Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how PDFtone ("we", "our", "us") uses cookies and similar storage technologies on our website. It clarifies what these technologies are, why we use them, and your rights to control our use of them.

1. What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used by website owners to make their websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information. Cookies set by the website owner (in this case, PDFtone) are called "first-party cookies". Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called "third-party cookies".

2. How We Use Cookies & Local Storage

We use cookies and local storage (localStorage) to enable basic navigation, secure user logins, process subscription checkout payments, enforce daily free-tier processing limits, and analyze site usage trends in a privacy-respecting manner.

3. Cookies and Storage Used by PDFtone

The cookies and local storage parameters set on PDFtone are categorized below:

A. Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary)

These cookies are essential for the operation of the website and cannot be disabled in our systems. They are typically set in response to actions made by you, such as logging in, setting cookie preferences, or initiating checkouts.

• Session & Auth: We use secure cookies to identify your login session and verify your account permission as you navigate the app.
• Stripe & PayPal Integration: Cookies set by our billing subprocessors to process secure checkout pages, detect card fraud, and verify authorization.
• Cookie Preference Choice: We store a value (e.g. pdftone-cookie-consent) in your local storage to remember whether you accepted all cookies or chose essential cookies only.

B. Local Storage Variables (Functional Utilities)

We store small metadata items in your browser's localStorage to run our utility functions locally on your device:

• Daily Usage Counter (pt_usage): Tracks the number of file downloads or tool completions you perform on your local browser today, so the app can verify and enforce daily plan limits (e.g., 2 files/day for free users). This is calculated locally and is bypassable, but acts as a functional client-side guard.
• Partner Link Referral (pt_ref): Stores the partner tracking code if you visited PDFtone via an affiliate link, so we can attribute referrals correctly if you purchase a paid plan.

C. Performance & Analytics Cookies (Optional)

If you consent via our preferences banner, we set privacy-first analytical cookies that provide anonymized usage summaries (e.g. pageviews, button clicks, landing pages, source channels). These statistics are collected anonymously, contain no personal identity values, do not log precise coordinates, and do not track your activity across other domains.

4. Managing Your Cookie Settings

You can adjust your cookie settings at any time:

• PDFtone Cookie Preferences Banner: When you visit our website for the first time, a banner is displayed at the bottom of the page. You can click "Essential only" to block performance cookies, or click "Manage" to toggle analytics cookies on and off.
• Browser Options: You can configure your browser to block, restrict, or delete cookies. Note that if you disable all cookies in your browser settings, you will not be able to log into your account or execute paid plan features since our authentication system relies on session cookies.

5. Contact Us

If you have any questions or feedback regarding our Cookie Policy, please contact us at support@pdftone.com.