Information We Collect

Running a payment processing system means we interact with different types of data. Here's what we actually collect and why we need it:

Business Information

When you sign up for our services, we collect basic business details—company name, tax ID, business address, and contact information. This helps us verify your business legitimacy and comply with Taiwan's financial regulations. Pretty standard stuff, but it matters.

Technical and Transaction Data

Our systems process transaction records, payment amounts, timestamps, and merchant IDs. We also collect technical data like IP addresses, browser types, and device information. This isn't about being nosy—it's how we detect fraud patterns and keep your payment systems running smoothly.

User Account Data

If you create an account on our platform, we store your login credentials (encrypted, obviously), user preferences, and activity logs. We track when you log in, what features you use, and how you configure your payment workflows. This helps us improve the system and provide better support when something goes wrong.

How We Use Your Information

We're not in the business of selling data or building advertising profiles. Here's what we actually do with the information we collect:

• Fraud detection and risk assessment through pattern analysis
• System performance monitoring and technical troubleshooting
• Customer support and issue resolution
• Compliance reporting required by Taiwan financial authorities
• Service improvement based on usage patterns and feedback
• Account management and billing operations

We occasionally send service-related notifications—system updates, security alerts, important changes to our terms. These aren't marketing emails. If your payment system goes down at 2 AM, you'll want to know about it.

Legal Basis for Processing (Taiwan Context)

Under Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Act, we process your information based on several legal grounds:

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We don't hand your data to random third parties. But payment processing requires working with specific partners:

Banking Partners and Financial Institutions

To move money, we work with banks in Taiwan. We share transaction data with these institutions as needed to complete payments. They're bound by their own strict financial regulations.

Service Providers

We use cloud hosting services, security monitoring tools, and customer support platforms. These vendors access limited data only as needed to perform specific functions. All service providers sign data processing agreements and must comply with Taiwan's privacy standards.

Regulatory and Legal Requirements

If Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission, tax authorities, or law enforcement request data through proper legal channels, we comply. We also disclose information when necessary to prevent fraud or protect system security.

We don't sell your data. We don't use it for advertising. And we don't share it with anyone unless there's a legitimate operational or legal reason.

Data Security Measures

Payment data is sensitive, so we've built multiple layers of protection:

• Multi-factor authentication for all administrative access
• Automated intrusion detection and response systems
• Regular security patches and system updates
• Role-based access controls limiting who can view what data
• Continuous monitoring for suspicious activity patterns
• Encrypted database backups stored in geographically separate locations

But let's be honest—no system is completely invulnerable. If we experience a data breach affecting your information, we'll notify you within 72 hours and explain what happened, what data was affected, and what steps we're taking to address it.

Your Rights Under Taiwan Law

Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Act gives you specific rights regarding your information. Here's what you can actually do:

Access and Portability

You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you. We'll provide it in a structured, machine-readable format within 15 business days. There's no charge for the first request each year; subsequent requests may incur a reasonable administrative fee.

Correction and Updates

If your business information changes or you spot an error in our records, you can update it directly through your account dashboard or contact our support team. We'll make corrections within 5 business days.

Deletion Rights

You can request deletion of your data, with some limitations. We must retain certain transaction records for 5 years to comply with Taiwan's tax and financial regulations. But we can delete marketing preferences, optional account data, and information no longer needed for legal compliance.

Processing Restrictions

You can ask us to temporarily suspend processing your data if you're disputing its accuracy or questioning the legal basis for processing. This doesn't affect payment processing necessary for active transactions—we can't just stop mid-payment—but applies to secondary uses like analytics.

Objection Rights

You can object to processing based on legitimate interests. For example, if we're using your data for service improvements, you can opt out. We'll stop unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests.

Data Retention Periods

We keep different types of data for different lengths of time based on legal requirements and operational needs:

When retention periods expire, we securely delete data through multi-pass overwriting. Backup copies are removed during the next scheduled backup rotation.

International Data Transfers

We primarily store data on servers located in Taiwan. However, some service providers operate infrastructure in other countries. When we transfer data internationally, we ensure adequate protection through:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by Taiwan authorities
• Verification that recipient countries provide adequate data protection
• Additional security measures like encryption during transit
• Regular audits of international service providers' security practices

You can request specific information about where your data is stored and which countries have access by contacting our privacy team.

Cookies and Tracking

Our platform uses cookies for essential functions. Here's the breakdown:

Essential Cookies

These keep you logged in, remember your session, and enable core payment processing functions. You can't opt out of these without breaking the service.

Analytics Cookies

We use analytics to understand how people use our platform—which features are popular, where people get stuck, what causes errors. This is optional. You can disable analytics cookies in your account settings.

We don't use advertising cookies or third-party tracking for marketing purposes. No hidden trackers, no pixel surveillance, no behavioral profiling for ads.

Children's Privacy

Our services are designed for businesses, not children. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If we discover we've accidentally collected data from a minor, we'll delete it immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We update this policy occasionally as our services evolve or regulations change. When we make significant changes, we'll notify you via email and post a notice on our platform at least 30 days before the changes take effect.

You can always find the current version at spark-energize.com/privacy-policy with the last update date clearly displayed. If you don't agree with changes, you can close your account before they take effect.