Cookie Policy
This policy explains what cookies are, which cookies English Refresher uses, why we use them, and how you can control them. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.
1.What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device (computer, tablet, or phone) when you visit. They let the site remember your actions and preferences — such as the items in your shopping cart or whether you are logged in — so things work smoothly and securely.
Cookies can be first-party (set by englishrefresher.com) or third-party (set by a service we rely on, such as our payment provider). They can also be session cookies, which are deleted when you close your browser, or persistent cookies, which stay until they expire or you delete them.
2.How we use cookies
We use cookies for two things — running the site, and understanding how it is used:
- To keep the website and online shop secure and protect against fraud.
- To remember the contents of your shopping cart and let you check out.
- To keep you signed in if you have an account.
- To remember basic display settings and your cookie preferences.
- To measure how many people visit the site and which lessons they use — only if you agree.
We keep it minimal
We use essential cookies, which the site cannot work without, and — only where you have given permission — statistics cookies that show us how the site is used. We do not use advertising cookies, we do not build advertising profiles, and we do not sell your data.
3.Cookies we use
Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are required for the website and shop to work. They cannot be switched off in our systems, and under EU law they do not require your consent.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
woocommerce_cart_hash | WooCommerce (first-party) | Remembers the contents of your cart | Session |
woocommerce_items_in_cart | WooCommerce (first-party) | Tracks how many items are in your cart | Session |
wp_woocommerce_session_* | WooCommerce (first-party) | Links you to your cart and order data at checkout | 2 days |
wordpress_logged_in_* | WordPress (first-party) | Keeps you signed in to your account | Session |
wp-settings-* | WordPress (first-party) | Remembers display and interface settings | 1 year |
cmplz_* | Complianz (first-party) | Remembers your cookie-consent choices so the banner does not reappear | 1 year |
__cf_bm | Cloudflare | Distinguishes humans from bots for security | 30 minutes |
cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Records that a security check was passed | Up to 1 year |
__stripe_mid | Stripe | Fraud prevention during payment | 1 year |
__stripe_sid | Stripe | Fraud prevention during payment | 30 minutes |
Statistics cookies — only with your consent
These cookies help us understand how the site is used, so we know which lessons are worth developing. They are not placed unless you accept the Statistics category in our cookie banner, and you can withdraw that permission at any time.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes one visitor from another so visits can be counted | 2 years |
_ga_JFZXR4JPYN | Google Analytics | Keeps track of a single browsing session | 2 years |
IP addresses are shortened before they reach Google Analytics, demographic and interest reporting is switched off, and every request carries Google's "do not personalize advertising" flag.
Cookie names and durations are set by each provider and may change; the tables above reflect the typical values at the time of writing.
4.Third-party cookies and services
Some cookies are set by trusted providers that help us run the site. These providers handle the data under their own privacy terms:
- Stripe — secure payment processing and fraud prevention (essential). See the Stripe Privacy Policy.
- Cloudflare — content delivery, security, and bot protection (essential). See the Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
- Google Analytics — visitor statistics (consent required). See the Google Privacy Policy.
- Automattic (Jetpack) — site security, backups, and image and file delivery. Some page files are served from Automattic's network, which means your IP address reaches them as part of loading the page. This does not place cookies on your device. See the Automattic Privacy Policy.
Two further services load only when you interact with a specific part of the site:
- YouTube — where a lesson page contains an embedded video. The video is blocked until you choose to load it, and YouTube may then set its own cookies. See the Google Privacy Policy.
- Google reCAPTCHA — used on our contact form to block automated spam. It stores a
_grecaptchavalue in your browser and checks your interaction with the page. We rely on this for site security.
5.Analytics & marketing cookies
We use Google Analytics 4 to count visits and see which lessons and tools are used. This runs only after you accept the Statistics category in our cookie banner. IP addresses are shortened before they reach Google, demographic and interest reporting is switched off, and every request carries Google's "do not personalize advertising" flag, so your visit is not used to target ads at you.
We do not run advertising on this site, we do not use social-media tracking cookies, and we do not sell your data. Google Analytics does contact Google's advertising domains as part of how the product normally works; we have set every available control to stop that data being used for advertising.
Our consent banner is powered by the Complianz plugin, so your permission is requested before any non-essential cookie is placed. Consent is opt-in, and you can withdraw it at any time.
6.Managing your consent
Essential cookies do not require consent because the site cannot function without them. For any non-essential cookies, we manage your choices through our consent banner, provided by the Complianz plugin:
- When you first visit the site, the banner lets you accept or refuse non-essential cookies by category.
- Your preferences are saved (in the
cmplz_cookies listed above) so the banner does not reappear on every page. - You can change or withdraw your consent at any time using the Cookie Settings button below, or by clearing cookies in your browser.
- Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdrew it.
7.Controlling cookies in your browser
You can also block or delete cookies directly in your browser settings. Please note that blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the site — such as the cart, checkout, or login — from working correctly.
8.Changes to this policy & how to contact us
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top shows the latest version. For any question about cookies or your data, email [email protected] or see our Privacy Policy.