure
We share information with acquiring banks, card networks, identity and fraud-prevention providers, infrastructure vendors, and authorities where legally required. We do not sell personal information. None of the sharing described here includes mobile phone numbers collected for text messaging or SMS opt-in data and consent, which are never shared with third parties (see SMS / text messaging).
5. Cookies & similar technologies
We use strictly necessary, functional and analytics cookies to operate the site, remember preferences (such as light/dark theme) and understand usage. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect functionality.
6. Data retention
We retain information for as long as needed to provide services and to meet legal, tax, accounting and regulatory requirements, after which it is deleted or anonymized.
7. Security
We maintain administrative, technical and physical safeguards including encryption in transit and at rest, tokenization of card data, access controls and continuous monitoring, consistent with PCI DSS Level 1 and SOC 2 practices.
8. Your rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict or port your personal data, and to object to certain processing. To exercise these rights, contact us using the details below. If you are in India, see India: DPDP Act.
9. International data transfers
We operate globally and may transfer information across borders using appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses where required.
10. SMS / text messaging
If you check the SMS consent box on one of our website forms, Bear Merchant will use the mobile number you provide to send you recurring marketing and promotional text messages, such as special offers, discounts and product updates. Giving this consent is optional and is not a condition of purchasing any goods or services.
- No sharing of mobile information: We will not share or sell your mobile number or SMS opt-in data with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties.
- Message frequency: Message frequency varies.
- Message and data rates: Message and data rates may apply.
- Opting out: Reply STOP to any message at any time to unsubscribe. You will receive one final message confirming your opt-out, and no further messages will be sent unless you opt in again.
- Help: Reply HELP to any message, or email support@bearmerchant.com.
Full program details are in the SMS Messaging Terms section of our Terms of Service.
11. India: DPDP Act
This section applies to individuals in India whenever the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act") and the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 apply to our processing of their digital personal data, including when we offer goods or services to them from outside India. It adds to the rest of this policy and, for those individuals, prevails where the two differ. The DPDP Act and Rules are coming into force in phases, and we apply this section in line with those dates.
Under the DPDP Act you are the Data Principal. Bear Merchant is the Data Fiduciary for personal data whose purpose and means of processing we decide. Where we handle personal data on behalf of a merchant or another business, that business may be the Data Fiduciary, and we may direct your request to it.
We process your personal data for a lawful purpose, either with your consent or for a legitimate use set out in section 7 of the DPDP Act, such as data you have voluntarily given us for a specified purpose. Section 1 lists the personal data we collect and section 2 lists the purposes. The DPDP Act does not recognize "legitimate interests" as a separate ground, so that part of section 3 does not apply to you.
You have the right to:
- Access: for personal data you consented to or voluntarily gave us for a specified purpose, obtain a summary of that data and our processing activities, and the identities of other Data Fiduciaries and Data Processors we have shared it with, along with a description of the data shared. This does not cover sharing with authorities that the DPDP Act exempts.
- Correction and erasure: for the same data, have it corrected, completed, updated or erased. We keep data we need for the specified purpose or to comply with law, such as payment, tax and anti-money-laundering records.
- Withdraw consent: withdraw your consent at any time, as easily as you gave it. Withdrawal does not affect processing done before it, and we may be unable to continue a service that depends on that consent. For text messages, reply STOP.
- Grievance redressal: raise a complaint with us about how we handle your personal data and receive a response.
- Nominate: nominate one or more individuals to exercise these rights if you die or become incapacitated.
Requests and questions: email support@bearmerchant.com with the subject "DPDP request", or call +1 (801) 507-0100. So that we can identify you, give your name, the email address or mobile number on your account and, if you have one, your application reference number.
Grievances: send your grievance to the same email address. We will respond within a reasonable period, and no later than 90 days after we receive it. You must use this process before approaching the Data Protection Board of India. If your grievance is not resolved, you can then complain to the Board, which receives complaints digitally.
- Transfers outside India: Bear Merchant is based in the United States, so your personal data may be processed outside India, including in the United States, subject to any restriction or requirement set by the Government of India under section 16 of the DPDP Act and rule 15 of the Rules.
- Retention: we erase personal data when you withdraw consent or when it is reasonable to assume the specified purpose is no longer being served, whichever is earlier, unless the law requires us to keep it.
- Personal data breach: if a breach affects your personal data, we will inform you and the Data Protection Board of India as the DPDP Act requires.
- Children: under the DPDP Act a child is anyone under 18. Our services are for businesses and are not directed at children. We do not knowingly process a child's personal data without verifiable consent from a parent or lawful guardian, and we do not track, behaviorally monitor or target advertising at children.
- Language: you can ask for our DPDP Act notice in English or in any language listed in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
12. Contact us
Questions about this policy or your data? Email support@bearmerchant.com.