What are Cookies?

‘Cookies’ are used on almost every website. They are small text files that are saved on your computer to help the site perform a number of functions. We use cookies for several reasons. For example, they allow us to keep you secure when you log in to your online account, provide online account application forms, monitor the number of people using our website and help us understand more about the way in which people use our website.

By using our website, you are agreeing to the placement of cookies on your computer. Cookies used by Merit Mortgages:

Do not contain any personally identifiable information about you

Do not (and cannot) allow us to access other information stored on your computer

Do not (and cannot) give us information about other websites you visit or your activities on other websites

Do not store any information about you that others could read and understand, or in any way compromise your security

Do allow us to provide a service whereby people can access their account, place a deal or open a new account, securely

Do allow us to retain your login information to help you access your account easily, if you request this. You should not ask us to remember your login information if you are on a public computer

Do allow us to monitor the number of people using our website and collectively monitor their activities. We cannot identify what you, as an individual, do on our site

Do allow us to see how people arrive at our site (e.g. search for Merit Mortgages on a search engine, or click on an email we have sent)

Do allow us to collectively gather a little technical information about people using our site, such as their geographic location (to city level) and the type of web browsers they are using. We cannot identify where you, as an individual, are located or the software or services you are using

Do allow us to display adverts on other websites, to people who have previously accessed the Merit Mortgages website. We cannot identify individuals to whom adverts may be displayed

Do allow the website to recall certain settings and preferences to make using the Merit Mortgages site easier. We cannot identify what your individual preferences or settings are

Types of cookie we use

Session cookies are stored on your computer and remain available for the duration of your visit to our website. When you close your browser, any session cookies that have been set will be automatically removed from your computer’s memory.

Persistent cookies are stored on your computer and remain there until they reach their expiration date or you choose to delete them. At this point, the browser will delete the cookie from your computer’s hard drive. While the persistent cookie is present, the website that created it will have access to that cookie each time you return to that particular site.

We make use of both types of cookie in order to maximise the security of our services and to ensure you always get an optimal service from our site. We do not use cookies to track your use of the internet after leaving our website, nor do we store any information about you in cookies that others could read and understand.

First and third-party cookies

Whether a cookie is ‘first’ or ‘third’ party refers to the website/service placing the cookie. First-party cookies are those set by us. Third-party cookies are cookies that are authorised by us but provided via one of our suppliers. In some limited cases, we may use our suppliers to manage some of these cookies for us, but we never allow any third party to use these cookies for their own purposes.

How we classify the cookies we use

We use a system of classification developed by the International Chamber of Commerce. This allows us to classify the different types of cookies that we use on our website to provide you with more information about why we use them.

Strictly necessary cookies are cookies that are essential in providing specific services you have requested from us. For example:

Remembering information, you have entered on online application forms when you navigate to different pages in a single web browsing session

Maintaining a logged-in session on our website

Performance cookies aim to improve our website by collecting information about how you use our website. For example:

Counting the number of visitors and how they move around our website

Understanding what interests our users so that we can deliver the content and level of service you expect from us

Helping us to improve our website by measuring errors experienced by users of our site

Testing different designs or content on our website

Functionality cookies will typically be set because of an action you have taken on our website but may also be set in the delivery of other services. For example:

Saving preferences when using interactive share charts

Promotional cookies collect information about your browsing in order to deliver promotions relevant to you and your interests. We may, from time to time, use this type of cookie on our website to deliver promotions relevant to you.

Promotional cookies may also be used to limit the number of times you see a promotion as well as help measure the effectiveness of the promotion.

Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (‘Google’).

Google Analytics uses cookies to help Merit Mortgages analyse how users use this website. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of this website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website.

By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

Using browser settings to manage cookies

Most web browsers allow you to manage cookies via the browser settings. For example, you may choose to delete existing cookies, prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie or disable cookies altogether.

For additional information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

YOUR MORTGAGE IS SECURED ON YOUR HOME, WHICH YOU COULD LOSE IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP YOUR MORTGAGE REPAYMENTS. BE AWARE THAT INTEREST RATES MAY CHANGE SO ENSURE YOU CAN KEEP UP REPAYMENTS.