Advance Commercial Finance (“we”, “our”, “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data in accordance with UK data protection laws, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following information:

• Personal information: name, business contact details, email address, phone number.
• Business information: company name, financial information, invoices, contracts, and business documents.
• Technical information: IP address, browser type, device details, and usage data when you visit our website.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide commercial finance services and advice.
• Assess applications and process funding requests.
• Communicate with you about your account, funding, or services.
• Comply with legal obligations, including anti-money laundering checks.
• Improve our services and website.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the basis of:

• Contractual necessity: to provide services you have requested.
• Legal obligation: to comply with financial and regulatory requirements.
• Legitimate interests: to improve services, prevent fraud, and communicate with clients.
• Consent: where you have explicitly agreed to marketing communications.

4. Sharing Your Information

We may share your data with:

• Service providers who assist with payment processing, IT services, or analytics.
• Regulatory authorities when required by law.
• Professional advisers such as auditors or legal consultants.
  We do not sell or trade your personal information.

5. International Transfers

Your information may be processed by third parties outside the UK or EEA. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined above or as required by law. Once no longer required, your data will be securely deleted or anonymised.

7. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Request deletion of your data (where lawful).
• Object to processing or request restriction of processing.
• Withdraw consent to marketing communications.
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (ICO in the UK).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

8. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website may use cookies to improve your experience and analyze site traffic. You can manage cookie preferences via your browser settings. For detailed information, see our Cookie Policy.

9. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on our website, and the updated version will take effect immediately.

11. Contact Information

If you have any questions or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us:

Address:
Virage Suite, 4th Floor, Virage Point, Green Lane, Cannock, WS11 0NH

Email: info@ac-finance.co.uk
Phone: 01543 713 016

12. Data Protection Officer (DPO) Contact Information

Lee James – onboarding@ac-finance.co.uk

13. Source of personal data (if not obtained from subject)

We may collect personal data about you from:

• you directly
• employers/clients when you apply for a role or are considered for an opportunity.
• referees (where relevant and permitted)
• publicly available sources (for example professional networking sites, business websites, and public records)
• credit reference agencies (CRAs) where required for consumer credit, identity, or affordability checks.
• third party service providers used to support recruitment, screening, and compliance processes.

14. Right to data portability

You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine readable format, and to request that we transfer it to another organisation where technically feasible, readable format, and to request that we transfer it to another organisation where technically feasible.

15. Whether provision of data is statutory/contractual and conssequences of not providing

Provision of Personal Data

Is the provision of personal data statutory or contractual?

The provision of certain personal data is primarily contractual and, in some circumstances, required to meet legal and regulatory obligations.

Personal data is required to:

• enter into and perform contracts with customers, suppliers, or business partners.
• process orders, manage accounts, and deliver goods and services.
• verify identity and prevent fraud; and
• comply with applicable legal, regulatory, accounting, and tax obligations.

What are the consequences of not providing personal data?

If you choose not to provide the personal data, we request:

• we may be unable to enter into a contract with you.
• we may be unable to fulfil orders, supply goods, or provide services.
• we may be unable to conduct necessary verification, compliance, or fraud prevention checks; and
• as a result, our services may be delayed, restricted, or declined.

Where personal data is requested for optional purposes, such as marketing communications, providing this data is not mandatory, and you may withdraw your consent at any time without affecting your ability to receive goods or services from us.

16. Automated decision-making or profiling

Non-Automated Decision Making and Profiling Making and Profiling Making and Profiling

We may use automated systems and tools to support certain business processes, such as risk assessment, fraud prevention, affordability checks, identity verification, or record management.

These tools may analyse personal data using predefined criteria or rules to generate indicators, scores, or recommendations. However, we do not make decisions that have a legal or similarly significant effect on individuals based solely on automated processing. Any such decisions are subject to meaningful human review.

The use of these tools may influence the speed or level of review applied to an application or request, but individuals will not be subject to automatic rejection or adverse decisions without human involvement.