Westamerica Bank

We do not collect personal identifying information about visitors to our site. Our servers only collect standard nonidentifying information about visits to the site, such as date and time visited, IP address, city, state, and country. This information is used to compile standard statistics on site usage. If you have provided personal identifying information via e-mail (e.g. name and address), the information will only be used to communicate with you to handle your request. It is not sold or transferred to other parties.

We are committed to protecting your privacy.

Corporate Privacy Policy

At Westamerica, our primary goal is to offer our customers superior service. The foundation of this superior service is trust. Our customers have elected to do business with us and we have an obligation to safeguard that relationship by protecting their private information. Our customers have given us private information expecting that we will protect this information and at the same time offer them financial products and services that they may need to meet their financial goals. We recognize this important responsibility and we will accomplish both goals by adopting the following policies.

Summary of Laws Regarding Consumer Privacy Opt Outs

There are a number of state and federal laws that address the privacy of consumer financial information. Three of the most important to banks and their affiliated companies are:

• Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”), a federal law adopted in 1999 which is implemented by Federal Reserve Regulation P;
• The California Financial Information Privacy Act, referred to as “SB 1”, which was adopted in 2003 and becomes effective July 1, 2004; and
• Section 624 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“Section 624”), added by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transiactions Act of 2003, adopted December 4, 2003.

Regulation P generally restricts the sharing of consumer information with non-affiliated third parties. Sharing of information with non-financial companies or to jointly market non-financial products was made subject to a consumer’s right to opt out. SB 1 restricts sharing with both affiliates and non-affiliated third parties and makes most sharing for marketing purposes subject to a consumer opt out. Section 624 makes the sharing of most information with affiliates for purposes of making a solicitation for marketing purposes subject to a consumer right to opt out. (Section 624 is to be implemented by regulations that are expected by September 4, 2004 and are expected to be effective by March 4, 2005.)

Both Regulation P and SB 1 permit the sharing of information for a wide variety of purposes, sometimes referred to as the “Exceptions”. The Exceptions are summarized below under “Restriction on Disclosing Information to Parities Outside Our Affiliated Companies”. There is no right under any law currently to opt out of sharing under the Exceptions. Likewise, sharing under the Exceptions does not trigger any opt out under Section 624.

Sharing of information for marketing purposes without the consumer’s consent is not generally covered by the Exceptions. One of the Exceptions, however, allows sharing of information with the consumer’s consent. In other words, sharing with the consumer’s consent is generally permissible. (Other provisions of the FCRA not covered here would restrict the sharing of “consumer report” information irrespective of whether the consumer had consented.) Section 624 contains a similar consent exception.

SB 1 also permits the sharing of information with service providers who perform marketing services for the Bank, even without the consumer’s consent, so long as the provider meets certain confidentiality standards, provides only services the Bank could perform itself, receives only the information necessary to perform its task and does not compensate the Bank for the information. Such sharing triggers no opt out under SB 1, nor under Regulation P or Section 624.

Our Collection of Information About Customers

This policy covers customer information, which means personally identifiable information about a consumer or a consumer’s current or former relationship with us. When customers transact or establish a relationship with us, we collect their personal private information. We receive this information directly from the customers, from our affiliates and from other sources such as other financial institutions, employers and credit reporting agencies. We will use this information to help us administer and process the customer's transactions and provide products, services and other opportunities they may need. It is our policy to collect only that information we need for legitimate business purposes.

Sharing Information with Our Affiliated Companies

In order to administer their various transactions, we will share our customer’s personal information among the affiliated companies of Westamerica Bancorporation to the extent allowed under the law. If a customer provides their oral, written or electronic consent we may share that customer’s information among our affiliated companies for the purposes of marketing other financial products. If a customer does not provide their consent we will not share that customer’s information with our affiliated companies for the purpose of marketing additional financial products.

Westamerica Bancorporation and its affiliates may share private information in order to perform transactional assistance for our customers and other services as allowed by law.

Restriction on Disclosing Information to Parties Outside our Affiliated Companies

We will not disclose our customer's private personal information we have collected to other companies unless:

• The customer requests or authorizes that we provide this information to another party.
• The information is provided to a credit bureau or similar credit reporting agency.
• The information is provided to help the customer complete a transaction they initiated. This includes servicing loans, deposit accounts and other relationships.
• We are required by law to furnish the information.
• To report suspected illegal activities such as the financial abuse of elders.
• To protect against actual or potential fraud, identity theft, unauthorized transactions, claims, or other liability.
• To resolve customer disputes or inquiries.
• To persons holding a legal or beneficial interest relating to the customer, including for purposes of debt collection.
• Otherwise permitted by law.

We will not share customer information with unaffiliated companies for marketing purposes unless we first obtain the oral, written or electronic consent of the customer.

Disclosing Information to Other Outside Companies (Service Providers)

Periodically, we will need to share our customer’s private information with outside companies. For example, companies that we hire to maintain our computer systems and companies that perform check card data processing. We will communicate our privacy commitment to these companies and require that these companies agree to safeguard customer information, use the information only for its intended purpose, and not distribute it to other companies unless it is necessary to complete the customer’s transaction or other requested services. Such companies may also perform mailing or marketing analysis for us.

Providing Privacy Information to Customers and Responding to Inquiries

Customers have the right to receive, and we have a responsibility to inform customers of, our privacy policies and practices. We will therefore provide notice of our privacy policies in the form of a Privacy Notice. The Notice will summarize the privacy practices of the Bank. At a minimum, this Notice will be available at any bank branch location, will be provided to a customer at the time the customer establishes a customer relationship with us, and yearly thereafter.

Protecting Private Information

We will diligently protect our customer's private information by establishing operational safeguards that will create standards and procedures for the security of computer systems that house private information to help prevent unauthorized access. We will also periodically update and test the data processing systems and assure the integrity of the information. We will allow access to our customer's private information by only those employees who have a legitimate business reason to access such information and will establish operational procedures to safeguard private information from being released accidentally or released to individuals that fraudulently attempt to obtain the information. Also, we will train and educate all employees on the importance of confidentiality and protecting customer privacy. We will take appropriate disciplinary measures to enforce employee privacy responsibilities.

Privacy Notice

At Westamerica and our family of companies, we are committed to providing you with superior service. We understand that this service begins with trust. As a customer you provide us with private information. You expect that we will carefully protect this information. We take this responsibility seriously. This notice explains how we will accomplish this important obligation while continuing to provide you with a wide variety of products and services that may help you meet your financial goals. 

This Privacy Notice contains important privacy information.  It forms a part of our Privacy Policy (a copy of which is available by writing to the address listed on the back of this notice). This Privacy Policy describes how we may now or may someday later treat personal information about you as our customer. We may change our practices in this area from time to time, and will let you know if this Privacy Notice is changed. This notice applies only to our consumer customers. 

What Companies Are Covered by This Notice?

This notice applies to the following members of the Westamerica corporate family:
Westamerica Bancorporation
Westamerica Bank
Weststar Mortgage Corporation
Westamerica Mortgage Company
Community Banker Service Corporation

Information That We Collect

We collect and use various types of information to service your accounts. When you become a customer we collect personal information about you from the following sources:
•   Information we receive from you on applications or other forms. 
•   Information about your transactions or experience with us, our affiliates, or others.
•   Information we receive from a consumer reporting agency or from customer lists we acquire.
•   Information we receive from other outside sources regarding your employment, credit
or other relationships in order to verify information that you have provided to us.
•   Other general information we obtain about you that is not collected for the purpose of determining your qualification for credit, or other bank product or service that you have requested, such as demographic information.

We use this information to help us administer and process your transactions and provide products, services and other opportunities that you may need.  It is our policy to collect only that information we need for specific business purposes and work to maintain accurate information about our customers.

Information That We Disclose

We may disclose all of the information that we collect, as described above, to affiliated and nonaffiliated parties as permitted by law. For example to:
•   Respond to lawful subpoenas.
•   Provide information to a company in order to complete a transaction that you initiated or provide information to a company at your request. This includes servicing loans, deposit accounts, verification of checks and other transactions.
•   Provide information to credit bureaus or similar credit reporting agencies. 
•   Report suspected illegal activities such as the financial abuse of elders.
•   Protect against actual or potential fraud, identity theft, or unauthorized transactions.
•   Resolve customer transactional disputes or inquiries.
•   Persons holding a legal or beneficial interest relating to the customer. 
•   Companies for the purpose of debt collection.

Disclosure of Personal Information for Our Own Marketing Services

In order to offer you a wide variety of financially related products and services, we may disclose all of the information we collect, as described above, to affiliated and non-affiliated companies that perform marketing services on our behalf for the purpose of offering you our own products and services.

Other Types of Disclosures

We may also disclose information in other ways if you give us your prior oral, written or electronic consent. 

Former Customers

If sometime in the future you cease to be a customer, the policies described in this notice will continue to apply to you. This means we may share your information as described in this notice.  

Confidentiality and Security

We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to only those employees who have a business reason to access such information.

We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information. We also periodically update and test the data processing systems and assure the integrity of the information.  When we share information with non-affiliated companies in order to offer you products and services, we require these companies to maintain standards for safeguarding your information.

We train and educate all employees on the importance of confidentiality and protecting customer privacy. We also train employees to safeguard private information from being released accidentally or released to individuals that may fraudulently attempt to obtain the information.

Keeping you up-to-date with our privacy policy

Protecting your private information is a responsibility we take seriously and we value the trust you have placed in us. We will provide you with a notice of our Privacy Policy each year, as long as you maintain a relationship with us. If you have any questions about this notice you may contact your local branch or call 1-800-848-1088 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you would like a copy of our complete Privacy Policy, you may write to us at:

P.O. Box 1200, Suisun City, CA 94585-1200 or you may also visit our website at: www.westamerica.com.

Important Information For Our Loan Customers Effective December 1, 2004

We may report information about your account to credit bureaus. Late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account may be reflected in your credit report.