Study Guide

Internet Security and Fraud Prevention
Disclosure and Compliance
2
30 March 2008 PayPal Certified Developer Program Study Guide
Disclosure and Compliance
Disclosure Policy
Your disclosure policy tells your customers that you’re honest and dependable and that you
care about them and protecting their information. It shows your customers that you believe in
transparency and accountability. It provides a framework and standards for your business
policies, how you deal with your customer information, and how you communicate with your
customers.
Your disclosure policy typically includes five things: a business description, privacy policy,
shipping policy, return policy, and contact information. The more your customers know about
you, the more comfortable they’ll be giving you their business. So be honest, open, direct, and
precise. Here are more details about the five areas you should cover:
1. Business description. Write a clear description of what your company does, including
what products and services it provides. Post it in a prominent place on your website, often
the “About Us” section.
2. Privacy policy. Your privacy policy should clearly state how you treat and protect your
customers’ information. It’s essential that your policy is easy to find on your website,
usually linked from your homepage. Typical elements of a privacy policy include:
– What personally identifiable customer information you collect
– How the information is used
– With whom you share and do not share this information
– What choices are available to your customers regarding collection, use, and distribution
of the information
– What choices are available to your customers regarding communications from you –
email, direct mail, etc.
– The kind of security procedures in place to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of
information under your control
– How your customers can correct any inaccuracies in the information
3. Shipping policy. You’ve made the sale. Your customers are anxious to get their purchases.
So keep that excitement and positive momentum going with a shipping policy that’s simple
and straightforward:
– Spell out your shipping terms in detail, disclosing if costs are determined by weight or
the amount of the purchase
– Indicate the classes of shipping you offer - ground, express, overnight, etc.
– Indicate if you ship to APO, FPO, and international addresses
– Tell your customers in what timeframe they can expect their purchase
– Show your customers how they can track their shipment. (Your shippers should be able
to provide most of this information for you.)