Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 2026
Our Privacy Promise
MoveCostMatrix is a privacy-focused moving cost calculator. We designed the service so that your calculator entries — including origin locations, destination locations, distance adjustments, and cost estimates — are processed entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript. No calculation data is transmitted to our servers or any third party. You do not need to create an account, provide an email address, or share any personal information to use our service. This is a deliberate design decision, not a limitation — we believe that the best way to protect your data is to never collect it in the first place.
What Data We Collect
We maintain a strict separation between calculator data (which we never collect) and website analytics data (which we collect in anonymized form):
Calculator Data — Not Collected
The following data is processed exclusively in your browser and is never transmitted to MoveCostMatrix or any third party:
- Origin and destination entries (city names, postal codes, addresses)
- Distance calculations and slider adjustments
- Cost estimates for all three moving methods
- Region selections and currency preferences
- Any text you type into the calculator input fields
Website Analytics — Collected Anonymously
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website. This data helps us improve the calculator, identify bugs, and make design decisions. Google Analytics collects:
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet) and screen resolution
- Browser type and operating system
- Geographic region (country and city level — not street address)
- Referral source (how you found our website)
- Session duration and bounce rate
This data is aggregated and anonymized. We cannot identify individual users from Google Analytics data. We do not link analytics data to any personal information.
Third-Party Services
MoveCostMatrix uses a limited number of third-party services. Here is a complete list of external services that interact with your browser when you visit our site:
| Service | Purpose | Data Shared | When Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zippopotam.us | Postal code geocoding | Postal code only | When you enter a valid postal code in the calculator |
| Google Analytics | Anonymous website traffic analytics | Page views, device info, referral source | On every page load (deferred until first user interaction) |
| Google AdSense | Display advertising | Standard ad-serving data per Google's policies | On page load (only after cookie consent is accepted) |
| Formspree | Contact form submission processing | Name, email, message (only when submitted) | When you submit the contact form |
| Nominatim (OpenStreetMap) | City name geocoding | City name only (no personal data) | When you enter a city name instead of a postal code |
When you submit the contact form on our Contact page, your name, email address, and message are sent to Formspree, a third-party form processing service. Formspree processes this data on our behalf to deliver your message to our inbox. Formspree's privacy policy governs their handling of this data.
When you enter a city name rather than a postal code, the calculator uses the free Nominatim API from OpenStreetMap to resolve the city to geographic coordinates. Only the city name is transmitted — no personal information is shared. When you enter a postal code, the calculator calls the zippopotam.us API to look up geographic coordinates. This is a free, public API. The only data sent is the postal code itself — no personal information, no IP address forwarding, and no tracking. If you enter a city name instead of a postal code, no external API call is made at all; the distance is calculated using a local algorithm.
Cookies
Our website uses a limited number of cookies and local storage:
| Cookie / Storage | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
movecost-theme | localStorage | Stores your dark/light mode preference | Persistent until you clear browser data |
_ga, _ga_* | Cookie | Google Analytics session tracking | 2 years / 24 hours |
__gads, IDE | Cookie | Google AdSense ad personalization, frequency capping, and conversion tracking | Up to 2 years |
NID | Cookie | Google ad serving and measurement | 6 months |
Google AdSense cookies are set by Google and are subject to Google's advertising policies. These cookies enable ad personalization, help prevent repeated ads, and support conversion measurement. You can manage or opt out of personalized advertising through Google's Ad Settings. The theme preference (movecost-theme) stays entirely in your browser and is never sent to us or anyone else.
Analytics Details
We use Google Analytics 4 (tag ID G-CNSF2RTM9W) to collect anonymous traffic data. Our implementation loads the Google Analytics script only after you accept cookies via the consent banner. This data helps us understand which pages visitors use most, what devices they use, and how we can improve the calculator. The data does not identify you personally.
To opt out of Google Analytics tracking, you can:
- Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
- Block cookies in your browser settings
- Use a privacy-focused browser extension like uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger
Children's Privacy
MoveCostMatrix is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Since we do not collect personal information from any user, this policy applies equally to all visitors regardless of age.
California Residents (CCPA)
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected, request deletion of personal information, and opt out of the sale of personal information. Because MoveCostMatrix does not collect, store, or sell personal information from the calculator, there is no personal data to disclose, delete, or stop selling. Our Google Analytics implementation collects anonymized, non-personally identifiable data only. If you have questions about your rights under the CCPA, contact us.
European Users (GDPR)
For visitors from the European Economic Area (EEA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides additional data protection rights. Because our calculator does not collect personal data, the primary GDPR consideration relates to Google Analytics cookies. Google Analytics data is processed by Google under their data processing terms. You can opt out of analytics tracking using the methods described in the Analytics section above. If you have questions about your GDPR rights, contact us.
Data Retention
Since we collect no personal data from the calculator, there is no personal data to retain. Your calculation results exist only in your browser tab and disappear when you close or refresh the page. Google Analytics data is retained according to Google's standard data retention settings (14 months for user-level data, which is anonymized).
Data Security
Our website is served over HTTPS (TLS encryption) to protect the integrity and confidentiality of data transmitted between your browser and our servers. Since calculator data never leaves your browser, there is no server-side database to protect. Our website is hosted on Cloudflare Pages, which provides additional security features including DDoS protection, Web Application Firewall, and automatic SSL certificate management.
Changes to This Policy
If we make material changes to this policy, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top. Because we collect no personal data from the calculator, any changes will relate to new third-party integrations, advertising services, or changes in our analytics approach, which we will clearly document. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Do Not Sell My Personal Information (CCPA)
MoveCostMatrix does not sell personal information. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, California residents have the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information. Since we do not sell, share, or monetize personal data from any user, this right is inherently respected by our service design. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and provide a clear opt-out mechanism.
Contact
If you have questions about this privacy policy, how we handle data, or want to exercise your privacy rights, contact us here or email us at hello@movecostmatrix.com.