Cookies Policy

1. What cookies are

A cookie is a small text file a website asks your browser to save. The browser sends the cookie back the next time you visit, which is how the site recognises you. Cookies are not programs. They cannot read the rest of your device or run code on it.

Some cookies are set by Ratecrest directly. These are called first-party cookies. Others are set by services we use, like payment processors and analytics providers. These are called third-party cookies. Both types are covered by this policy.

This page also covers similar technologies that work like cookies, including local storage, session storage, web beacons, and pixels. When we say "cookies" in this policy, we mean all of these.

2. Why we use them

Cookies do four kinds of work on Ratecrest.

• Keeping the site working. Signing you in, keeping your session active, protecting against fraud and abuse, remembering items in a cart on a paid plan.
• Remembering your choices. Your language, your theme, whether you have dismissed a banner, what you have already searched for.
• Understanding how the site is used. Which pages are loaded, where people drop off, what breaks. We use this to fix bugs and improve the product. Where we can, we work on aggregates, not on you specifically.
• Connecting to selected third-party services. Payments, identity verification, sign-in with social providers, support chat.

3. Lawful basis under the NDPA

Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, processing personal data through cookies needs a lawful basis. We rely on the following.

• Strictly necessary cookies are set on the basis that they are needed to perform the contract between you and Ratecrest. Without them the site does not work.
• All other cookies are set on the basis of your consent. We ask for consent through the cookie banner the first time you visit, and you can change your mind at any time.

We do not rely on legitimate interest as a basis for non-essential cookies. Consent is the cleaner standard, and it is what Nigerian users expect.

4. The categories of cookies we use

4.1 Strictly necessary

These cookies make the platform work. They cannot be turned off through the cookie banner. They store information like your session, your sign-in state, and a token that protects forms on the site from cross-site request forgery. They do not track you across other websites.

Typical lifespan: from the moment you arrive until you close the browser tab, or up to 24 hours for the sign-in session.

4.2 Preferences

These cookies remember choices you have made on the site, such as your language or whether you have dismissed a banner. They are not strictly necessary, so we ask for your consent.

Typical lifespan: up to 12 months.

4.3 Analytics

These cookies tell us how the platform is being used, in aggregate, so we can fix the parts that are not working and invest in the parts that are. Wherever possible we configure analytics tools to use anonymised identifiers and to drop the last part of your IP address.

Typical lifespan: up to 24 months, but most expire much sooner.

4.4 Third-party services

Some cookies are set by services we have integrated, such as payment providers (Paystack, Flutterwave), social sign-in providers (Google, Facebook), customer support tools, and identity verification providers. Their cookies obey their own privacy and cookie policies, which are linked from the providers' own sites.

Typical lifespan: varies. We only load these cookies when you use the feature that needs them, or after you have consented.

4.5 What we do not do

We do not use cookies for advertising targeting. We do not let advertisers buy access to specific Ratecrest users. We do not sell or trade your cookie data.

5. Managing your cookies

You have two ways to control cookies on Ratecrest.

5.1 The cookie banner

When you first visit the site, a banner asks you what you are happy with. You can accept all, reject everything that is not strictly necessary, or choose category by category. Your choice is saved, and you can change it at any time by clicking "Cookie settings" at the bottom of any page.

5.2 Your browser

Every major browser lets you see, delete, and block cookies. The exact steps depend on the browser and version. Look for "Privacy", "Site data", or "Cookies" in your browser's settings.

Blocking strictly necessary cookies in the browser will make parts of Ratecrest stop working. You will not be able to sign in, for example.

5.3 Mobile device controls

If you are on a mobile device, your operating system may also let you reset advertising identifiers and limit ad tracking. Those settings sit in your device's privacy menu, not on Ratecrest.

5.4 Do Not Track

Some browsers send a "Do Not Track" header. There is no agreed industry standard for what a site should do when it receives this header. We respect explicit choices you make through our cookie banner, which is more reliable than the header.

6. Changes to this policy

We update this policy when the cookies we use change. Small clarifications happen without fuss. Where the change affects what we set or why, we will refresh the cookie banner so you can review your choices. The "Last updated" date at the top of the page always reflects the current version.

7. More detail

For the wider story of how we handle data, including what we collect outside of cookies, see the Privacy Policy. The Terms of Use are the overall agreement between you and Ratecrest.

8. How to contact us

If you have a question about cookies on Ratecrest, the contact form is the right way to reach us. Write "Cookies" in the subject so the right team handles it.