Essential by default. Optional by choice.

Who we are and what this policy covers

This policy explains how Balance Eco Ltd (“Balance”, “we”, “us”) uses cookies and similar storage or access technologies. Balance is registered in England and Wales under company number 09645120. Our registered office is 20 Chamberlain Street, Wells, Somerset BA5 2PF, United Kingdom.

It covers balance.eco and related Balance websites; Balance ID; Chant and Forests workspaces and content-management tools; the Chant by Balance app; forest, calculator, certificate and impact services; and related online features (the “Services”).

Our Privacy Policy explains the personal data associated with these technologies, why we use it, who receives it, international transfers, retention and your data-protection rights.

The short version

• Essential storage keeps sign-in, security, checkout, requested features and your choices working. It cannot always be switched off without losing the related feature.
• Google Analytics 4 may be used on public Balance websites only where analytics is enabled and only after you accept Analytics through the cookie controls.
• We do not use Google Analytics for advertising, retargeting or cross-site profiling, and we do not send it your name, email, voice recording or Balance account identifier.
• Rejecting Analytics does not block the website, account creation, workspaces, Chant or Forests services.
• The native app mainly uses secure device storage, local preferences and temporary files rather than browser cookies.

What cookies and similar technologies are

A cookie is a small text value stored by a website in your browser. First-party cookies are set for the Balance service you visit. A third-party service may receive information when its technology is enabled.

Similar technologies include local and session storage, software development kits, app-instance identifiers, pixels, scripts or tags, cached files, secure keychain/keystore records and device permissions. The legal rules can apply whenever an online service stores information on, or accesses information from, your browser, phone or other device—not only when the technology is called a cookie.

Some cookies expire when the browser or session closes. Persistent storage remains for a stated period or until you clear it.

Strictly necessary and security storage

We use essential cookies and storage to authenticate you, maintain secure sessions, complete OAuth sign-in, remember the workspace you asked to open, prevent cross-site request attacks, detect abuse, balance traffic, process a requested checkout and remember your cookie choice. These technologies are used only for those purposes.

Because they are necessary to provide or secure a service you request, they do not depend on optional analytics consent. Blocking them in your browser may prevent sign-in, workspace access, checkout or other requested functions.

• Balance ID: __Host-balance_identity_session normally lasts up to 8 hours; balance_identity_return up to 10 minutes; and balance_identity_last_workspace up to 12 months.
• Chant workspace: chant_oauth_transaction and chant_oidc_retry normally last 5–10 minutes; chant_access normally lasts up to 8 hours; and chant_refresh and chant_auth_source support the longer sliding session.
• Forests: BalanceForestsSession or a production-configured equivalent normally lasts up to 24 hours; BalanceForestsConsumer or its equivalent lasts up to 7 days for a requested embedded consumer session.
• Infrastructure: fraud-prevention, load-balancing and consent-choice storage may have service-specific names and lasts only as long as reasonably required for that function.

Functional preferences

The Services may remember choices such as sidebar width or collapsed state, card layout, dismissed help, appearance, map provider, app icon, sound, haptics, onboarding progress and notification preferences. This avoids asking you to make the same choice repeatedly and keeps the interface consistent.

Browser preference keys include balance_sidebar_width and balance_sidebar_collapsed, together with equivalent local-storage values. Browser preferences may remain for up to 12 months or until you clear them. Session storage used to return you to a catalogue position ends with the tab session.

Where current UK rules allow a functional or appearance preference without consent, we still explain it and provide a simple way to object where required. Clearing it may reset the interface but does not close your account.

Google Analytics 4

Where enabled on a public Balance website, Google Analytics 4 (“GA4”) helps us understand aggregate use—for example visits, pages viewed, approximate region, referral source, device/browser type, session duration, scrolls, downloads and whether a form journey was completed. We use this to improve content, navigation, accessibility, reliability and service design.

GA4 commonly sets first-party cookies named _ga and _ga_<measurement-id> to distinguish a browser and maintain session state. For Balance, Analytics remains disabled until you accept it. We configure those cookies for no more than 13 months and GA4 event/user data for no more than 14 months, subject to earlier deletion or aggregation.

A request to Google necessarily includes technical information such as IP address and user agent during transmission. GA4 may derive broad location and device information. We do not permit names, email addresses, voice recordings, free-text form answers, precise location or Balance account identifiers to be sent as analytics events.

We do not use Google signals, advertising features, personalised advertising, retargeting, demographic profiling, cross-site tracking or Google Ads linkage. We do not use GA4 to make decisions about individuals or combine its browser identifier with a signed-in Balance profile.

Our consent approach

On a website where optional technology is present, the first-layer controls offer equally clear “Accept analytics” and “Reject analytics” choices. Optional tags remain blocked until you choose. Continuing to browse, silence, a pre-ticked control or accepting the Terms does not count as consent.

We use consent for GA4 even though limited aggregate statistical technologies may qualify for a UK exception in some configurations. This gives you a straightforward choice and avoids relying on that exception where a persistent analytics identifier or provider processing may extend beyond it.

Your choice is recorded so we can respect it and demonstrate the decision. We may ask again after a reasonable period, if the technology or purpose changes materially, or if the preference record is cleared. Withdrawing consent stops future optional collection but does not make earlier lawful processing unlawful.

App and device storage

• Secure sign-in: SecureStore, iOS Keychain or Android Keystore protects refresh tokens and an optional biometric sign-in credential. Balance does not receive your fingerprint or face data.
• Preferences: local app storage remembers appearance, app icon, maps, sound, haptics, onboarding, notification settings, cached account activity and push-token state.
• Chant drafts: a pending recording and limited draft/recovery metadata can remain locally while you complete an interrupted submission. They are cleared after successful submission, retake, discard or maintenance.
• Cache: cached images and media improve performance. You can manage the image cache in Settings, while your operating system controls broader app storage and permissions.
• Push: delivery uses a device push token if enabled. This is explained in the Privacy Policy and can be disabled in the app or device settings.

Embedded and third-party content

The Services may link to maps, videos, booking services, social platforms, app stores, botanical databases and other third parties. Opening a separate service lets that provider apply its own storage and privacy rules.

Where we embed third-party content, we aim to prevent optional third-party technology from loading before consent or before you actively request the content. If a map, video or other provider requires storage when you press play or open it, we will provide appropriate information at that point where practicable.

Apple or Google sign-in is activated only when you choose that sign-in method. Their authentication systems then process the request under their own terms; this is separate from GA4 website analytics.

Managing your choices

• Use “Cookie settings” or the cookie icon on the relevant public website to accept or reject Analytics and save a new choice.
• Use browser settings to inspect, block or delete cookies and site data. Blocking all cookies may prevent Balance ID and workspaces from functioning.
• Use Chant Settings and your device settings to manage cache, notifications, microphone, location, camera, photo-library and biometric options.
• Deleting a cookie does not delete the Balance account or personal data held on our systems. Use the account and privacy controls for those requests.
• If controls do not behave as described, contact enquiries@balance.eco and tell us the site, device and browser concerned.

Data protection and international processing

Cookie and device information can be personal data even if it does not directly name you. Balance is normally the controller for the purposes described here. Google acts under the Google Analytics arrangements for the limited analytics processing we configure.

Where GA4 or another provider processes data outside the United Kingdom, we use an applicable safeguard described in our Privacy Policy, such as UK adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK Addendum to approved standard clauses, with appropriate assessments where required.

Our Privacy Policy explains lawful bases, recipients, retention, security and rights including access, erasure, objection and withdrawal of consent.

Changes to this policy

We review storage technologies when services, providers or law change. We may update this policy and the inventory as implementation changes. The latest date appears above.

If we introduce a new optional purpose or make a material change to an existing one, we will update the information and request a fresh choice where required. We will not treat a previous analytics choice as consent to advertising or another unrelated purpose.

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