| A: Cookies are small text files placed on your computer by a Web site.
Some U.S. Bank Web sites or Web site pages, like many other commercial Web sites, use a technology called "cookies" to provide you with tailored information from the Web site. A cookie is a small text file that a Web site can send to your browser, which may then be stored on your computer. A cookie does not retrieve any data from your hard drive, carry computer viruses or capture your email address. There are two types of cookies: persistent cookies and temporary or session cookies.
U.S. Bancorp Web sites use session cookies to assist us in securing your activities and to enhance the performance of our Web site. Session cookies are used for authentication purposes. Once you login to a Web site, your browser receives a session cookie which has a time stamp on it. As you move around a Web site, your browser submits the session cookie whenever the browser requires a private Web page. This is how the site knows that the person who logged in is the same person requesting the private pages. Once you leave the site, the session cookie we place on your computer expires and is deleted from your computer.
We also use cookies for some administrative purposes, such as examining overall traffic flow to ensure the site is easy to use. When we do this, we examine group activity and do not watch any individual's browsing pattern. When the time value of the session cookie expires, you'll be prompted to log in again. When you close your browser, the session cookie is deleted even if the time stamp is still valid.
Persistent cookies help a site remember you as a previous visitor and can enhance your use of a Web site by saving your Passwords and preferences while you are on the site. For example, if you've requested to receive customized stock information from us, a persistent cookie is stored by your browser to remember your preference.
Another instance in which persistent cookies may be used is for online behavioral advertising. U.S. Bank contracts with advertising companies like Google, Yahoo and MSN to advertise our accounts and services on Web sites not affiliated with us. Some of these ads are online behavioral advertising and may contain persistent cookies that allow monitoring of your response to our advertisements. Cookies placed by these companies do not collect any personal information. We limit companies that place our ads from using information for any purpose other than to assist us in our advertising efforts. If you prefer that our advertising service providers not know which U.S. Bank Web site pages you've viewed, you may opt out at aboutads.info.
You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie, giving you the chance to decide whether to accept it. However, if you chose to reject cookies, you will not be able to use U.S. Bank Internet Banking or Internet Bill Pay. | 
