Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how MyFaithVillage ("we," "us," "our") uses them on myfaithvillage.com (the "Site"), and your choices regarding their use. This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, or phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, provide reporting information, and help personalize your experience.

Cookies set by the website owner (in this case, MyFaithVillage) are called first-party cookies. Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called third-party cookies, which enable features or functionality provided by external services (e.g., analytics, payment processing).

2. Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies for several reasons:

Essential cookies — Required for the Site to function. Without these, services like logging in, maintaining your session, and processing payments would not work.
Functionality cookies — Remember your preferences (language, region, display settings) so you don't have to re-enter them each visit.
Analytics cookies — Help us understand how visitors use the Site, which pages are most popular, and how we can improve. This data is aggregated and anonymized.
Security cookies — Protect against spam, fraud, and abuse. Used for bot detection and session integrity.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

A. Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the Site to function and cannot be switched off. They include:

WordPress session cookies (wordpress_logged_in_*, wordpress_sec_*) — Maintain your login session.
WooCommerce cookies (woocommerce_cart_hash, woocommerce_items_in_cart, wp_woocommerce_session_*) — Manage your shopping cart, subscriptions, and checkout.
CSRF/nonce tokens — Protect form submissions against cross-site request forgery.

B. Functional Cookies

Location detection (ml_user_city, ml_user_lat, ml_user_lng) — Remember your detected location for nearby listings and weather features. Expire after 24 hours.
View preferences (sessionStorage) — Remember your grid/list view preference on the explore page.
Chatbot session — Maintains conversation context with the MFV AI Assistant within your browser session.
Onboarding progress — Tracks which setup steps you've completed so you can resume where you left off.

C. Analytics Cookies

Google Analytics (_ga, _ga_*, _gid) — Collects anonymous data about page views, traffic sources, and user behavior. Data is aggregated and not personally identifiable. Retention: 14 months. Google Privacy Policy.

D. Security Cookies

Cloudflare (__cf_bm, cf_clearance) — Bot detection and DDoS protection. Set by Cloudflare when active. Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
Honeypot/anti-spam — Invisible form fields and rate-limiting transients used to detect automated spam submissions. No personal data stored.

E. Payment Cookies

Stripe (__stripe_mid, __stripe_sid) — Fraud detection for payment processing. Set by Stripe.com. We never receive or store your full card number. Stripe Privacy Policy.

4. Third-Party Services

Some cookies are placed by third-party services that appear on our pages. We do not control these cookies. The third parties currently used on MyFaithVillage include:

Google Analytics — Website usage analytics
Google Maps — Map display and geocoding for listings
Stripe — Secure payment processing
Cloudflare — CDN, security, and performance
YouTube / Vimeo — Embedded video content (if present in listings)

Each of these services has their own cookie and privacy policies. We encourage you to review them.

5. Cookie Duration

Cookies have different lifespans:

Session cookies — Deleted when you close your browser. Used for login sessions and temporary preferences.
Persistent cookies — Remain on your device for a set period (e.g., Google Analytics cookies persist for up to 14 months). They activate each time you visit the Site.

6. Your Cookie Choices

You have several options for managing cookies:

Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can:

View what cookies are set on your device
Delete all or specific cookies
Block all cookies or only third-party cookies
Set preferences for specific websites

Note: Blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the Site from working correctly (e.g., you may not be able to log in or complete purchases).

Opt-Out of Analytics

You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Do Not Track

Some browsers send a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal. There is currently no universal standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. We do not currently respond to DNT signals but will update this policy if standards evolve.

7. California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

Know what personal information is collected via cookies
Request deletion of your personal information
Opt out of the "sale" of personal information (we do not sell personal data)
Not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@myfaithvillage.com.

8. European Users (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, you have the right to:

Give or withdraw consent for non-essential cookies
Access, correct, or delete your personal data
Object to or restrict processing of your data
Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

Essential cookies are used under our legitimate interest in providing a functioning, secure website. Analytics and other non-essential cookies are used only with your consent where required by law.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, law, or our business practices. We will post the updated policy on this page and update the "Last Updated" date. Material changes will be communicated via email or a notice on the Site.

11. Manage Your Cookie Preferences

You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the button below:

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact us:

MyFaithVillage
Email: hello@myfaithvillage.com
Website: myfaithvillage.com