CardToDeal Cookie Policy

1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files a website stores on your browser. They let us remember which theme you picked, count your daily scans against the free limit, and (only with your consent) measure how visitors use the site so we can improve it. Some browser storage we rely on is technically local storage rather than a classic cookie, but we treat it under the same consent rules.

2. The cookie-consent banner

When you first visit cardtodeal.com, a cookie-consent banner appears with two clear choices: "Essentials only" or "Accept all". Your choice is stored in your browser's localStorage under the key ctd_cookie_consent, so we do not show the banner again on later visits. Analytics and advertising are on by default under Google Consent Mode v2; choosing "Essentials only" — on the banner or via the "Cookie settings" link in the footer — sets analytics and ad storage to "denied" and persists that choice. You can reopen the banner at any time from the "Cookie settings" link in the footer to change your decision.

3. Cookies we use

3.1 Essential (always on)

These cookies are required for the scanner to work and the daily-limit fairness check to function. You cannot opt out and still use the service.

• ctd_theme — stores your colour theme choice (sage / dark / light). 1 year.
• ctd_cookie_consent — remembers your cookie banner choice (essential only vs accept all) so we do not nag you again. Stored in localStorage. 1 year.
• ctd_scan_count — counts daily scans for fair-use enforcement. Resets at midnight IST.

3.2 Analytics & advertising cookies (on by default)

These cookies and tags are on by default under Google Consent Mode v2. They help us understand which pages help users, measure which campaigns bring visitors, and fund the free tool. To turn them off, use the "Cookie settings" link in the footer and choose "Essentials only" — this sets analytics and ad storage to "denied" via Consent Mode and stops these technologies from setting non-essential cookies.

• _ga / _ga_* — Google Analytics 4 (GA4) usage measurement, with IP anonymisation. 2 years.
• ctd_session — anonymous session identifier for funnel analysis. 30 minutes.
• Google Ads / DoubleClick — conversion measurement and remarketing audiences (e.g. cookies on google.com / doubleclick.net domains).
• bcookie / lidc / li_* — LinkedIn Insight Tag cookies for campaign performance and professional-audience insights.
• UTM & campaign capture — we read UTM tags (utm_source / utm_medium / utm_campaign), referrer and landing page from the URL to attribute which channel or campaign brought you.

3.3 Advertising (Google AdSense)

CardToDeal is a free tool funded in part by advertising, so the site displays Google AdSense units. Google and its partners may set cookies to serve and measure ads, including frequency capping and aggregate reporting. These advertising cookies are on by default under Consent Mode v2; choosing "Essentials only" sets ad storage to "denied". You can also manage personalised advertising at any time through Google Ads Settings, and learn how Google uses cookies on its advertising policies page.

4. What we do not do

• We do not sell cookie data to data brokers.
• We do not set our own first-party tracking cookies to follow you across other websites.
• We do not load analytics or advertising scripts before consent where consent is required — nothing non-essential runs until you accept it.
• We do not use scanned card data to build advertising profiles.

5. Controlling cookies

You can clear all CardToDeal cookies and local storage from your browser settings any time. Because analytics and advertising are on by default, the quickest way to opt out is the "Cookie settings" link in the footer: choosing "Essentials only" sets analytics and ad storage to "denied" via Consent Mode v2 and persists that choice. You can also clear the ctd_cookie_consent value from localStorage, or use the external opt-outs — Google Ads Settings, the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, and LinkedIn ad preferences. For the full picture, see Your data rights.

6. Browser-level controls

Modern browsers let you block or delete cookies per site. CardToDeal will continue to work with all non-essential cookies blocked — you may just have to re-pick your theme each visit. Refer to your browser's privacy settings (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) for the exact controls.

7. Changes to this policy

If we add, remove or change any cookies we will update this page and the effective date at the top. Material changes will be re-flagged in the banner so you can re-consent.

8. Contact

Questions about how we handle cookies or any other personal data? Email hello@cardtodeal.com. See also our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.