Cookie statement

How cookies are used by our website and in our emails

We use “cookies” on our public website and in our emails. This page discusses what cookies are and how cookies are used by our website and in our emails. If you continue to use our website or if you open or interact with any emails we send you, you are consenting to our use of cookies.

Most websites use cookies to some extent but if you wish to restrict or disable cookies you can set your internet browser to do so. Please see below for more information.

Please note that if you restrict or disable cookies on your browser, you may lose some of our website’s functionality.

What are cookies?

Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information stored on your computer or device by your web browser (such as Google Chrome or Safari) at the request of a site you’re viewing. This allows the site you’re viewing to remember things about you, such as your preferences and history or to keep you logged in.

For the purposes of this document, cookies also include tracking pixels – these are clear graphic images (typically one pixel in size) that are loaded when you visit our website or open an email from us. These tracking pixels can be used to check whether you have clicked or opened an email from us or visited our website.

Cookies may be stored on your computer for a short time (such as only while your browser is open) or for an extended period of time, even years. Cookies not set by this site will not be accessible to us.

How do we use cookies?

We may use cookies for the following purposes:

• Registration and maintaining your preferences. This includes ensuring that you can stay logged in and keeping the site in the language or appearance that you requested.
• This allows us to understand your interests so that we can personalise your experience and tell you about products that may be of value to you.
• This allows us to determine how people are using the site and improve it.
• Third-party cookies for things like Facebook or Google (more information on third-party cookies is found below). These cookies will generally be set by the third-party independently, so this site will have no ability to access them.
• Security purposes
• Advertising and link tracking (more information on this is found below)

Types of cookies

First-party and third-party cookies

These types of cookies are placed by a web domain (i.e. the website displayed in the URL window). First-party cookies are set by a website being visited by the user at the time. Third-party cookies are set by a domain other than that of the website being visited by the user. For example, if a user visits a website and another entity sets the cookie through that website, this would be a third-party cookie.

Persistent cookies

These cookies remain on a user’s device for the period of time specified in the cookie. They are activated each time that the user visits the website which created that particular cookie.

Session cookies

Session cookies allow website operators to link the actions of a user during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and finishes when they close the browser window. Session cookies are created temporarily. Once you close the browser, all session cookies are deleted.

Advertising and link tracking

We may use third-party service providers (Service Providers) to:

• deliver online advertising where advertisements are placed on third-party websites; and
• send emails to you (including emails containing marketing material). Our emails contain a number of hyperlinks, each of which has a unique tag. When you click on one of these links:
  • you will automatically be redirected to the relevant page on our website; and
  • your click will be logged, which enables us to understand who has clicked through from an email to visit our website. We may use this information to tailor future messages to you.

When you view a Qudos Bank advertisement on a third-party website or if you open an email from us (including when you click any hyperlinks in our emails), the Service Provider uses cookies to collect information such as:

• the server your computer is logged onto
• your browser type
• the performance of our marketing efforts
• your IP address and location data (i.e. your geo-location at the time you access the advertisement or email)
• (if an advertisement) the date and time of your visit
• (if an email from us):
  • your email address
  • whether you have opened the email
  • how often you have opened it
  • how you interacted with the email (such as the time you opened the email and the time spent reading the email)
  • what time you clicked on any of the links in the email and which link(s) you clicked on
  • which email software you used
  • device information including which device you used.

When you access the Qudos Bank website after viewing a Qudos Bank advertisement on a third-party website or clicking a link in an email sent to you by us, the Service Provider may collect information on how you use the Qudos Bank website (e.g. which pages you have viewed), which may include whether you complete an online application. This information (together with the above information collected by the Service Provider) is then disclosed to Qudos Bank by the Service Provider.

The Service Provider and Qudos Bank use this information to perform statistical analysis of aggregate user behaviour, which may include the collection of personal information.

In addition, Qudos Bank also uses web analytics service providers to collect information on how you use the Qudos Bank website, using cookies to collect information similar to that collected by the Service Provider.

We use the above analyses to measure advertising effectiveness and relative consumer interest in the various areas of the Qudos Bank website. As a general rule, personal information may be collected in this process. If this occurs, and the collection is by the Service Provider, it is required under their arrangements with Qudos Bank to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of that personal information.

We will only use personal information or information generated by cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy, any specific and additional provisions relating to privacy which apply to certain areas of the Qudos Bank website and as otherwise set out in this cookie statement.

How to control cookies

If you do not wish to accept cookies:

• on our website, you can set your web browser to restrict or disable them. Most browsers allow you to change your cookie settings, normally found in the settings menu of your browser. If you disable cookies, you may not be able to use all the interactive features of our website; and
• from our emails, you can simply:
  • set your browser to restrict cookies or to reject them entirely. These settings will apply to all cookies whether included on websites or in emails;
  • configure your emails not to display images because in some instances, depending on your email or browser settings, cookies in an email may be accepted if images are automatically displayed; and
  • close the email without downloading any images or clicking on any links because our process for delivering emails may cause cookies to be accepted when you download images or click on a link in the email.

Please refer to your email browser or device instructions for more information on the above.

If you have any questions or concerns relating to the cookies on our website, please contact us on 1300 747 747.