Cookie Policy

Our cookie policy and how we use them

1. Introduction and Scope

This Cookie Policy explains how Gearz (“Gearz,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) uses cookies and similar technologies when you access or use our website, mobile and web applications, and related services (collectively, the “Service”). It describes what these technologies are, why we use them, and the choices available to you.

This Cookie Policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy, which provides additional detail on how we collect, use, and protect your personal data. Capitalized terms not defined here have the meanings given in our Privacy Policy or Terms of Service.

By continuing to use the Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Cookie Policy. Where required by applicable law, we will obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device.

2. What Are Cookies and Similar Technologies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites function correctly, improve performance, and provide information to site operators.

  • Session cookies are temporary and expire when you close your browser.
  • Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period or until you manually delete them.
  • First-party cookies are set by Gearz directly.
  • Third-party cookies are set by external services operating on or through our Service.

In addition to cookies, we may use the following similar technologies. For simplicity, we refer to all of these collectively as “cookies” throughout this policy:

  • Local storage and session storage — browser-based key-value stores that retain data on your device, used for preferences and authentication tokens.
  • Pixels (web beacons / tracking pixels) — tiny, transparent images embedded in web pages or emails that record whether content has been viewed or a link has been clicked.
  • Software Development Kits (SDKs) — third-party code libraries integrated into our applications that may collect device identifiers, usage data, or crash reports.

More general information about cookies is available at allaboutcookies.org.

The table below summarizes the categories of cookies we use, their purposes, representative examples, typical durations, and whether your consent is required.

CategoryPurposeExamplesDurationConsent
Strictly NecessaryEnable core functionality such as user authentication, session management, security protections, and CSRF prevention. The Service cannot operate without these.Supabase authentication tokens, session identifiers, CSRF tokens, load-balancer affinity cookiesSession – 1 yearNot required
Functional / PreferencesRemember your choices such as language preference, theme (light/dark mode), timezone, and other display settings so you do not need to re-enter them on each visit.Language selection, theme preference, timezone setting, cookie-consent recordUp to 1 yearConsent
Analytics / PerformanceCollect aggregated, pseudonymous data about how visitors interact with the Service — including page views, navigation paths, page-load times, and error rates — to help us identify popular content and improve performance.Vercel Web Analytics identifiers, internal usage counters, performance monitoring tokensUp to 2 yearsConsent
Marketing / AdvertisingIf we deploy marketing or advertising cookies in the future, they would be used to deliver relevant advertisements, limit ad frequency, and measure campaign effectiveness. Currently, Gearz does not serve third-party advertising.None currently in useVariesExplicit consent

4. Third-Party Cookies

In addition to our own first-party cookies, certain third-party services integrated into the Service may place cookies on your device or access cookies already stored there. We do not control the cookies set by these third parties; their use is governed by each provider’s own privacy and cookie policies.

  • Supabase (authentication and database) — sets authentication tokens and session cookies required to sign you in and maintain your session securely.
  • Stripe (payment processing) — uses cookies and device fingerprinting to process transactions for event tickets and subscriptions, and to detect and prevent fraud.
  • Vercel (hosting and analytics) — may set performance and analytics cookies to measure page-load times and visitor traffic, helping us optimize the Service.

We require our third-party service providers to respect applicable data protection laws. For details on how each provider handles cookies and personal data, please refer to their respective privacy policies.

5. How to Manage Cookies

You have several options for controlling or limiting how cookies are used on your device.

5.1 Our Consent Tool

Where required by law (including for users in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom), we present a cookie consent banner when you first visit the Service. Through this banner you can accept or decline non-essential cookie categories. You may update your preferences at any time via the “Cookie Settings” link in our website footer.

5.2 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to view, delete, and block cookies through their settings. Instructions vary by browser:

For any other browser, please visit the browser publisher’s official support pages.

5.3 Industry Opt-Out Mechanisms

You can opt out of interest-based advertising through the following industry programs:

5.4 Important Note

Disabling or blocking strictly necessary cookies may prevent core features of the Service from functioning correctly, including authentication, session management, and payment processing. We recommend keeping essential cookies enabled for the best experience.

Under the ePrivacy Directive (Directive 2002/58/EC, Art. 5(3)), storing or accessing information on a user’s device requires the user’s prior informed consent — unless the cookie is strictly necessary to provide a service explicitly requested by the user. National transpositions of this directive (e.g., the UK PECR) apply the same principle.

Where consent is the legal basis, it must meet the standard set by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, Art. 6(1)(a)): freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. You may withdraw your consent at any time through our consent tool or your browser settings, without affecting the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal.

  • Strictly necessary cookies are placed under the legal basis of legitimate interest (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)) and the ePrivacy exemption for cookies that are essential to deliver the Service you requested.
  • All other cookies (functional, analytics, marketing) are placed only after you provide explicit consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)).

7. Do Not Track Signals

Some web browsers transmit a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. There is currently no universally accepted standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals.

At this time, Gearz does not alter its data-collection or cookie-placement practices in response to DNT signals. If a uniform standard is adopted in the future, we will revisit this practice and update this policy accordingly.

8. Updates to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, law, our business operations, or the cookies we use. When we make material changes, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

Where required by applicable law, we will provide additional notice (such as an in-app banner or email notification) before changes take effect. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about our use of cookies.

9. Contact Information

If you have questions, comments, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies and similar technologies, please contact us at privacy@gearz.io.

For questions about how we handle your personal data more broadly, please refer to our Privacy Policy.