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Effective Date: August 12, 2025

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Bark Finance, LLC and its affiliates (collectively "Bark," "we," "us," or "our") collect, use, share, and protect information when you use our financial services platform. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data transparently and securely.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide, maintain, and improve our Services, comply with legal obligations, and protect against fraud and security threats.

1.1 Personal Information

  • Identity Information: Legal name, date of birth, Social Security Number and EIN
  • Contact Information: Business address, email, phone number, mailing address
  • Business Information: Company name, formation document details, beneficial ownership, business type, industry classification

1.2 Technical Information

  • Device Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
  • Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, transaction patterns, API calls
  • Location Data: Geographic location based on IP address or device settings
  • Communication Data: Customer support interactions, feedback, survey responses

1.3 Information from Third Parties

  • Identity Verification: Information from identity verification services and public records
  • Business Data: Corporate registrations, sanctions lists, media monitoring
  • Marketing Data: Lead generation services, business directories

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 Service Delivery

  • Open and maintain your business accounts
  • Process payments, transfers, and transactions
  • Issue and manage corporate cards
  • Provide treasury and investment services through Bark Securities, LLC
  • Generate account statements and tax documents
  • Provide customer support and respond to inquiries

2.2 Legal and Compliance

  • Verify identity and conduct know-your-business (KYB) checks
  • Comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions requirements
  • Report to regulatory authorities as required by law
  • Respond to legal process and law enforcement requests
  • Enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements
  • Prevent fraud, money laundering, and other illegal activities

2.3 Business Operations

  • Analyze usage patterns to improve our Services
  • Develop new products and features
  • Conduct risk assessments and underwriting
  • Send service updates and important notices
  • Market our Services (with your consent where required)
  • Train machine learning models for fraud detection

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as described below:

3.1 Service Providers

We share information with vendors who help us provide our Services:

  • Banking Partners: Piermont Bank for account and card services
  • Investment Services: IBKR for custody, Bark Securities, LLC for advisory
  • Infrastructure: AWS for cloud hosting, data storage
  • Identity Verification: KYC/KYB verification services
  • Payment Processing: ACH and wire transfer networks
  • Communications: Email delivery
  • Analytics: Usage analytics, performance monitoring

3.2 Legal Requirements

  • To comply with laws, regulations, or legal process
  • To respond to lawful requests from government authorities
  • To protect rights, property, or safety of Bark, users, or the public
  • To investigate or prevent fraud and security issues
  • In connection with legal proceedings or disputes

3.3 Business Transfers

If Bark is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any change in ownership or control.

3.4 With Your Consent

  • To third-party integrations you authorize (accounting software, ERPs)
  • For marketing or promotional purposes you opt into
  • To other parties with your explicit permission

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your information based on the following legal grounds:

  • Contract Performance: To provide Services under our Terms of Service
  • Legal Obligations: To comply with laws and regulations
  • Legitimate Interests: To operate our business, prevent fraud, and ensure security
  • Consent: Where you have provided explicit consent for specific uses
  • Vital Interests: To protect against imminent harm or illegal activity

5. Data Security

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your information:

  • Encryption: Data encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256)
  • Access Controls: Role-based access, multi-factor authentication, least privilege principle
  • Infrastructure Security: Firewall protection, intrusion detection, regular security audits
  • Employee Training: Security awareness training, background checks, confidentiality agreements
  • Incident Response: 24/7 monitoring, breach notification procedures, incident response team

While we use industry-standard security measures, no system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

6. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to:

  • Provide Services and maintain your account
  • Comply with legal and regulatory requirements (typically 5-7 years)
  • Resolve disputes and enforce agreements
  • Maintain records for tax and accounting purposes
  • Detect and prevent fraud or illegal activities

When retention is no longer necessary, we securely delete or anonymize your information in accordance with our data destruction policies.

7. Your Rights and Choices

7.1 Rights for All Users

  • Access: Request a copy of your personal information
  • Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your information (subject to legal requirements)
  • Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
  • Communication Preferences: Opt out of marketing communications

7.2 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

California residents have additional rights:

  • Right to know categories and specific pieces of personal information collected
  • Right to know purposes for collection and categories of third parties with whom we share
  • Right to delete personal information (with exceptions)
  • Right to correct inaccurate personal information
  • Right to opt-out of sale/sharing (we do not sell personal information)
  • Right to limit use of sensitive personal information
  • Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@bark.finance or call 1-628-333-2252.

7.3 European Residents (GDPR)

If GDPR applies to you, you have rights including:

  • Right to be informed about data processing
  • Right of access to your personal data
  • Right to rectification of inaccurate data
  • Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
  • Right to restrict processing
  • Right to data portability
  • Right to object to processing
  • Rights related to automated decision-making
  • Right to lodge a complaint with supervisory authorities

7.4 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights:

  • Email: privacy@bark.finance
  • Phone: 1-628-333-2252

We will respond to your request within 30 days (or as required by applicable law). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Essential Cookies: Enable core functionality, security, and authentication
  • Analytics Cookies: Understand usage patterns and improve Services
  • Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
  • Marketing Cookies: Deliver relevant advertisements (with consent)

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may limit functionality.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where our servers are located. If you are accessing our Services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our infrastructure is located.

We implement appropriate safeguards for international transfers, including standard contractual clauses and ensuring recipients maintain adequate security measures.

10. Third-Party Links and Services

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites or integrate with third-party services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing them with any information.

When you connect third-party services (such as accounting software), you authorize us to share certain information with those services as necessary to provide the integration.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete such information.

12. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by email or through the Services at least 30 days before the changes take effect. The "Effective Date" at the top indicates when this Policy was last revised.

Your continued use of our Services after the effective date constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Bark Finance, LLC

Attn: Privacy Team

Email: privacy@bark.finance

Phone: 1-628-333-2252

Data Protection Officer: For GDPR-related inquiries, you may contact our Data Protection Officer at privacy@bark.finance.

This Privacy Policy was last updated on August 12, 2025. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Disclaimers and footnotes

Bark operates as a financial technology company and is not a bank insured by the FDIC. Piermont Bank, Member FDIC, provides all banking services. FDIC deposit insurance protects deposits in the event of an insured bank's failure.

Piermont Bank, Member FDIC, issues Bark Corporate Cards under licensing agreements with Mastercard®.

As a financial technology company, Bark partners with Piermont Bank, Member FDIC, to offer checking and savings accounts. While Bark itself is not FDIC-insured, deposits held at our partner bank are protected by FDIC insurance against bank failure. Sweep network banks may hold portions of your deposits. Pass-through FDIC insurance applies when specific conditions are met.

Piermont Bank, Member FDIC, issues Corporate Expense Cards through its Mastercard® license. Monthly repayments trigger automatic cashback credits to your designated checking account. Partial or early payments earn proportional cashback rewards. Account closure or terms violations may result in cashback forfeiture. Program terms are subject to modification with notice via email or website updates. For expense card inquiries, contact help@bark.finance.

Bark Securities, LLC, a registered investment adviser with the SEC, manages Bark Treasury with targeted annual net returns reaching 4.27% on uninvested cash balances. Yield figures current as of 08/12/2025, based on aggregate Bark deposits exceeding $20M.

Bark Securities, LLC, registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, provides advisory services for Treasury accounts. IBKR, a FINRA/SIPC member and registered broker-dealer, maintains custody of these accounts. FDIC insurance does not cover Treasury accounts. Consult the ADV Wrap Fee Brochure for comprehensive details regarding Bark Securities' advisory services.

Historical performance data presented represents limited time periods and should not be interpreted as predictive of future results. Investment returns fluctuate and cannot be guaranteed. Risk of loss exists for all investments, including potential loss of principal amounts invested. No assurance exists that any account will replicate illustrated profits or losses. Individual returns depend on numerous personal and market factors. Evaluate your financial objectives and program costs prior to investing. Past performance does not predict future outcomes.

While we consider our information sources reliable, we cannot guarantee their complete accuracy. This material does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation to purchase securities. Its sole purpose is to gauge interest in Bark Treasury and provide background on our algorithmic investment approach. The Firm has compiled this information from sources deemed trustworthy, though absolute accuracy and completeness remain unverified.

Forward-looking statements within this document can be recognized by terminology including "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "should," "planned," "estimated," "potential," and comparable expressions.

Forward-looking statements encompass projections regarding financial status, operational results, and investment strategy performance. Multiple variables influence outcomes, including economic conditions at local and national levels, competitive dynamics, interest rate movements, regulatory and legislative developments, and technological, governmental, and market factors. These elements may cause substantial deviation between actual and projected results.

Target return figures represent performance objectives the Firm aims to achieve within specified timeframes. These projections indicate expected performance capabilities of our investment services. We present target returns to communicate risk management parameters for Bark Treasury and assist investors in portfolio allocation decisions. Such targets constitute neither guarantees nor commitments regarding future performance.

FDIC insurance does not apply to Bark Treasury. These products do not constitute deposits or obligations of Piermont Bank, nor does Piermont Bank guarantee them. Investment risks apply to all Bark Treasury products, with potential for principal loss.