Privacy Notice
Version 3.1, Effective 13 July 2022
PLEASE READ THIS PRIVACY POLICY VERY CAREFULLY

SETTING THE SCENE

At Starling, service is our no.1 priority. This includes respecting your privacy and protecting your information.

To make this notice easier to understand, we use some straightforward words throughout the notice and we then explain the meaning of those words at the bottom of this document - so if you need to check what one of these words means, scroll down to the bottom.

The notice describes how we collect and use your information and it covers all the ways you can interact with us... and there are lots of ways! For example: when you visit any of our websites, you use the App, you have an account with us, you get in touch with us, you apply for a job or you use a service that integrates with us.

Please note that you do not have to transfer your information to us; however, if you do not, it will severely limit your ability to use our products and services - in particular, you will not be able to have a bank account with us.

The notice has the following sections:

  • What information do we collect;
  • How do we use your information and what is the lawful basis;
  • Who do we share your information with;
  • Some specific information about credit reference and fraud prevention agencies;
  • Where do we process and store your information or transfer it;
  • Your rights;
  • Other information that we need to give you or we think you will find useful;
  • Meanings of some of the terms we use.

Each section has two parts:

    • In short - this sets out a brief, easy to read summary of that section; and
    • If you want more detail - this is a more comprehensive explanation of that section. Our websites and the App may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites or other links or apps of our partner networks and our affiliates. If you follow one of these links, please note that these links and destinations have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any of your information via these links or destinations.

1. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?

In short, we collect and use information about you that is picked up when you interact with us such as through our websites, when you use the App, if you have an account with us, if you get in touch with us, if you apply for a job or if you use a service that integrates with us. We also collect and use information about you that is provided by third parties.

If you want more detail, here is the information that we may collect about you:

  • 1.1. information you give us when you get in touch with us (through the App, or by phone (and we monitor and record calls), email or otherwise) such as the information you provide when you download the App, register or use our websites, transact or use our banking service, when you engage in customer research or similar, participate in discussion boards or other social media platforms, when you report a problem with our websites or the App. Examples of this information are your name, address and previous addresses, email addresses and phone number,financial and credit and debit card information, personal description and photographs, videos or audio files;

  • 1.2. transactional information in relation to banking and financial products and services including from our debit card provider;

  • 1.3. information from Marketplace partners where you integrate services between us and them;

  • 1.4. technical information, including the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer or device to the Internet, your login information, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform;

  • 1.5. information about your visit to our websites, including the full Uniform Resource Locators clickstream to, through and from our websites (including date and time), products you viewed, page response times, download errors, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, and mouse-overs), and methods used to browse away from the page - our websites may also use cookies (please refer to our Cookie Policy for detailed information on this: https://www.starlingbank.com/legal/cookie-policy/);

  • 1.6. telephone log information, such as your phone number, calling-party number, forwarding numbers, time and date of calls, duration of calls, SMS routing information and types of calls, any phone number used to call us and the content of those calls;

  • 1.7. information about the device you are using including information relating to your mobile phone network, which operating system you use and the version of that operating system, information which enables the identification of that device. If you download the App, we will link your mobile number with that device;

  • 1.8. information about where you are located which is provided through our technology by using details like your IP address or GPS sensors;

  • 1.9. the App collects certain information when you install, use or uninstall it (including information about your device and the way you use the App and our products and services) and it may periodically contact our servers automatically and we may collect and store information (including information about you) on your device itself - the App may also use cookies (please refer to our Cookie Policy for detailed information on this: https://www.starlingbank.com/legal/cookie-policy/;

  • 1.10. information you provide when applying for a job or to provide us with services;

  • 1.11. we also work closely with third parties (including, for example, business partners, subcontractors in technical, payment and delivery services, advertising networks, analytics providers, search information providers, credit reference agencies, other lenders we are connected with and that you use (such as peer-to-peer platforms or mortgage providers)) and may receive information about you from them; and

  • 1.12. we may need to process your special category personal data in certain situations. This is information that can reveal a person's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs or trade union membership, as well as genetic or biometric data (if used to uniquely identify that person) and information concerning a person's health, sex life, or sexual orientation.

2. HOW DO WE USE YOUR INFORMATION AND WHAT IS THE LAWFUL BASIS?

In short, we use your information in order to carry out our operation as a bank and provide banking and financial products and services, to make sure we do not breach any contracts, to keep Starling and you secure, to give people information about products and services and to comply with the law.

If you want more detail, we use your information in the following ways:

  • 2.1. for our operation as a bank and to provide banking and financial products and services including:

  • 2.1.1. to operate bank accounts, make payments (including through digital services like GooglePay, ApplePay, SamsungPay, GarminPay, FitBitPay), to comply with obligations to our debit card partner, run our Marketplace and let you use all these services and to allow you to participate in interactive features of our service and the Marketplace, when you choose to do so;

  • 2.1.2. to ensure the App, our websites, content and services are as effective and relevant as possible and give you the best experience they can;

  • 2.1.3. to administer our business, including troubleshooting, fraud detection, data analysis, testing, research, marketing, statistical and survey purposes, to identify and assist you if you are a vulnerable customer, and to keep our business, websites, the App, bank accounts and our systems safe and secure;

  • 2.1.4. to ensure that we comply with the law and regulations, for regulatory purposes generally as well as to help detect or prevent fraud or other crimes, and for tax, legal, reporting and auditing obligations;

  • 2.1.5. in case we need to check we have carried out your instructions correctly or to resolve queries or issues;

  • 2.1.6. for staff training purposes where we may monitor or record conversations;

  • 2.1.7. in connection with agreements with credit reference agencies and fraud prevention agencies - please see section "CREDIT REFERENCE AGENCIES, CREDIT SCORING AND FRAUD PREVENTION AGENCIES" below in particular;

  • 2.1.8. to assess if you are suitable to work with or for us.

We process your information for the purposes set out above on the following grounds: given our legitimate interest in providing banking and financial products and services, operating and improving Starling, marketing our products and services to you and others and being as efficient as we can about complying with legal duties, obligations and regulations that apply to us and keeping our records up to date.

  • 2.2. to carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us;

We process your information for the purposes set out above on the following grounds: where it is necessary for the adequate performance of contracts with you and to take steps requested by you prior to you entering into contracts with us.

  • 2.3. to operate our Marketplace and to provide information about you to Marketplace and professional partners and businesses that integrate with our APIs that you choose to integrate with;

We process your information for the purposes set out above on the following grounds: (i) your consent to do so where you choose to share your information with Marketplace and professional partners and any other third parties; (ii) where it is necessary for the adequate performance of contracts with you and to take steps requested by you prior to you entering into contracts with us where Marketplace partners share it with us; and (iii) being as efficient as we can about complying with legal duties, obligations and regulations that apply to us and keeping our records up to date.

  • 2.4. to provide you or others, directly or via third party platforms (such as social media platforms): information, products and services that are requested from us; other information, products and services we offer or our business partners offer; and notice about changes to our products or services;

We process your information for the purposes set out above on the following grounds: given our legitimate interest in undertaking activities to offer you products or services that may be of interest to you or that you have expressed an interest in hearing about, given our legitimate interest in providing banking and financial products and services, operating and improving Starling, marketing our products and services to you and others and being as efficient as we can about complying with legal duties, obligations and regulations that apply to us and keeping our records up to date.

  • 2.5. to measure, understand and improve the effectiveness of any functionality or access to, or the commerciality of, any products or services we offer or to which we provide access and to inform and deliver our marketing communications, and we use social media platforms and other communication platforms, analytics and search engine providers to assist us in marketing and the improvement and optimisation of our websites, the App and our business generally.

We process your information for the purposes set out above on the following grounds: given our legitimate interest in operating and improving Starling, marketing our products and services to you and others and providing banking and financial products and services.

Special category personal data: If there is special category personal data for any of the purposes set out above in Section 2 we will process that data on the following grounds: (1) where we have your explicit consent; or (2) it is necessary for: (i) the protection of your vital interests or of another person, or (ii) reasons of substantial public interest, or (iii) the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

3. WHO DO WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION WITH?

In short, sometimes we share your information with our affiliates, with those we do business with, with credit reference and fraud prevention agencies, with law enforcement bodies and regulators or if the information is aggregated (and so cannot identify you specifically).

If you want more detail, we may share your information in certain circumstances, including:

  • 3.1. with our affiliates to ensure we can do the things set out above in the section HOW DO WE USE YOUR INFORMATION AND WHAT IS THE LAWFUL BASIS?;

  • 3.2. with business partners, suppliers and subcontractors, social media platforms and other related service providers, with companies, organisations or individuals outside Starling (such as fraud prevention suppliers and analytics providers) for the performance of any contract we enter into with them or you or for the uses set out in the section HOW DO WE USE YOUR INFORMATION AND WHAT IS THE LAWFUL BASIS?;

  • 3.3. other third parties where you ask us to, including with Marketplace partners, those who have integrated with Starling through our API or in connection with banking and financial products and services we offer like Settle Up;

  • 3.4. with credit reference agencies and fraud prevention agencies - please see the section CREDIT REFERENCE AGENCIES, CREDIT SCORING AND FRAUD PREVENTION AGENCIES below. Sometimes this is a condition of us entering into a contract with you;

  • 3.5. if we are under a duty to disclose or share your information in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply any agreement with you or our suppliers, to protect the rights, property or safety of Starling, our customers or others. This includes:

  • 3.5.1. exchanging information with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and with other companies and organisations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction - again please see the section CREDIT REFERENCE AGENCIES, CREDIT SCORING AND FRAUD PREVENTION AGENCIES below;

  • 3.5.2. with tax authorities;

  • 3.5.3. with the police and other law enforcement bodies;

  • 3.6. the App can use Google Maps/Earth services, including the Google Maps APIs and users of this are bound by the Google Maps/Earth Additional Terms of Use (including the Google Privacy Policy) - see https://policies.google.com/privacy.

4. CREDIT REFERENCE AGENCIES, CREDIT SCORING AND FRAUD PREVENTION AGENCIES

In short, we use credit reference and fraud prevention agencies for a number of matters including when you apply for an account with us and in relation to lending. Some of the ways we use them is through automated decision making but you can contact us if this happens and you want us to look at an application again.

If you want more detail:

  • 4.1. We use credit reference agencies and fraud prevention agencies. For a detailed explanation of what they do and what they do with information about you, please refer to the following: https://www.transunion.co.uk/crain, https://www.equifax.co.uk/crain/ or https://www.experian.co.uk/legal/crain/. Where we share personal data about you with Cifas, it will process that personal data in accordance with its Fair Processing Notice, a copy of which can be found at: https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn.

  • 4.2. We use systems to make solely automated decisions in the following areas:

  • 4.2.1. whether to give you an account or check a product or service is relevant for you;

  • 4.2.2. detecting fraud or money-laundering and taking action (e.g. closing or freezing accounts);

  • 4.2.3. additionally, if you apply for an overdraft or want to extend an overdraft, we use a credit scoring system. Please note the following:

  • 4.2.3.1. this is an automated system which most lenders use to make fair and informed decisions on whether to lend money to certain people and how much. This helps us to lend responsibly. The credit scoring methods used are regularly tested to ensure they remain fair, effective and unbiased;

  • 4.2.3.2. if you apply to borrow money, the system takes account of different information, including that of the credit reference agencies and the information we already hold about you. The system applies the information to look at your application and whether it is responsible to agree to lend to you.

  • 4.3. If your application is declined via the system, you can still contact us if you want to have your application looked at again.

  • 4.4. Ongoing reports may also be provided by credit reference or fraud agencies.

5. AUTOMATED DECISION MAKING

  • 5.1. Restricted automated decision making (including profiling) is when we use systems to make decisions solely by automated means without any human involvement - which then has a legal or similarly significant effect on you. This specific type of decision making has additional rules to protect you.

  • 5.2. Here at Starling, except as set out in Section 4 above, we do not conduct such (restricted) automated decision making because any output from our automated decision making is checked by humans before a final decision is taken.

6. WHERE DO WE PROCESS AND STORE YOUR INFORMATION OR TRANSFER IT?

In short, we generally process your information through servers in the UK and EEA and normally store it for six years. Sometimes the information goes outside the UK and EEA but we try and keep this to a minimum and we put safeguards in place as far as possible.

If you want more detail:

  • 6.1. We process your information and store it on servers managed by our hosting providers.

  • 6.2. Those servers are located across a number of secure data centres in the UK and EEA. Our server environment is highly secure and there is very limited personnel access. Any information will be encrypted at rest (in other words, on being stored).

  • 6.3. We try to ensure that we do not send your information outside the UK and EEA. However, this is not possible in all cases:

  • 6.3.1. in relation to a very small number of our suppliers, your information may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside the UK and EEA as well as processed by staff operating outside the UK and EEA who work for them. We will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place before your information is transferred outside the UK and EEA as required by law and we will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that information about you is treated securely and in accordance with this notice;

  • 6.3.2. if you are outside the UK and EEA and make payments or send messages, or you are in the UK and EEA and make payments or send messages outside the UK and EEA, we may process payments through other institutions and payment systems. They may have to process and store information about you in connection with their own regulations; please note that the standards to which they adhere may not be as stringent as those in the UK and EEA.

  • 6.4. Unfortunately, the transmission of your information via the Internet can never be 100% secure. Although we will do our best to protect your information, we cannot guarantee the security of information about you transmitted to us and so any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.

7. YOUR RIGHTS

In short, you have certain rights under the law and under this notice to request access to your information, to manage it, to withdraw consent, and to request us to delete or transfer information about you or restrict the way it is used. You also have a right to complain.

If you want more detail:

  • 7.1. Accessing information about you: You may access information held about you. Your right of access can be exercised as follows:

  • 7.1.1. if you are a customer of Starling, please make a request through the App;

  • 7.1.2. if you are not a customer, please email Starling at privacy@starlingbank.com.

  • 7.2. Managing your information:

  • 7.2.1. To provide outstanding customer service we need accurate customer information. You can help by informing us whenever your circumstances change.

  • 7.2.2. If you wish to update information about you which is inaccurate or incorrect:

  • 7.2.2.1. if you are a customer of Starling, please make a request through the App;

  • 7.2.2.2. if you are not a customer, please email * Starling at privacy@starlingbank.com.

  • 7.2.3. We may need to ensure that your information is accurate and correct and this may involve a number of further steps.

  • 7.3. Deleting your information:

  • 7.3.1. Generally, we will store your information for six years but in certain circumstances, including through regulatory requirements, we may have to store this for a longer period.

  • 7.3.2. You may request that we delete your information and we will do so but:

  • 7.3.2.1. only if we do not need to retain it for any of the matters set out in the section HOW DO WE USE YOUR INFORMATION AND WHAT IS THE LAWFUL BASIS? above;

  • 7.3.2.2. your information may be impossible to permanently delete and where this is not possible we will put that information beyond reasonable use;

  • 7.3.2.3. your information which you have shared with others (e.g. on our websites) may remain publicly available;

  • 7.3.2.4. please note that your information which you have transmitted to others, e.g. Marketplace partners, will be subject to the privacy policies of those others.

  • 7.4. Objecting to, withdrawing consent, or restricting use of your information:

  • 7.4.1. You can ask us to stop using all or some of your information, withdraw consent or to limit our use of it:

  • 7.4.1.1. if you are a customer of Starling, please make a request through the App;

  • 7.4.1.2. if you are not a customer, please email Starling at privacy@starlingbank.com.

  • 7.4.2. We will do so but:

  • 7.4.2.1. only if we do not need to retain or use it for any of the matters set out in the section HOW DO WE USE THE INFORMATION AND WHAT IS THE LAWFUL BASIS? above;

  • 7.4.2.2. your information which you have shared with others (e.g. on our websites) may remain publicly available;

  • 7.4.2.3. please note that your information which you have transmitted to others, e.g. Marketplace partners, will be subject to the privacy policies of those others.

  • 7.4.3. Before sending you direct marketing in your personal capacity, we will always obtain your permission to do so. Please note that if you update your permissions on direct marketing, there may be a period of time before the update takes effect and you may be sent direct marketing during this time.

  • 7.5. Transferring your information:

  • 7.5.1. You can ask to have transferred elsewhere information about you that you have provided to us:

  • 7.5.1.1. if you are a customer of Starling, please make a request through the App;

  • 7.5.1.2. if you are not a customer, please email Starling at privacy@starlingbank.com.

  • 7.5.2. We will do so but:

  • 7.5.2.1. we may also need to retain it for any of the matters set out in the section HOW DO WE USE YOUR INFORMATION AND WHAT IS THE LAWFUL BASIS? above;

  • 7.5.2.2. we may be restricted from doing so for the same reasons.

  • 7.6. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (go to https://ico.org.uk/).

8. OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS

In short, please check frequently for updates to this notice and, if you need to contact us, details are below.

If you want more detail:

  • 8.1. Updates: This notice may be updated from time to time. Any updates we make to this notice will become effective immediately on posting on our websites. If such an update is significant we will provide you with notice of this via email or any other method we think is suitable.

  • 8.2. Contact:

  • 8.2.1. If you have any questions about this notice or suggestions on any ways it can be improved, please let us know at privacy@starlingbank.com or by getting in touch. Our Data Protection Officer can be contacted at dpo@starlingbank.com.

  • 8.2.2. For the purposes of the data protection laws, the data controller is Starling Bank Limited company number 09092149 and we have our registered office at 5th Floor, London Fruit & Wool Exchange, Duval Square, London, E1 6PW.

9. WHAT THE WORDS MEAN

  • 9.1. Unless they are defined specifically in here, words used in here have the same meaning as in the Starling Current Account Terms and Conditions - General Part, as amended from time to time.

  • 9.2. The following terms have the meanings opposite them:

  • 9.2.1. affiliates means from time to time our holding companies, subsidiary companies and all the subsidiary companies of such holding companies;

  • 9.2.2. data protection laws means the General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679) or any substantially equivalent law enacted in the UK, as applicable;

  • 9.2.3. EEA means the European Economic Area;

  • 9.2.4. our websites means the Starling Bank Online Banking site and www.starlingbank.com and all related sites;

  • 9.2.5. we, us, our or Starling means Starling Bank Limited and all its affiliates;

  • 9.2.6. your information or information about you means personal data (as defined in the data protection laws) about you.

Apply for a Starling bank account today and enjoy app-based banking at its best.

Start your application
Help