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tripcost

Privacy policy

Last updated: 5 May 2026

We collect as little as possible. Here's exactly what, why, and what you can do about it.

What we collect

Anonymous analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how people use the site — which routes are popular, which pages people visit, and how traffic changes over time. GA4 data is anonymised; we cannot identify individual visitors. GA4 sets cookies (see below).

Email address (optional, opt-in only)

If you sign up for our newsletter or request our free road-trip cost report, we store your email address via Resend. We use it only to send what you asked for. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in every email. POPIA requires — and we use — double opt-in: you'll receive a confirmation email before we add you to any list.

Saved trips (localStorage, opt-in only)

If you toggle "save my trips", the planner stores your recent route calculations in your browser's localStorage. This data never leaves your device and is not transmitted to our servers. You can clear it at any time through your browser settings or by toggling the feature off.

What we don't collect

  • We do not pass any personally identifiable information (PII) to third-party APIs such as our routing or toll data providers.
  • We do not sell, rent, or share your data with advertisers or data brokers.
  • We do not track you across other websites.
  • We do not collect payment information (we never process payments on this site).

Cookies

We use three categories of cookies, with different consent treatments:

  • Google Analytics 4, for anonymous usage measurement. Gated behind the cookie banner: GA4 loads in a denied-by-default state via Google Consent Mode v2 and only writes cookies after you click Accept. Cookies are named _ga and _ga_* and expire after 2 years.
  • Advertising (Google AdSense). When ads are enabled on a page, AdSense sets cookies to limit the number of times you see the same ad, measure ad performance, and (with your consent) personalise the ads shown. Personalisation is gated behind the consent banner via Google Consent Mode v2; if you decline, you may still see ads but they will not be personalised. Typical cookie names: __gads, __gpi, _gcl_*.
  • Stay22, an accommodation-affiliate script (loaded from scripts.stay22.com) that, at the moment you click an accommodation link on the site, routes the click through their tracking pipeline so we can earn a commission from Booking.com / Hotels.com / Expedia / Vrbo. It does not modify any page content you read or interact with — only the destination of accommodation links at click time. No cookies are set unless you actually proceed to book on the destination site, in which case the underlying OTA (e.g. Booking.com) sets its own cookies under its own privacy policy.

We do not use retargeting pixels or session-recording tools. We do not sell your personal information.

You can opt out of GA4 tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on or by using a browser with tracking protection enabled.

Advertising

We display ads through Google AdSense on selected pages to help cover the cost of running the site. AdSense is configured through Google Consent Mode v2, so:

  • If you accept in the cookie banner, ads may be personalised based on your browsing context.
  • If you decline, you may still see ads, but they will be non-personalised (contextual to the page only, not to you).
  • We never share your form inputs (place searches, vehicle, route results) with the ad network.

Google's own privacy and ad-personalisation controls are at adssettings.google.com . To block ads entirely, use a tracking-protection browser or a content blocker.

Affiliate links

Some links on this site (to insurance providers, accommodation, or car rental) are affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase or enquiry, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links are disclosed wherever they appear. They do not affect our editorial recommendations.

Active affiliate partners as of May 2026: DiscoverCars (car rental, deep-link with our affiliate ID), Stay22 (accommodation, click-time link rewriter to Booking.com / Hotels.com / Expedia / Vrbo). We do not load any third-party affiliate scripts that modify the content of the page you are reading; the only scripted affiliate integration is the Stay22 link rewriter described in the Cookies section, which acts only on accommodation links at click time.

Your rights under POPIA

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) gives South African residents the following rights with respect to their personal information:

  • Right to access — you can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • Right to correction — you can ask us to correct inaccurate information.
  • Right to deletion — you can ask us to delete your personal information (for example, your email address if you're on our newsletter list).
  • Right to object — you can object to the processing of your personal information at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, get in touch via the contact page with your request. We will respond within 30 days.

Cookie consent

When you visit tripcost.co.za for the first time, a banner at the bottom of the page asks whether you accept or decline cookies for analytics, advertising, and affiliate tracking. The banner controls two things:

  • GA4 loads in a denied-by-default state via Google Consent Mode v2 and only writes cookies or sends measurement events after you click Accept.
  • AdSense ad personalisation is gated the same way: declining means you see non-personalised contextual ads only.

Stay22 (the accommodation link rewriter, described above) loads regardless of cookie consent because it does not set tracking cookies on its own; it only rewrites the destination URL of accommodation links at click time. The underlying OTA (Booking.com / Hotels.com / Expedia / Vrbo) sets its own cookies if and when you actually book.

What we collect when you accept

  • Anonymous pageview events (page URL, referrer, country — IP address is not stored)
  • Custom events triggered by the planner (e.g. share-button clicks, plan submissions) — no route data or personal information is included

What does not happen

  • No ad personalisation — GA4 is configured with IP anonymisation enabled
  • No cross-site tracking or remarketing audiences
  • No data is shared with Google Ads or any advertising network

How to opt out or change your mind

  • Clear your browser's localStorage for tripcost.co.za (the key is cookie-consent). The banner will reappear on your next visit and you can choose Decline.
  • Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on for a browser-wide opt-out regardless of stored consent.

Data retention

Email addresses on our newsletter list are retained until you unsubscribe. GA4 data is retained for 14 months (Google's default). localStorage data exists only on your device and is under your control.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to how we handle personal information, we'll update this page and change the "last updated" date at the top. We won't notify existing newsletter subscribers of minor policy clarifications.

Contact

Responsible party: tripcost.co.za
Questions or requests? Use the contact page.