Privacy Policy

Who We Are

This Privacy Policy describes how DollarWise (DollarWise Canada Limited) collects, uses, and protects your personal information. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and handling your data with the highest standards of care and responsibility. Our zero-based budgeting course is designed to help Vancouver households allocate every dollar with confidence, and protecting your information is fundamental to maintaining your trust.

Information We Collect

We collect information in several ways to provide and improve our services:

• Registration Information: When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and password.
• Course Enrollment Data: Information about which courses you access and your progress through the material.
• Usage Analytics: Data about how you interact with our website and course content, including pages visited and time spent.
• Contact Form Data: If you reach out with questions, we collect the information you provide in your message.
• Cookies and Tracking: We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and understand user behavior patterns.
• Device Information: Technical information about your device, browser type, and operating system.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: When you register or subscribe to our course, you provide explicit consent for us to collect and process your information.
• Legitimate Interest: We process data to improve our services, prevent fraud, and ensure platform security, which are legitimate business interests.
• Performance of Contract: We process information necessary to deliver the course content and services you have enrolled in.
• Legal Obligation: We comply with Canadian data protection laws and may process information when required by law.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for specific, legitimate purposes:

• Delivering and personalizing your course experience based on your learning progress
• Sending educational updates, course materials, and relevant communications
• Improving our platform functionality and user experience through analytics
• Responding to your inquiries and providing customer support
• Preventing fraud, maintaining security, and protecting our platform
• Complying with legal obligations and enforcing our terms of service
• Conducting research and analytics to enhance our budgeting course offerings

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. Any information shared with service providers is done under strict confidentiality agreements.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for specific periods based on the type of data and its purpose:

• Account Information: Retained for the duration of your enrollment and up to 24 months after your last interaction with our platform.
• Course Progress Data: Maintained for up to 36 months to preserve your learning history and allow account recovery.
• Contact Form Messages: Kept for up to 24 months for record-keeping and customer service purposes.
• Analytics and Usage Data: Retained for up to 14 months to identify trends and improve platform performance.
• Cookies and Tracking Data: Stored for up to 12 months unless you clear your browser cache or opt out.
• Server Logs: Maintained for up to 12 months for security and troubleshooting purposes.

After these retention periods, we securely delete or anonymize your information unless we are required by law to retain it longer.

Your Privacy Rights

Under Canadian privacy legislation, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of Access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: You can request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to Deletion: You can request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain legal obligations.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw your consent to data processing at any time, though this may affect service delivery.
• Right to Data Portability: You can request your information in a structured, portable format.
• Right to Object: You can object to certain types of processing, including marketing communications.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the Contact Us section below.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and gather analytics about how you use our platform. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us remember your preferences and track usage patterns. We use both session cookies (which expire when you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which remain on your device).

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences and opt out of certain tracking. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to fully access course materials and personalized features. Essential cookies for security and functionality cannot be disabled without affecting platform performance.

Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, and disclosure. Our security practices include encryption of sensitive data, secure password storage, and regular security audits. However, no method of data transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We train our staff on data protection principles and restrict access to personal information to those who need it for their roles. If we discover a security breach, we will notify affected users promptly and cooperate with relevant authorities.

Third-Party Services

Our platform may integrate with third-party services for payment processing, email delivery, and analytics. These service providers are contractually obligated to use your information only to the extent necessary to provide their services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies independently.

Your Supervisory Authority

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information or believe we have violated your privacy rights, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. The Privacy Commissioner investigates complaints about federal organizations and can provide guidance on privacy matters.

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

This authority oversees compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and helps ensure organizations respect privacy rights.

Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, sending you an email notification. Your continued use of our platform after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your information.