123 Funding, Inc., doing business as First Choice Funding ("First Choice Funding," "we," "us," or "our"), respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information about you when you visit our website, submit an application, or otherwise communicate with us (together, the "Services"). By using the Services, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
1. Site Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the information you provide to us, including encrypting information transmitted through our application using industry-standard Transport Layer Security (TLS). Access to personal information is limited to employees, contractors, and partners who need it to perform their jobs.
No method of transmitting or storing data is completely secure. While we work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You are responsible for keeping any account credentials confidential and for notifying us promptly if you believe your information has been compromised.
2. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly
When you apply for financing, request information, or contact us, we may collect:
- Business information — legal and DBA names, address, industry, entity type, start date, Employer Identification Number (EIN), website, annual revenue, requested funding amount, intended use of funds, and existing debt or financing obligations.
- Owner and personal information — name, home address, phone number, email address, ownership percentage, estimated credit score range, date of birth, and, if needed later in the process, Social Security number and government-issued identification.
- Financial information — business bank statements, tax returns, processing statements, and other documents you provide to support your application.
- Communications — messages, emails, call recordings (where permitted by law and with notice), and other information you choose to share with us.
- Electronic signatures and records of your consent to our terms and disclosures.
Information we receive from third parties
To evaluate your application, verify your identity, and prevent fraud, we and our funding partners may obtain information about you and your business from:
- Consumer and business credit reporting agencies;
- Identity verification, fraud prevention, and public-records providers;
- Bank account and transaction data providers you authorize us to use;
- Funding partners, brokers, referral partners, and marketing partners; and
- Publicly available sources such as government business registries and websites.
Information collected automatically
When you use our website, we may automatically collect your IP address, browser type, device information, operating system, referring web pages, pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked, approximate location, and similar usage information. See Cookies & Tracking Technologies below.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Process and evaluate your application and match you with financing products, including those offered by our funding partners;
- Verify your identity and the identity of your business, and detect and prevent fraud;
- Service, administer, and collect on any financing provided;
- Communicate with you about your application, offers, account, and our products and services;
- Send marketing communications, subject to your preferences and applicable law;
- Operate, maintain, analyze, and improve our website and Services;
- Comply with legal and regulatory obligations, respond to lawful requests, and enforce our agreements; and
- Protect the rights, property, and safety of First Choice Funding, our customers, and others.
4. How We Disclose Your Information
We may share information about you and your business with:
- Funding partners — lenders, funders, and other financing providers in our network, so they can review your application and present you with offers. These partners use your information under their own privacy policies.
- Service providers — companies that perform services on our behalf, such as hosting, data storage, email delivery, customer relationship management, document collection, identity verification, analytics, and payment processing.
- Credit reporting agencies — to obtain credit reports and, where applicable, to report account performance.
- Brokers and referral partners — if you were referred to us by a third party, we may share the status of your application with that party.
- Legal and safety — law enforcement, regulators, courts, or other parties when required by law, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect rights, property, or safety, or to prevent fraud.
- Business transfers — in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, sale of assets, or similar transaction.
- With your consent — for any other purpose disclosed to you at the time you provide the information.
We do not sell your personal information for money. Sharing information with funding partners or using certain advertising technologies may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" under some state laws; see Your Privacy Choices for how to opt out.
5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
We and our service providers use cookies, pixels, web beacons, and similar technologies to remember your preferences, save your application progress, understand how our site is used, measure the effectiveness of our marketing, and deliver relevant advertising. You can set your browser to refuse or delete cookies; however, some features of the site, such as saving a partially completed application, may not work properly without them.
We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals sent by your browser as a request to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for that browser, where required by law. Our site does not otherwise respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals.
6. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to websites, tools, or services operated by third parties, including our funding partners. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any site you visit.
7. Your Privacy Choices
- Marketing emails — click the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email. We may still send you non-marketing messages about your application or account.
- Text messages — reply STOP to any text message to opt out. Reply HELP for help. Message and data rates may apply.
- Phone calls — ask the representative to place you on our internal do-not-call list.
- Cookies — adjust your browser settings or enable Global Privacy Control.
- Opt out of sale/sharing — submit a request using the contact information in Contact Us.
Information about business owners and businesses applying for commercial financing may also be subject to the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and its implementing regulations, which may limit some of the rights described in this policy.
8. Notice to California Residents
This section applies to California residents and supplements the rest of this Privacy Policy, as required by the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (together, the "CCPA").
Categories of personal information we collect
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Identifiers | Name, postal address, email, phone number, IP address, Social Security number, EIN |
| Customer records | Signature, bank account information, financial information |
| Commercial information | Funding requested, products considered, transaction history |
| Internet activity | Browsing history on our site, interactions with our ads and emails |
| Geolocation data | Approximate location derived from IP address |
| Professional information | Business ownership, role, and business details |
| Sensitive personal information | Social Security number, government ID, financial account information |
| Inferences | Preferences and characteristics drawn from the information above |
We collect this information from the sources, and for the purposes, described in Sections 2 and 3, and disclose it to the categories of recipients described in Section 4. We use sensitive personal information only as needed to evaluate and provide financing, verify identity, prevent fraud, and comply with law.
Your rights
- Right to know/access — request the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
- Right to delete — request deletion of personal information we collected from you, subject to legal exceptions.
- Right to correct — request correction of inaccurate personal information.
- Right to opt out — opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information.
- Right to limit — limit the use of sensitive personal information where applicable.
- Right to non-discrimination — we will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.
How to submit a request
Submit a request using the contact information in Contact Us. We will verify your identity by matching information you provide with information we hold. You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf; we may require written proof of the agent's authority and verify your identity directly.
Some information we collect is exempt from the CCPA, including information subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and information collected in a business-to-business context, to the extent permitted by law.
9. Other State Privacy Rights
Residents of certain other states, such as Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Texas, Oregon, and others with comprehensive privacy laws, may have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out of certain processing of their personal information. To exercise these rights, contact us as described below. If we deny your request, you may appeal by replying to our decision.
10. Data Retention
We keep personal information for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, including to provide and service financing, to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting requirements, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements.
11. Children's Privacy
Our Services are intended for business owners who are at least 18 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with information, please contact us and we will delete it.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top of this page. Material changes will be posted prominently on our website. Your continued use of the Services after changes are posted means you accept the updated policy.
13. Contact Us
For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at:
123 Funding, Inc. d/b/a First Choice Funding
27953 Redondela
Mission Viejo, CA 92692