Privacy Policy

Zerne Capital ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website, mobile applications, and financial services (collectively, the "Services").

By using our Services, you consent to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our Services.

We collect the following categories of information:

• Personal Information: Name, date of birth, email address, phone number, residential address, and Bank Verification Number (BVN).
• Financial Information: Bank account details, employment status, monthly income, employer name, and transaction history.
• Identity Documents: National ID (NIN), driver's licence, international passport, or voter's card.
• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, and device fingerprint for fraud prevention.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, clicks, and application behaviour.

We use your information to:

• Assess creditworthiness and determine loan eligibility.
• Process loan applications, disbursements, and repayments.
• Verify your identity and prevent fraud.
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations (CBN, NDPR, AML/CFT).
• Communicate with you about your account, applications, and promotions.
• Improve our products, services, and user experience.

Your Bank Verification Number (BVN) is collected solely for identity verification and credit assessment. We do not share your BVN with unauthorised third parties. It is encrypted at rest and transmitted securely using TLS.

We comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) and the Central Bank of Nigeria guidelines on data protection for financial institutions.

We use cookies and similar technologies to remember your preferences, authenticate sessions, and analyse usage patterns. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some features may not function properly.

We may share your data with:

• Credit Bureaus: For credit checks and reporting.
• Identity Verification Partners: To validate your ID documents and BVN.
• Payment Processors: To facilitate loan disbursements and collections via GSI.
• Regulatory Authorities: When required by law or court order.

We never sell your personal data to advertisers or data brokers.

We implement industry-standard security measures including encryption (AES-256 at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit), access controls, regular security audits, and staff training. Despite our efforts, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute protection.

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Typically, this is 7 years after your last transaction or account closure, in line with CBN record-keeping requirements.

Under the NDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements).
• Object to or restrict certain processing activities.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@zernegroup.com.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. Continued use of our Services after changes constitutes acceptance.

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

• Email: hello@zernegroup.com
• Address: Zerne Capital, Lagos, Nigeria