This Privacy Policy applies to The Road Journals, a digital product business operating at theroadjournals.com ("we", "us", "our"). We sell digital PDF guides online.
For any privacy-related questions or requests, please contact us at: theroadjournals@gmail.com
This policy explains:
This policy applies to visitors and customers of theroadjournals.com. It does not apply to third-party websites we may link to. Those services have their own privacy policies.
We collect only the data necessary to operate our business. We do not collect more than we need.
When you buy a product from us, the following data is processed:
| Data | Purpose | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | To deliver your digital download and send your receipt | Performance of a contract (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b)) |
| Payment card details | To process your payment | Performance of a contract. Processed directly by Stripe; we never see or store your card data |
| Purchase record (amount, date, product) | For accounting and fraud prevention | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) and legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)) |
Important: We do not store your payment card details at any point. All payment processing is handled directly and securely by Stripe. Please see Section 5 for details.
When you visit our website, your IP address may be used to detect your approximate country. We use this to display the correct currency and language for your region. This processing is carried out by a third-party service, ipapi.co (see Section 5).
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)). Used to ensure you see accurate pricing and a relevant experience.
We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors use our website. This involves the collection of:
This data is aggregated and used to improve our website and understand our audience. Where this involves cookies or similar tracking, please see Section 7.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)). Used to improve our website and business operations.
We use the Meta Pixel (Facebook/Instagram) on our website. This may collect data about your visit and behaviour on our site to help us measure the effectiveness of our advertising and, depending on your settings on Meta's platforms, show you relevant ads.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)). Used to measure advertising performance and reach relevant audiences.
You can opt out of Meta's personalised advertising through your Facebook/Instagram account settings, or via the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out tool at: optout.aboutads.info
We do not keep personal data for longer than necessary.
| Data | Retention Period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Email address (purchase-related) | 7 years | Legal obligation under UK financial and accounting records requirements |
| Purchase transaction records | 7 years | Legal obligation under HMRC requirements |
| Analytics data (GA4) | Up to 14 months | Standard GA4 retention, then automatically deleted |
| IP/geolocation data (ipapi.co) | Not retained by us | Processed in real time; not stored by The Road Journals |
After these periods, data is deleted or anonymised.
We only share data with third parties where necessary to operate our business. We do not sell your personal data.
All payment processing is handled by Stripe Payments Europe, Limited. When you complete a purchase, you enter your payment details directly into Stripe's secure payment interface. We do not see, store, or have access to your full card details. Stripe acts as an independent data controller for the data it processes.
Stripe's Privacy Policy: stripe.com/gb/privacy
We use Google Analytics 4 (property ID: G-VWL2GB8YYS), provided by Google Ireland Limited. Google collects and processes data about your use of our website.
Google's Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy
You can opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
We use the Meta Pixel (ID: 3618565108306302), provided by Meta Platforms, Inc. This tool may collect data about your visit to our website.
Meta's Privacy Policy: facebook.com/privacy/policy
We use ipapi.co, provided by Kloudend, Inc., to detect your approximate country from your IP address. This is used to display the correct currency and language.
ipapi.co Privacy Policy: ipapi.co/privacy
Some of our third-party service providers are based outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States. Where this is the case, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR, including reliance on UK Adequacy Regulations where applicable, and International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) or equivalent mechanisms as required.
For further details on the safeguards in place for each provider, please contact us at theroadjournals@gmail.com.
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. Below is a summary of the cookies that may be set when you use theroadjournals.com.
These cookies are required for the website and payment process to function. They cannot be disabled.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe session cookies | Stripe | Required to process your payment securely |
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique users | 2 years |
_ga_[ID] | Google Analytics | Stores session state | 2 years |
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
_fbp | Meta (Facebook) | Tracks visits across Meta's advertiser network |
_fbc | Meta (Facebook) | Stores click identifier from Facebook ads |
Managing cookies: You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. For more information, visit allaboutcookies.org.
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at theroadjournals@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK's data protection supervisory authority:
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Website: ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you contact the ICO. Please reach out to us first at theroadjournals@gmail.com.
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data. All payments are processed via Stripe's PCI-DSS-compliant infrastructure. Our website uses HTTPS encryption. We do not store payment card details. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, but we take our data security responsibilities seriously.
Our products are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.