Cookie policy

1. What cookies are

Cookies are small text files a site stores on your device. They let a site remember things between pages, for example that you are signed in, so you do not have to start again on every screen.

2. What we use

We use cookies that the site needs to work, two that remember your display choices, and one that remembers which agent sent you to us, if you agree.

• Sign-in session (names beginning sb-), keeps you signed in as you move between pages and when you reopen the site or the Home Screen app on this device, until you sign out. On iPhone, Safari and the Home Screen app do not share this cookie (an iOS limit), so you sign in once inside the app. Strictly necessary.
• sidebar:state, remembers whether you left the app menu open or closed. A preference only; nothing breaks without it.
• sc_language, remembers the language you chose for the site, for up to one year, so pages open in that language straight away. A preference only; nothing breaks without it.
• sc_live_access, set only if you open the site through an early-access link we gave you. It remembers that this device may use the full site before public launch, for up to 30 days. Strictly necessary for that access; it is never set on an ordinary visit.
• sc_renewal_check, set when you check your card before you buy a renewal. It remembers the result of the check for up to 30 days, so you do not have to check again. It is needed for the check you asked for, and it is never set on an ordinary visit.
• sc_agent_ref, set only if you open an agent's link and then choose “Yes, remember it” on the page that asks you. It remembers which agent sent you, for up to 90 days, so that agent can be paid for referring you. If you choose “No thanks”, we do not set it. We remove it once the agent is linked to your account.
• sc_eqa_audit, set only when a GQA quality reviewer opens an audit link we sent them. It lets that link work for up to 30 days. It is never set on an ordinary visit.

Our payment provider, Stripe, sets its own cookies on the checkout pages it serves, to process the payment and to detect fraud. That happens on Stripe's pages under Stripe's own policy.

The app also keeps some things in your browser's storage on your device, not in cookies, for example your learning progress and your display choices. If your English check recording does not upload, the app keeps it on your device for up to 24 hours, so you can send it later. Signing out deletes it.

3. Optional analytics and marketing

When enabled for this site, Google Analytics 4 measures site use only after you choose analytics cookies. Meta Pixel measures advertising results only after you choose marketing cookies. Both are off until you agree. Google and Meta receive device and network information, including IP addresses and browser identifiers. They may process data outside the UK. We do not send your name, form entries, receipt reference or the URL of your account or checkout page as event data. With marketing consent, our server sends Meta a scrambled (hashed) copy of your email address and phone number with application and payment events, so Meta can match them. We keep your consent choice, IP address and browser details for each application for up to 7 days.

One exception, only when the website hits an error in your browser: our error-monitoring service may keep a short recording of the minute before the error, with all text, form entries and media hidden, and never on payment, sign-in, identity, recording or account settings pages. It sets no cookie. It keeps a random reference in your browser’s session storage, which clears when you close the tab. Our privacy policy has the details.

We record limited first-party usage events, such as page views, application starts, checkout steps, form error types, payment results, checkout clicks and lead submissions, to understand how the site is used. We may also record which step of signing in or buying a Green CSCS Q-Card was reached, with the type of device. These step records do not include your name, email, what you typed or your IP address, and they are deleted after 90 days. These events go to our database and do not set a cookie or identify you to an advertising network. For a sample of visits we also log how fast the page loaded, without your IP address.

When optional measurement is enabled, the cookie banner offers separate choices, with neither selected. Use Cookie settings to reject or withdraw consent at any time. Rejecting does not affect access or purchases. We ask before we set sc_agent_ref, on the page an agent's link opens.

4. Controlling cookies

We save your choices in browser storage as sc_measurement_consent_v1 for up to 180 days. A new choice replaces the old one. The isolated measurement document cannot access this site’s cookies or account screens. These integrations do not set _ga, _fbp or _fbc cookies on this site. Providers may receive cookies on their own domains, subject to your browser settings. Withdrawal stops further measurement and removes these site cookies where accessible. It does not remove data already received by the providers. An order reference is retained only in this tab’s session storage to prevent duplicate purchase events; it is not sent to either provider.

Provider details: Google privacy policy and Meta privacy policy.

You can delete or block cookies in your browser settings, under Privacy or Site settings in Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge. Be aware that blocking the sign-in cookies will stop you being able to log in or stay logged in, as the site cannot remember you between pages without them.

To remove sc_agent_ref, delete this site's cookies in your browser settings. If you chose “No thanks” on the agent's page, it was never set.

5. Your data

How we handle personal data more generally, and the rights you have over it, is set out in our privacy policy.

6. Changes and contact

We will update this page if our use of cookies changes; the date at the top shows when it last did. Questions: email hello@skillcertify.co.uk.