Cookie Policy

1. Purpose of this policy

This Cookie Policy explains how RapidCare SA ("we", "us", "our") uses cookies, browser local storage, and similar technologies on the RapidCare SA web platform. It is aligned with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa and should be read alongside our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

2. What are cookies?

A cookie is a small text file stored on your device by your browser when you visit a website. Cookies let the site remember things about you — such as that you are signed in — across page views and visits. Local storage (also known as window.localStorage) is a similar but separate browser mechanism that we use for most of our sign-in state instead of cookies. For simplicity, "cookies" in this policy refers to both cookies and comparable local-storage keys.

Cookies can be:

• First-party — set by RapidCare SA itself.
• Third-party — set by services we use, such as our payment provider Payfast.
• Session — deleted when you close the browser.
• Persistent — kept for a defined period unless you clear them.

3. Essential authentication cookies

These are strictly necessary to let you sign in and use the platform. They cannot be switched off and do not require consent under POPIA because they are essential to the service you requested.

• rcs-auth (localStorage) — stores your signed JWT authentication token so you stay logged in between pages.
• Single-session enforcement — a server-side record of your current session that invalidates any older login on a different device to prevent credential sharing.

4. Security and session cookies

Used to keep your session safe and to prevent abuse:

• Rate-limiting identifiers — to detect and block brute-force login attempts.
• Session fingerprint — to prevent session fixation and hijacking.
• CSRF tokens, where applicable.

These are essential security measures and cannot be disabled while you are logged in.

5. Payment-provider cookies (Payfast)

When you start a subscription or make a payment, you are redirected to our payment provider, Payfast. Payfast sets its own cookies on its own domain to:

• Process the card transaction securely (PCI-DSS compliant).
• Detect and prevent payment fraud.
• Remember your bank's 3-D-Secure / OTP step within a single checkout.

We do not receive or store your card number. Payfast's cookie practices are governed by their own cookie notice — see payfast.io/privacy-policy.

6. Analytics cookies (currently disabled)

RapidCare SA currently runs no third-party advertising or behavioural-tracking cookies. If, in future, we enable aggregate analytics (e.g. anonymous page-view counts to improve the platform), we will:

• Ask for your consent before any analytics script runs.
• Anonymise / pseudonymise data so it cannot be tied to an identified individual.
• Never share it with advertisers.
• Never use it to profile individual clinicians.

7. Optional preference cookies

These remember your personal preferences and are only stored if you interact with the relevant settings:

• rcs-theme (localStorage) — your UI theme choice, if applicable.
• rcs-pwa-install-dismissed-v1 — remembers that you dismissed the "Install RapidCare SA" banner.
• rcs-cookie-consent-v2 — stores your cookie-consent choice and the timestamp at which it was made (for compliance audit purposes).

You can decline these at any time — the core platform still works without them.

8. Cookies do not collect sensitive clinical or patient data

RapidCare SA's cookies and local-storage keys never contain clinical data, patient data, or special personal information. They hold only technical identifiers (e.g. your auth token, your consent choice, your preferences). You should never enter patient-identifiable information into any feature of the platform, and you should never rely on cookies or local storage to retain it.

9. Your consent choices

When you first visit RapidCare SA, you are shown a consent banner with three options:

• Accept cookies — enables essential, security, and optional-preference cookies.
• Reject non-essential cookies — keeps only the strictly necessary cookies required to sign you in and keep you safe; disables preference cookies and any future analytics.
• View cookie policy — brings you here.

Your choice is stored in your browser under the key rcs-cookie-consent-v2 together with a timestamp for compliance audit purposes. You can change your decision at any time by clearing that key in your browser and refreshing the page, or by contacting us.

10. How to clear cookies

You can clear cookies and local storage through your browser's settings:

• Chrome / Edge: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data.
• Safari: Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data.
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data.

Clearing essential cookies will sign you out and will require you to log in again.

11. Your rights under POPIA

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013, you have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal information and to withdraw consent at any time. See our Privacy Policy for full detail on how to exercise these rights, or email us at rapidcaresasupport@gmail.com.

12. Changes to this policy

We may revise this Cookie Policy as our use of cookies evolves. When we do, we will update the date at the top of this page and, for material changes, may ask you to renew your consent through the banner.

13. Contact

For any cookie-related questions, email rapidcaresasupport@gmail.com.