Cookies Policy
Last updated: February 2026
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide a better user experience, and give website operators information about how their site is being used.
SpotMate uses cookies and similar technologies (such as local storage and pixels) to recognise you when you visit our platform, remember your preferences, and provide you with a personalised experience. This policy explains what cookies we use, why we use them, and your choices regarding their use.
2. Types of Cookies We Use
We use different categories of cookies on our platform, each serving a specific purpose:
Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary)
These cookies are required for SpotMate to function properly. Without them, you would not be able to navigate our platform or use core features. These cookies:
- Keep you logged in during your session
- Remember your authentication status
- Enable secure transactions
- Store your cookie consent preferences
- Maintain security and prevent fraud
Cannot be disabled - Required for platform functionality
Functional Cookies (Preferences)
These cookies allow us to remember choices you make and provide enhanced, personalised features. They include:
- Your preferred language and region settings
- Display preferences (e.g., map view vs list view)
- Recently viewed listings
- Search preferences and filters
- Notification preferences
Optional - Can be disabled in browser settings
Analytics Cookies (Performance)
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with SpotMate by collecting anonymous information. This helps us improve our platform:
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- Features used most frequently
- Error messages encountered
- How you arrived at our platform (referral source)
- Device and browser type (anonymised)
Optional - Can be disabled in browser settings
Marketing Cookies (Advertising)
These cookies may be used to deliver relevant advertisements and track the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns:
- Measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns
- Limit the number of times you see an advertisement
- Help us understand user demographics
- Track conversions from marketing activities
Optional - Can be disabled in browser settings
3. Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies on SpotMate are placed by third-party services that appear on our pages. We use the following third-party services:
3.1 Stripe (Payment Processing)
Stripe processes payments on SpotMate and uses cookies to detect and prevent fraud, remember payment preferences, and ensure secure transactions. Stripe's cookies are essential for payment functionality. For more information, see Stripe's Privacy Policy.
3.2 Vercel Analytics
We use Vercel Analytics to understand how our platform performs and how users interact with it. Vercel Analytics is privacy-focused and collects anonymised data without using cookies for tracking individual users. For more information, see Vercel's Privacy Policy.
3.3 Supabase (Authentication)
Supabase provides our authentication services and uses cookies to manage your login session securely. These are essential cookies required for account functionality. For more information, see Supabase's Privacy Policy.
4. Cookie Duration and Retention
Cookies can be either "session" cookies or "persistent" cookies:
4.1 Session Cookies
Session cookies are temporary and are deleted when you close your browser. We use session cookies for authentication and security purposes.
4.2 Persistent Cookies
Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them. Our persistent cookies have the following retention periods:
- Authentication cookies: Up to 30 days (or until logout)
- Preference cookies: Up to 12 months
- Analytics cookies: Up to 24 months
- Marketing cookies: Up to 12 months
5. How to Manage and Disable Cookies
You have several options for managing cookies:
5.1 Browser Settings
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically find these options in your browser's "Settings," "Preferences," or "Privacy" menu. Here are links to cookie settings for common browsers:
5.2 Impact of Disabling Cookies
Please note that disabling or blocking certain cookies may affect the functionality of SpotMate. If you disable essential cookies, you may not be able to log in, make bookings, or use other core features of the platform. Disabling analytics and marketing cookies will not affect your ability to use SpotMate.
6. Cookie Consent in Australia
Unlike the European Union's GDPR, which requires explicit consent before placing non-essential cookies, Australia does not currently have specific cookie consent laws. The Australian Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) govern how we handle personal information, including data collected through cookies.
While we are not legally required to display a cookie consent banner in Australia, we believe in transparency about our data practices. That's why we:
- Clearly explain what cookies we use in this policy
- Provide you with information on how to manage cookies
- Only use cookies that serve legitimate purposes
- Minimise the use of third-party tracking cookies
- Respect your browser's Do Not Track settings where technically feasible
7. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons.
When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies. Significant changes may also be communicated through our platform or via email.
8. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Cookies Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us:
See also: Privacy Policy | Terms of Service