Cookie Policy
Last updated: 7 October 2026
1. What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help websites remember your preferences and improve your browsing experience. Some cookies are essential for the website to function; others help us understand how you use the site.
2. How We Use Cookies
KareShift uses a minimal number of cookies. We do not personalise advertising or build advertising profiles. We do use Google Analytics and Google Ads measurement, which run in Consent Mode (see section 2.3). Our cookie use falls into two categories:
2.1 Essential Cookies (Always Active)
These cookies are strictly necessary for the website and application to function. They cannot be disabled.
| Cookie | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|
session_id |
Maintains your authenticated session in the KareShift application | Session (cleared on browser close) or 7 days if "Remember me" is selected |
auth_token |
JSON Web Token for API authentication. Stored in an HttpOnly cookie for security. | 24 hours (refreshed on activity) |
csrf_token |
Cross-Site Request Forgery protection token | Session |
2.1A LocalStorage Values
The following values are stored in your browser's localStorage (not cookies). They persist until manually cleared and are not transmitted to our servers.
| Key | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|
cookie_consent |
Stores your cookie preference (accepted/rejected) so we don't show the banner again | Until cleared by you — see Section 3 to reset your preferences |
2.1B Where Your Sign-Up Came From (Nothing Is Stored)
To understand which page, campaign or website brought a new customer to us, we do not set a cookie or store anything on your device (no cookie and no other kind of browser storage), and it does not depend on your cookie choice. Instead, the information (the campaign tags on the link you arrived by, the referring website's name, the first page you visited and whether you came from a Google Ads click) travels in the web address of the links you follow on our website, as short tags at the end of the address. It is passed on to our sign-up page only when you click a sign-up or sign-in link, and it is recorded only if you actually sign up (see our Privacy Policy, section 2.5). It never contains a Google click ID, a name or any other personal detail.
2.1C Region Preference Cookie
This cookie is set only when you yourself choose a country site (by clicking a region link or using the country selector), and only to carry out that choice. Without it we would send you back to the site for the region we think you are in on your next visit. It is not used for analytics, advertising or tracking, and it is not transmitted anywhere except to our own website, which reads it to leave you on the country site you chose.
| Cookie | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|
country_pref |
Remembers the country site you chose (Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom or Canada) so we don't redirect you to another one. Set only when you click a region link or choose a country. | 1 year |
2.2 Analytics Cookies (Consent Required)
These cookies are only set if you click "Accept All" on our cookie consent banner. They help us understand how visitors use our website so we can improve it.
| Cookie | Purpose | Retention | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga |
Distinguishes unique visitors to measure site traffic | 2 years | Google Analytics |
_ga_* |
Maintains session state for Google Analytics | 2 years | Google Analytics |
Note: The Google tag is present on our website pages, but it runs in Google's Consent Mode with every kind of storage switched off until you click "Accept All". Until then it sets no cookies and stores nothing on your device. If you choose "Essential Only", it never sets analytics or advertising-measurement cookies.
2.3 Advertising Measurement and What Google Receives Without Consent
If you click "Accept All", Google Ads can also set a conversion cookie (for example _gcl_aw, up to 90 days). It records which advertisement led you to us so that we can tell whether an ad resulted in a sign-up. It is not used to personalise advertising or to build advertising profiles, and ad personalisation stays switched off.
While storage is switched off, the Google tag still sends a small, cookie-free signal to Google when a page loads or a sign-up button is clicked. It contains the page address, the referring page, the browser type and your IP address, but no cookie or other identifier stored on your device. Google uses these signals to measure and model how our advertising performs, without following individual visitors. We do not use them to build profiles or to show you personalised advertising, and advertising storage, advertising data sharing and ad personalisation stay switched off whatever you choose.
3. Managing Your Preferences
Under UK PECR and UK GDPR, withdrawing consent must be as easy as giving it. You can reset your cookie preferences at any time:
You can also change your preferences by:
- Clicking "Reset Cookie Preferences" above — this removes the stored preference and re-displays the consent banner
- Using your browser's built-in cookie management tools to delete specific cookies
- Adjusting your browser settings to block all cookies (note: this may prevent the application from functioning correctly)
4. Third-Party Cookies
Apart from the Google Ads conversion cookie described in section 2.3 (only with your consent), we do not set third-party advertising or tracking cookies. Our payment provider (Stripe) may set cookies on its own domain during the checkout process — these are governed by Stripe's privacy policy.
5. UK PECR Compliance
This cookie policy complies with the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 2003 and the UK GDPR (Data Protection Act 2018). We obtain consent before setting any non-essential cookies and provide clear information about what each cookie does.
6. Contact
If you have questions about our use of cookies, contact us at privacy@kareshift.com.
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