COOKIE POLICY — METAPHORIC TOOLS
Version: 1.0 | Effective date: 8 August 2026
§ 1. WHAT ARE COOKIES?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser when you visit a website. They are not viruses and cannot damage your device.
Cookies may be: session (deleted when you close the browser) or persistent (stored for a set period); first-party (set by our store) or third-party (set by external service providers).
§ 2. MANAGING CONSENT — COOKIEYES
We use the CookieYes plugin to manage your cookie preferences. A consent banner appears on your first visit to the Store. You can change or withdraw your preferences at any time by clicking the floating cookie icon at the bottom of the screen.
Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of prior processing.
Strictly necessary cookies are always active and cannot be disabled — without them the store cannot function (cart, payments, login). All other categories require your active consent.
§ 3. COOKIE CATEGORIES
3.1. Strictly necessary (always active — no consent required)
Legal basis: legitimate interests / necessity for the electronic service.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
| woocommerce_cart_hash | Metaphoric Tools | Cart contents hash check | Session |
| woocommerce_items_in_cart | Metaphoric Tools | Item count displayed in cart icon | Session |
| wp_woocommerce_session_* | Metaphoric Tools | Shopping session — cart and order data | 2 days |
| woocommerce_recently_viewed | Metaphoric Tools | Recently viewed products list | Session |
| wordpress_logged_in_* | Metaphoric Tools | Authenticated customer session | Until logout |
| wordpress_sec_* | Metaphoric Tools | CSRF security token | Session |
| PHPSESSID | Server (PHP) | PHP session identifier | Session |
| cookieyes-consent | CookieYes | Stores your consent preferences | 1 year |
3.2. Functional (require consent)
Purpose: remembering your preferences to improve your experience (language, display settings, currency).
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
| woocommerce_* | Metaphoric Tools | User preferences (language, currency, display) | 1 year |
| wp-settings-* | Metaphoric Tools | User interface preferences | 1 year |
3.3. Analytics (require consent)
Purpose: collecting anonymous traffic statistics to improve the store. IP addresses are anonymised before processing.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
| _ga | Google Analytics (Google LLC) | User identifier — distinguishes visitors (anonymised IP) | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics (Google LLC) | GA4 session identifier | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics (Google LLC) | Distinguishes visitors — shorter duration | 24 hours |
| _gat | Google Analytics (Google LLC) | Throttles request rate to GA | 1 minute |
Data retained for 14 months in GA4. Transferred to Google LLC (USA) under SCCs + EU-US Data Privacy Framework. More: policies.google.com/privacy
3.4. Marketing (require consent)
Purpose: conversion tracking and personalised advertising on Facebook and Instagram.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
| _fbp | Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. | Browser identifier for FB/Instagram advertising | 3 months |
| _fbc | Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. | Tracks clicks on Meta ads (fbclid in URL) | 3 months |
| fr | Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. | Ad delivery, measurement and relevance (logged-in FB users) | 3 months |
Data may be transferred to Meta Platforms Inc. (USA) under SCCs. Manage ad preferences: facebook.com/settings?tab=ads. More: facebook.com/policy.php
3.5. Payment cookies — mBank PayNow (active during checkout only)
These cookies are activated only during the payment process and are strictly necessary for secure transaction processing and fraud prevention.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
| paynow_session / mbank_* | mBank PayNow (mBank S.A.) | Secure payment session and fraud prevention | Session / 30 min |
mBank PayNow is PCI DSS compliant. No card data is stored on the Metaphoric Tools server.
3.6. MailerLite (require consent — newsletter subscribers only)
MailerLite cookies are only activated if you subscribe to the newsletter or visit the store after clicking a newsletter link.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
| mailerlite_* | MailerLite UAB (Lithuania) | Tracks email opens and link clicks for newsletter campaigns | 30 days |
§ 4. HOW TO MANAGE COOKIES
4.1. Floating cookie icon
Click the cookie icon at the bottom of the screen at any time to open the CookieYes preference panel and change or withdraw your consent for each cookie category.
4.2. Browser settings
You can also manage cookies directly in your browser. Note that blocking all cookies may prevent the store from functioning correctly (cart, login, checkout).
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data,
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data,
- Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data,
- Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions.
4.3. Opt-out from individual third-party tools
- Google Analytics: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout (browser extension),
- Meta (Facebook/Instagram): facebook.com/settings?tab=ads or youronlinechoices.eu,
- MailerLite: unsubscribe link in every newsletter email.
§ 5. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
This Cookie Policy may be updated due to technical, legal, or tool changes. Material changes will be notified via the Store website. The current version is always available at the Store website.
§ 6. CONTACT
Email: contact@metaphorictools.com
ul. Śląska 6, 84-230 Rumia, Poland