Overview
Dough Payments Inc. ("Dough," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit doughpayments.com or use our payment processing services, how we use that information, and what choices you have about how it's handled.
We comply with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy laws.
If you have questions about this policy or about our handling of your data, contact us at zachary@doughpayments.com.
What we collect
Information you provide directly
When you fill out a form on our website, sign up for our services, or contact us, we may collect:
- Business name and trade name
- Your full name
- Email address
- Phone number (cell or business)
- Business address and city
- Monthly card processing volume (estimate or actual)
- Information about your business type and industry
- Processing statements you submit for analysis
- Identification documents required for merchant underwriting
Information collected automatically
When you visit our website, we and our analytics providers may automatically collect:
- IP address and approximate location (city/province level)
- Browser type and version, device type, operating system
- Pages you visit and how long you spend on them
- How you arrived at our site (referrer)
- Search terms used to find us
How we use it
We use the information you provide to:
- Respond to your inquiries and prepare custom quotes
- Run savings analyses on processing statements you share with us
- Set up and underwrite merchant processing accounts
- Deliver Boost program services (websites, social media, AI tools)
- Send service-related communications (account updates, terminal shipping notifications, etc.)
- Send occasional marketing communications, only if you've opted in
- Improve our website and services
- Comply with legal and regulatory obligations
We do not sell your personal information to anyone, ever.
How we share it
We share information only when necessary to deliver our services. Specifically, we may share information with:
- Acquirers and processors: When you set up a merchant account, we share required information with our acquiring banks and payment processors (such as Coastal Pay, Elavon, or others) for underwriting and account boarding.
- Card networks: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express may receive transaction data as part of standard payment processing.
- Service providers: Third parties that help us operate our business, such as email service providers, hosting platforms (Netlify), analytics tools (Google Analytics), and CRM systems. These providers are contractually required to protect your data.
- Legal authorities: If required by law, court order, or government request, or to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or others.
- Business transfers: If Dough is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
Cookies & tracking
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:
- Make the site work properly (essential cookies)
- Understand how visitors use the site so we can improve it (analytics cookies via Google Analytics)
- Remember your preferences
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect how the site functions. We do not use cookies for cross-site tracking or to build advertising profiles.
How we protect it
We use commercially reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect your information. This includes:
- HTTPS encryption on all pages
- Secure cloud hosting (Netlify)
- Limited access to personal data — only team members who need it to do their job
- Encryption of sensitive data at rest where applicable
- PCI-DSS compliance for payment data handling through our processing partners
No system is 100% secure. While we work hard to protect your information, we can't guarantee absolute security. If we ever discover a security breach affecting your data, we'll notify you in accordance with applicable Canadian breach notification requirements.
Your rights
Under Canadian privacy law, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct any information that is inaccurate or incomplete
- Withdraw consent for us to use your information (subject to legal/contractual restrictions)
- Opt out of marketing communications at any time
- File a complaint about how we handle your data
To exercise any of these rights, email us at zachary@doughpayments.com. We'll respond within 30 days.
You may also file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca.
Data retention
We retain personal information only as long as necessary to deliver our services, comply with legal and tax obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Typical retention periods:
- Lead form submissions (didn't sign up): up to 24 months
- Active merchant account data: duration of the relationship plus 7 years for tax/regulatory compliance
- Marketing email lists: until you unsubscribe
- Website analytics: aggregated data retained indefinitely; individual session data per Google Analytics retention settings
Children's privacy
Our services are intended for business owners and are not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe we have collected information from a minor, contact us and we'll delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of the page. Material changes will be communicated more prominently — by email if we have your address on file, or by a notice on our homepage.
Continued use of our website or services after changes are posted means you accept the updated policy.
Questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data?