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Cookie Policy

Last Updated: May 3, 2025

At HomemadeCoffeeMalta.com.mt, we use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, ensure the functionality of our website, and analyse site usage. This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how we use them, and how you can manage your cookie preferences. This policy complies with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer, tablet, or phone) when you visit a website. They help websites remember your preferences, improve functionality, and provide insights into how the site is used. Cookies may be “session” cookies (deleted when you close your browser) or “persistent” cookies (stored for a set period).

2. How We Use Cookies

We use cookies for the following purposes:

Essential Cookies

These are necessary for the website to function properly. They enable core features like adding products to your cart, processing payments, and completing your purchase via WooCommerce.

  • Example: WooCommerce cookies (woocommerce_cart_hash, woocommerce_items_in_cart) to manage your shopping cart.
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (necessary for site functionality). Consent is not required for these cookies, but we inform you of their use for transparency.

Performance Cookies

These help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting anonymous data, such as page views and time spent on the site. We may use Google Analytics (if enabled) for this purpose.

  • Example: Google Analytics cookies (_ga, _gid) to track site usage.
  • Legal Basis: Consent (you can opt in via our cookie banner).

Functional Cookies

These remember your preferences to improve your experience, such as saving your cart contents for a future visit.

  • Example: WooCommerce session cookies to remember your login status.
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (enhancing user experience).

Third-Party Cookies

These are set by third parties we work with, such as:

  • Cloudflare: For website security and performance (e.g., __cfduid cookie).
  • PayPal: For payment processing during checkout (cookies set when you select PayPal).
  • Legal Basis: Consent (you can opt in via our cookie banner).

We do not currently use marketing or advertising cookies (e.g., for targeted ads).

3. Cookies We Use

Below is a list of cookies used on our website:

WooCommerce Cookies (Essential)

  • woocommerce_cart_hash: Tracks changes to your cart.
  • woocommerce_items_in_cart: Stores items in your cart.
  • wp_woocommerce_session_: Maintains your session for logged-in users.
  • Duration: Session (deleted when you close your browser) or 48 hours for session cookies.

Cloudflare Cookies (Performance/Security)

  • __cfduid: Used for security and performance optimization.
  • Duration: Up to 30 days.

PayPal Cookies (Third-Party)

  • Set by PayPal during checkout to process payments securely.
  • Duration: Varies (managed by PayPal; typically session-based).

Google Analytics Cookies (Performance, Optional)

  • _ga: Tracks user activity (anonymous).
  • _gid: Tracks daily user activity (anonymous).
  • Duration: _ga (2 years), _gid (24 hours).

Note: If we do not use Google Analytics or other analytics tools, performance cookies will not be present. We’ve included this section for transparency in case analytics are added in the future.

4. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

When you first visit our website, you’ll see a cookie consent banner allowing you to:

  • Accept all cookies.
  • Manage your preferences (opt-in or out of non-essential cookies).

You can also manage cookies via your browser settings:

  • Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and Other Site Data.
  • Firefox: Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data.
  • Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and Website Data.
  • Microsoft Edge: Settings > Privacy, Search, and Services > Cookies.

Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website (e.g., you may not be able to add items to your cart).

5. Third-Party Cookies and Data Transfers

Some cookies are set by third parties (e.g., Cloudflare, PayPal). These third parties may process your data outside the EU, such as in the USA. We ensure compliance with GDPR by:

  • Using third parties that adhere to GDPR-equivalent standards (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses).
  • Obtaining your consent via our cookie banner before these cookies are set.

For more details, see the privacy policies of these third parties:

6. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date. For significant changes, we’ll notify you via a banner on our website.

7. Contact Us

If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact us:

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with Malta’s data protection authority:

Office of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC)

8. Related Policies

This Cookie Policy is part of our broader Privacy Policy, which provides more details on how we handle your personal data. Please review it at /privacy-policy.