Cookie Policy

A cookie is a small file that we save onto your device when you visit our website. Most of the cookies we use will need your permission, by way of ‘Consent’, to allow us to do this. Some cookies, (usually session cookies) are essential, and do not require your Consent. However, regardless of whether we need your Consent or not, we will inform you if we are using them, by including information within this Cookie Policy. Cookies, and any similar technologies change over time, so please refer to this Cookie Policy at regular intervals to ensure you remain aware of how we use them.

Cookies relate to any data, including personal data, and send information back to any website that you visit that recognises the cookie stored in your device.

There are several different types of cookie used for different purposes. Some of these are for our benefit, to help us improve our website and improving the user experience. Others are to ensure security and help prevent fraud, and are strictly necessary to provide the ‘information society service’ (requesting content to load on a webpage/a service over the internet) requested by you. Other types of cookie are more aligned to your preferences, such as what we think you might like to see in terms of adverts.

Cookies allow us to distinguish you from other users of the website. We understand that everyone is unique and has different preferences. By using cookies, we can tailor the adverts that you see, and we can understand the webpages you may be most interested in so your browsing experience is better for you. We can give you more choices when using cookies, such as saving your username so you do not have to type this in every time you log into your account.

When we place a cookie on your device, it is retrieved by the website that placed that it there in the first place, or any other website, which may use that specific cookie.

Cookies relate to each device, and therefore if you are accessing the same webpage from multiple devices (phone, ipad, and laptop for example), you need to set your cookie preferences for each device. If you say no to advertising cookies on your laptop for example, you will still get these adverts on your phone if you have not also selected your preferences specifically on your phone.

Cookies can be a ‘Session Cookie’, or a ‘Persistent Cookie’

• Session Cookie
  Session Cookies are operational only for the duration that you are accessing a website. Once you close your browser, the cookie is deleted. These types of cookies are normally used for ensuring security when you connect to the webpage, or to save things you do for that session, such as items you add to a shopping basket.
• Persistent Cookie
  Persistent Cookies remain stored in your device until they expire (some cookies have an expiration date), or until you delete them. These types of cookies are usually used to capture your behaviour when you access a website, such as how long you spend on a page, which pages you have viewed, as well as your preferences for marketing and advertising.

• Essential Cookies
  Post Office Limited uses ‘Essential Cookies’ for what we regard as the essential functions of our website, such as ensuring the security of the webpage you are visiting and enabling functionality that allows you to move around and use the website, including storing items in your shopping basket.
• Analytical and Performance Cookies
  ‘Performance Cookies’ monitor how many people visit the website, how long people spend viewing the website, and which pages are visited for the longest period. This is not an exhaustive list, but an indication of the purposes of Performance Cookies. Analytical Cookies then analyse this activity further.
• Functional Cookies
  These are cookies that can remember who you are, and your preferences that you have chosen, for example, language and appearance of the webpage, which may depend on the browser you are using. This type of cookie, also remembers your cookie preferences.
• Marketing and Advertising Cookies
  These Cookies are used to provide marketing and specific tailored adverts to you. Cookies for these purposes, can be set by Post Office Limited, and are called ‘First Party Cookies’ and operate on our own website only. 
  
  We also use ‘Third Party Cookies’, which are used by any other website, to target adverts to you, both on our website, and on others.

This list is not an exhaustive list, and the type of data will depend on specific websites, and the purpose of the Cookie:

• Websites you visited and browsing history
• The type of device you are using
• Software and hardware on your device
• A unique id
• A session Id
• A session start and end time
• Specific pages you have looked at
• Date you visited the website
• Expiry data of the cookie
• Passwords and user names
• Your preferences
• IP address

There are a few ways in which you can give Consent for using Cookies that need your consent.

• You can click the box or boxes that pop up to allow us to use them when you first visit our website, and periodically when you continue to use our website.
• You can choose your preferences by enabling and disabling cookies within the browser you are using, for example, within Google Chrome, Safari or Mozilla Fire Fox.

To withdraw consent for cookies

• You can go into your browser settings and change the Cookie choices you have made.
• You may need to remove the persistent cookie text files that have an expiry date in the future.
• Deselect or reselect alternative choices, with tick boxes, where those options exist.