Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit our website. They help us provide a better experience by remembering your preferences and enabling essential website functionality.

1.1 How Cookies Work

• Cookie Creation: Our website sends small data files to your browser
• Storage: Your browser stores these files on your device
• Recognition: When you return, we can recall your preferences and settings
• Functionality: Cookies enable features like calculator state preservation
• Analytics: They help us understand how our website is used

1.2 Why We Use Cookies

• Essential Functionality: Enable core website features and calculator operations
• User Experience: Remember your preferences and settings
• Performance: Help us optimise website speed and reliability
• Analytics: Understand user behaviour to improve our services
• Advertising: Support our free service through relevant, non-intrusive ads
• Security: Protect against fraud and maintain website security

1.3 Cookie Lifespan Types

• Session Cookies: Deleted automatically when you close your browser
• Persistent Cookies: Remain on your device for a defined period
• First-Party Cookies: Set directly by our website
• Third-Party Cookies: Set by trusted external services we integrate

We use four categories of cookies. Each serves a specific purpose and carries different privacy implications. Below is a clear overview of each.

2.1 Essential Cookies (Always Active)

• Security Cookies: Protect against cross-site request forgery and other threats
• Session Management: Maintain your session while using calculators
• Load Balancing: Ensure optimal performance and availability
• Cookie Consent: Remember your cookie preferences and consent choices
• Calculator State: Temporarily store calculator inputs during your session

2.2 Analytics Cookies (Optional)

• Google Analytics: Track website usage, popular calculators, and user behaviour (anonymised)
• Performance Monitoring: Measure page load times and technical performance
• Error Tracking: Identify and fix technical issues promptly
• Content Optimisation: Determine which calculators are most useful to our users

2.3 Advertising Cookies (Optional)

• Google AdSense: Display relevant advertisements based on content and interests
• Ad Personalisation: Show ads more relevant to your browsing interests
• Frequency Capping: Limit how often you see the same advertisement
• Ad Measurement: Measure advertising effectiveness to improve relevance

2.4 Functional Cookies (Optional)

• Preference Storage: Remember your calculator settings between visits
• Language Settings: Store your preferred language and regional settings
• Theme Preferences: Remember any display or accessibility preferences
• Recent Calculators: Quick access to calculators you use frequently

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements that help support our free calculator services. Google AdSense uses cookies to serve relevant ads and measure their effectiveness. We never sell your personal data to advertisers.

3.1 How Google AdSense Cookies Work

• Ad Serving: Determine which advertisements to display on our pages
• Personalisation: Show ads based on your interests and browsing context
• Frequency Control: Limit how often you see the same advertisement
• Performance Measurement: Track ad impressions and clicks anonymously
• Fraud Prevention: Detect and prevent invalid ad activity

3.2 Google AdSense Cookie Reference

3.3 Data Collected by Google AdSense

• Website Activity: Pages visited, time spent, and general interactions
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, screen resolution
• Location Data: General geographic location (country/region only)
• Ad Interactions: Which ads you view or click (anonymised)
• Interest Categories: Inferred interests based on browsing patterns

3.4 Managing Google AdSense Cookies

• Google Ad Settings: Manage your Google ad preferences ↗
• Opt-Out Tool: Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out ↗
• Browser Settings: Block or delete Google advertising cookies in your browser settings
• Incognito Mode: Browse privately to limit cookie storage during sessions

In addition to our own cookies, trusted third-party providers may set cookies to enable functionality and improve our services. We only work with providers who meet our privacy standards.

4.1 Google Analytics Cookies

4.2 CDN and Performance Cookies

• Performance Optimisation: Help deliver content faster via edge caching
• Load Balancing: Distribute traffic for consistent uptime
• Security: Protect against DDoS attacks and malicious traffic

4.3 Managing Third-Party Cookies

• Browser Settings: Block all third-party cookies via your browser's privacy settings
• Selective Blocking: Block specific third-party domains while allowing others
• Privacy Extensions: Tools like uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger for enhanced control
• Opt-Out Pages: Visit third-party opt-out pages such as Google Analytics Opt-out ↗

We believe in giving you complete control over your cookie preferences. Our consent system is designed to be transparent, easy to use, and compliant with privacy regulations worldwide.

5.1 Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit our website, you will see a consent banner that:

• Explains Cookie Usage: Clear plain-language information about what cookies we use
• Provides Clear Choices: Accept all, reject non-essential, or customise by category
• Links to This Policy: Direct access to this comprehensive cookie policy
• Remembers Preferences: Stores your choices for future visits
• Easy to Update: Change your preferences at any time via the footer link

5.2 Granular Cookie Control

• Essential Cookies: Always active — required for the site to function
• Analytics Cookies: Your choice — help us improve or opt out entirely
• Advertising Cookies: Your choice — personalised ads or non-personalised only
• Functional Cookies: Your choice — enhanced features or basic experience

5.3 Valid Consent Requirements

• Informed: Clear information about cookie purposes before consent
• Freely Given: No penalty or degraded experience for refusing non-essential cookies
• Specific: Separate consent for each cookie category
• Withdrawable: Easy to withdraw consent at any time with no hassle
• Documented: We maintain records of your consent choices

5.4 Impact of Your Cookie Choices

• Essential only: All calculators still fully functional
• No analytics: We have less data to guide improvements but the site works normally
• No advertising cookies: You will still see ads, but they will be non-personalised
• No functional cookies: Preferences will not be saved between sessions

You have multiple options for managing cookies. Here is a comprehensive guide to all available controls.

6.1 Browser Cookie Settings

• Google Chrome: Settings › Privacy and Security › Cookies and other site data
• Mozilla Firefox: Settings › Privacy & Security › Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences › Privacy › Manage Website Data
• Microsoft Edge: Settings › Cookies and site permissions › Cookies and site data
• Opera: Settings › Advanced › Privacy & Security › Cookies

6.2 Cookie Management Options

• Accept All: Allow all cookies for full functionality and personalisation
• Block Third-Party: Allow our cookies but block external service cookies
• Session Only: Allow cookies only for your current browsing session
• Block All: Prevent all cookies (may limit some website features)

6.3 Mobile Device Cookie Management

• iOS Safari: Settings › Safari › Privacy & Security
• Android Chrome: Chrome app › Settings › Privacy and Security
• Mobile Firefox: Firefox app › Settings › Privacy
• Samsung Internet: Browser settings › Privacy and Security

6.4 Recommended Privacy Tools

• Privacy Badger: Automatically blocks tracking cookies
• uBlock Origin: Comprehensive ad and tracker blocking
• DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials: Privacy protection across websites
• Ghostery: Shows and blocks tracking scripts and cookies

We take data protection seriously and implement comprehensive measures to protect the information collected through cookies while fully respecting your privacy rights.

7.1 Data Minimisation Principles

• Purpose Limitation: Cookies are used only for their explicitly stated purposes
• Minimal Collection: We collect only data necessary for each function
• Retention Limits: Cookies are kept only as long as needed — see table in Section 3
• Anonymisation: Personal identifiers are removed from analytics data
• Aggregation: Behavioural data is aggregated to protect individual privacy

7.2 Security Measures

• HTTPS Only: All cookies are transmitted exclusively over secure encrypted connections
• Secure Flag: Sensitive cookies use the Secure flag to prevent interception
• HttpOnly Flag: Where applicable, cookies are protected from JavaScript access
• Access Controls: Cookie data is accessed only on a strict need-to-know basis
• Regular Audits: Periodic security and privacy audits of all cookie implementations

7.3 Your Privacy Rights

• Right to Access: Request information about cookie data held about you
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your cookie-related data
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Restrict: Limit how your cookie data is processed
• Right to Portability: Receive your data in a portable format on request

Our cookie practices comply with applicable privacy laws and regulations worldwide, ensuring your rights are protected regardless of your location.

8.1 GDPR Compliance (European Union)

• Lawful Basis: Clear lawful basis for all cookie processing activities
• Consent Management: Granular prior consent mechanisms for non-essential cookies
• Data Subject Rights: Full support for all GDPR rights (access, erasure, portability, objection)
• Privacy by Design: GDPR principles embedded throughout our cookie systems
• Impact Assessments: Regular Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs)

8.2 CCPA Compliance (California)

• Right to Know: Full transparency about cookie data collection and use
• Right to Delete: Options to delete cookie-related personal information
• Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out mechanisms for data sales via advertising cookies
• Non-Discrimination: No penalties or degraded service for exercising privacy rights

8.3 ePrivacy Directive (EU Cookie Law)

• Prior Consent: Consent is obtained before setting any non-essential cookies
• Clear Information: Plain-language explanation of all cookie purposes
• Easy Opt-Out: Simple mechanisms to refuse or withdraw consent at any time
• Essential Exception: Only truly necessary cookies are set without consent

8.4 Industry Standards We Follow

• IAB TCF: Interactive Advertising Bureau Transparency & Consent Framework
• DAA Principles: Digital Advertising Alliance self-regulatory principles
• Better Ads Standards: Coalition for Better Ads user experience standards
• Google Publisher Policies: Full compliance with Google AdSense programme policies

If you have questions about our cookie policy, need help managing your preferences, or want to exercise your privacy rights, please get in touch.

9.1 What We Can Help With

• Cookie Questions: Understanding exactly how cookies work on our site
• Privacy Concerns: Questions about data collection and usage
• Consent Management: Help resetting or updating your cookie preferences
• Technical Issues: Problems with cookie consent or functionality
• Privacy Rights: Submitting access, erasure, or portability requests
• Compliance Questions: Information about our legal compliance

9.2 Privacy Rights Requests

• Access Requests: Request information about cookie data stored about you
• Deletion Requests: Request deletion of your cookie and associated data
• Objection Requests: Object to processing of your data via cookies
• Portability Requests: Receive your data in a machine-readable format