Cookie Policy
What this site stores on your device, why it does so, and how you can change your mind.
Sponsor's spreadsWhat is a cookie, really?
You open a page on this site, scroll through a review of XTB, and then close the tab. A small text file has already been saved by your browser. That file is a cookie. It may hold a random identifier, a language preference, or a note that you have already seen a particular message. It does not contain your name, your account details, or anything that identifies you as a person.
Cookies are not programs. They cannot run code, read files on your device, or install anything. They simply let a website recognise the same browser on a later visit, or during the same session. Similar technologies, such as local storage, work in comparable ways, and this policy covers them as well.
We use cookies for a narrow set of purposes. This site is an independent editorial resource. It reviews XTB for readers in South Africa. It is not the broker, it is not affiliated with the broker, and it does not offer financial services, accounts, deposits, or advice. The cookies here serve the website itself, not any trading platform.
Which cookies are strictly necessary?
Some cookies have to be set for the site to function at all. They keep your session stable as you move between pages, remember that you have accepted this policy, and help protect forms on the site from misuse. Without them, pages may load incorrectly or a form may refuse to submit.
These cookies do not track you across other websites and are not used to build a profile of you. Because the site cannot operate without them, they are set when you arrive and are not subject to an on-off switch.
They live only as long as they are needed. Session cookies disappear when you close the browser. Preference cookies, such as the one that records your cookie choice, may last up to twelve months so that you are not asked again on every visit.
What happens if I refuse cookies?
If you block or delete cookies, the strictly necessary ones will also be affected. You may find that your cookie preference is not remembered, that a page reloads in an unexpected state, or that a contact form on this site will not send. Those are the practical consequences, and they are limited to the working of the website.
Measurement cookies are optional. Refusing them does not reduce your access to any review, article, or comparison on this site. You will see the same content either way.
You can change your choice at any time through the cookie settings made available on the site, or by clearing cookies in your browser and reloading the page.
What do measurement and analytics cookies do?
These cookies tell us how the site is used in aggregate. They record which pages are opened, how long a visit lasts, and which links are followed. The information is used to fix broken pages, improve navigation, and understand which parts of a review are read most often.
We do not use them to identify you, and we do not combine them with any personal information. They are set only after you agree to them. If you decline, they are not placed, and your visit is not measured.
Analytics cookies on this site are kept for a limited period, typically no longer than thirteen months from your last visit. After that they expire or are deleted.
How long does each kind of cookie stay?
Lifetime depends on the job the cookie performs. Strictly necessary session cookies last until you close the browser. The cookie that stores your consent choice may remain for up to twelve months. Analytics cookies generally expire within thirteen months.
We review these periods when we review the cookie list itself. No cookie on this site is intended to persist beyond the period needed for its stated purpose.
Where a third-party service is used for measurement, its own retention period applies, and it is described in the information that service provides.
How do I control cookies in my browser, and how do changes to this list reach me?
Every major browser lets you view, block, and delete cookies through its settings, usually under a privacy or site-data heading. You can also set the browser to warn you before a cookie is stored. The help pages of your browser explain the exact steps for your version.
When this policy or the list of cookies changes, the updated version is published on this page with a new effective date. Material changes are flagged in a notice on the site so that you can review them before continuing to use the site. Continued use after a change means the updated policy applies.
If you have a question about cookies that this page does not answer, use the contact form on this site. This policy forms part of the site's broader terms and should be read alongside them.
