Cookies notice
The short version
We only use essential cookies (to remember what's in your shopping basket and, when you pay, our payment provider Stripe's fraud-prevention cookies) unless you click “Accept all” on our cookie banner. If you do, we also use Google Analytics 4 (which pages are useful) and Microsoft Clarity (where on a page people tap, scroll and give up, so we can fix what gets in the way). Clarity never runs on consultation, account, basket, checkout or form pages, or on any page that asks health questions, and it hides all page text. We do not use advertising trackers, social-media pixels, or behavioural-advertising cookies.
1. What's a cookie?
A cookie is a small file stored on your device by a website. Browsers also support similar technologies — localStorage, sessionStorage — which we use for the same purpose. Throughout this page "cookie" covers all of these.
2. What we use, and why
| Name | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
hpp_cart_v1 |
localStorage (essential) | Remembers what you've added to your basket between visits so you don't have to restart shopping every time. | Cleared when you clear browser data, or automatically after 90 days of inactivity. |
hpp_last_order_id |
localStorage (essential) | Used only to show your order reference on the order-confirmation page after you submit an order. | Cleared on the next order or when you clear browser data. |
sb-…-auth-token |
localStorage (essential) | Keeps you signed in to your Hyde Park Pharmacy account on this device. Only set if you sign in. | Until you sign out, or clear browser data. |
hpp_pay_* |
sessionStorage (essential) | Lets our payment page show Stripe's secure card form for the order you have just placed, in that browser tab only. It holds Stripe's reference for that payment — never your card details. | Removed when your payment is confirmed, when you start a new order, or when you close the tab. |
Stripe payment cookies (such as __stripe_mid) |
Cookie (essential) | Set by Stripe, our payment provider, when you go to pay (from the moment you press the payment button at checkout), to help prevent card fraud and keep your payment secure. Strictly necessary to take a card payment safely, so they don't need your consent. Stripe never uses this information for advertising. Stripe's cookie policy: stripe.com. | Set by Stripe — see Stripe's cookie policy. |
_ga, _ga_* |
Cookie (analytics) | Google Analytics 4 with IP anonymisation enabled and Google's advertising features disabled. Used to count visitors and see which pages they read. Does not identify you individually. Only set if you click Accept all. | Up to 14 months, then deleted automatically by GA4. |
_clck, _clsk |
Cookie (analytics) | Microsoft Clarity: heatmaps and session recordings showing where visitors tap, scroll and stop on a page, so we can see what gets in the way and fix it. All page text is hidden in recordings and anything typed is never captured. It does not run on consultation, account, staff, basket, checkout or order pages, on pages with a form asking who you are, or on any page that asks health questions. Microsoft's advertising cookie is switched off. Only set if you click Accept all. Microsoft's privacy statement: privacy.microsoft.com. | _clck up to 1 year; _clsk 1 day. |
hpp_geo_v2, hpp_pollen_v2 |
localStorage (functional) | Power the hay-fever pollen widget: it looks up your approximate location from your IP address via a third-party geolocation service, displays the nearest city (never a precise address), and shows local pollen levels (from Open-Meteo), caching them so they load instantly. City-level only — no health or account data is involved; defaults to London if your location can't be found. | Location up to 12 hours; forecast up to 3 hours. |
3. What we do not use
- Advertising cookies (Google Ads, Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel, etc.) — not used.
- Social-media tracking pixels — not used.
- Cross-site behavioural-advertising profiling — not used.
- Data-broker / fingerprinting tools — not used.
- Third-party live-chat tools that observe your session — not used.
4. Your control
You can:
- Block all cookies in your browser settings — the website will mostly work but the shopping basket won't persist between page loads.
- Clear cookies at any time via your browser. We'll just see you as a new visitor next time.
- Change your cookie choice at any time: — this forgets your earlier answer, removes the analytics cookies, and asks you again.
- Opt out of Google Analytics with the official browser add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
- Use private / incognito mode for a session that leaves nothing on your device.
5. How we ask for your consent
The UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) require consent for any non-essential cookies. Our essential storage (the basket) doesn't need consent. Everything else — Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity — loads only after you click Accept all on the cookie banner. Click Reject non-essential and neither loads. You can change your answer at any time with the button in section 4. If you'd like to ask anything about our analytics, email pharmacy.fh186@nhs.net.
6. Changes to this notice
If we change what cookies we use, we'll update this notice and the "Last updated" date above. Material changes (e.g. adding an advertising cookie — unlikely) will also trigger a consent prompt on your next visit.
7. Contact
Questions about cookies or analytics? Email pharmacy.fh186@nhs.net. See our full privacy notice for everything else.