Privacy Policy

Welcome to Espensa! This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our expense sharing and tracking application ("App"). Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the App.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Name: Your display name for the app
• Email Address: Used for authentication and account recovery
• User ID: A unique identifier for your account
• Profile Photo: Optional profile picture (if you choose to upload one)
• Default Currency: Your preferred currency setting
• Language Preference: Your preferred app language

1.2 Expense Data

To provide our core service, we collect and store:

• Expense Records: Amount, description, category, date, and currency
• Split Information: How expenses are divided among participants (equal, unequal, percentage, shares, or item-based)
• Participant Data: Information about who is involved in each expense
• Settlement Records: Information about payments and settlements between users
• Recurring Expense Settings: If you set up recurring expenses
• Group Information: Groups you create or join, including group names, descriptions, and member lists

1.3 Social Data

• Friend Relationships: Friends you add and friend requests you send or receive
• Group Memberships: Groups you create or are invited to
• Group Invitations: Invitations you send or receive

1.4 Device and Technical Information

• Device ID: For push notifications and app functionality
• Device Type: Device model and operating system version
• App Version: Version of the app you're using
• Crash Reports: Error logs and stack traces when the app encounters issues (collected via Sentry)
• Performance Data: App performance metrics to help us improve stability

1.5 Analytics and Usage Data

We collect analytics data to understand how users interact with our app and improve the user experience:

• Screen Views: Which screens you navigate to
• Feature Usage: Which features you use (e.g., expense creation, friend management, group features)
• User Actions: Events like creating expenses, adding friends, creating groups
• Session Duration: How long you use the app
• User Properties: Aggregated data like default currency and language preference

1.6 Permissions

With your permission, we may access:

• Camera: To take photos for your profile picture and group images
• Photo Library: To select existing photos for your profile picture and group images
• Notifications: To send you push notifications about expense updates, friend requests, group invitations, and other app-related alerts

You can revoke these permissions at any time through your device settings.

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 Core Service Provision

• Create and manage your account
• Process and store your expenses
• Calculate balances between you and your friends
• Enable expense sharing with friends and groups
• Send push notifications about expense updates and app activity
• Provide offline functionality with automatic synchronization

2.2 Product Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve app features and user experience
• Identify and fix bugs and performance issues
• Understand which features are most valuable to users
• Make data-driven decisions about product development

2.3 Communication

• Send you notifications about app activity (expense updates, friend requests, etc.)
• Respond to your support inquiries

2.4 What We Do NOT Do

3. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to provide and improve our app:

3.1 Supabase

• Purpose: Backend services, database storage, user authentication, and real-time synchronization
• Data: All your account information, expenses, friends, and groups are stored securely in Supabase
• Privacy: Supabase is GDPR compliant and stores data securely. View Supabase Privacy Policy

3.2 Firebase Analytics

• Purpose: Standard analytics only - understanding app usage and user behavior
• Data: Usage statistics, screen views, feature usage, and aggregated user behavior data
• Privacy: We use standard Firebase Analytics with advertising features disabled. We do NOT use advertising identifiers or track users across apps/websites. View Firebase Privacy Policy

3.3 Firebase Cloud Messaging

• Purpose: Sending push notifications to your device
• Data: Device ID and push notification tokens
• Privacy: Used solely for delivering notifications. View Firebase Privacy Policy

3.4 Sentry

• Purpose: Error tracking and crash reporting to help us identify and fix bugs
• Data: Crash reports, error logs, stack traces, device information, and app version
• Privacy: Used only for app functionality and improvement. View Sentry Privacy Policy

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Data Storage

• Cloud Storage: Your data is stored securely in Supabase databases with encryption at rest
• Local Storage: Some data is cached locally on your device using Hive (a local database) for offline functionality
• Data Location: Data is stored in secure data centers managed by our service providers

4.2 Security Measures

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encryption of data at rest
• Secure authentication using Supabase Auth
• Regular security updates and monitoring
• Access controls and authentication requirements

4.3 Data Retention

• We retain your data for as long as your account is active
• When you delete your account, we immediately anonymize your personal data (see Section 5.4 for complete details)
• Financial transaction records are preserved (anonymized) as required for legal, tax, and accounting purposes
• Some data may be retained for a limited time in backup systems (typically 30 days)
• Analytics and crash data may be retained in aggregated or anonymized form
• After account deletion, your anonymized data (showing as "Former User") remains accessible to other users for their financial record-keeping

5. Your Rights and Choices

5.1 Access Your Data

You can access your data at any time through the app. You can view all your expenses, friends, groups, and account information.

5.2 Export Your Data

You can export your expense data as a CSV file from the Analytics tab in the app. This allows you to keep a copy of your data for personal records, tax purposes, or backup.

5.3 Update Your Information

You can update your profile information (name, email, profile photo, default currency, language) at any time through the Profile tab in the app.

5.4 Delete Your Account

You can delete your account at any time directly from within the app:

1. Go to the Profile tab
2. Tap "Edit Profile"
3. Scroll down and tap "Delete Account"
4. Review the deletion summary showing affected data and users
5. Confirm the deletion

What Happens When You Delete Your Account

Personal Data Deletion (Immediate):

• Name: Changed to "Former User" (anonymized)
• Email Address: Replaced with anonymized identifier
• Profile Photo: Permanently removed
• Device Token: Removed (you will no longer receive notifications)
• Friend Relationships: All friendships are removed
• Group Memberships: You are removed from all groups
• Recurring Expense Templates: Soft-deleted and will no longer generate expenses
• Your Notifications: Permanently deleted
• Local App Cache: Cleared from your device

Financial Records Preservation (Required):

Group Ownership Transfer:

• If you own groups with other active members, ownership is automatically transferred to the next admin or longest-standing member
• If a group has no other members, it is soft-deleted
• New group owners are notified of the ownership transfer

Notifications Sent to Affected Users:

When you delete your account, the following users will be notified:

• Friends: Receive "account deactivated" notification
• Group Members: Receive "member deactivated" notification
• New Group Owners: Receive "ownership transferred" notification
• Users with Outstanding Balances: Receive "balance affected" notification

Pre-Deletion Summary:

Before confirming deletion, you will see a summary including:

• Outstanding balances (amounts you owe and amounts owed to you)
• Groups you own and groups you're a member of
• Number of users who will be notified
• What data will be anonymized and what will be preserved

Important Notes:

• This action cannot be undone. Once deleted, you cannot recover your account or personal data
• Outstanding balances are NOT automatically settled. If you owe money or are owed money, these balances remain visible (anonymized) for the other party
• We recommend settling all balances before deletion to avoid complications
• Export your data first: Use the CSV export feature in the Analytics tab to keep a copy of your data for your records

Timeline:

• Account deletion is processed immediately upon confirmation
• You are automatically signed out
• Personal data anonymization occurs instantly
• Notifications are sent to affected users within minutes
• You can create a new account with the same email address after 24 hours

GDPR & CCPA Compliance:

Our account deletion process complies with data protection regulations including GDPR and CCPA. While we anonymize your personal information, we maintain transaction history as permitted under the "legal obligation" and "legitimate interests" exceptions, which allow businesses to retain financial records for accounting, tax, and legal purposes.

5.5 Manage Permissions

You can manage app permissions (camera, photo library, notifications) at any time through your device settings.

5.6 Opt-Out of Analytics

While we use analytics to improve the app, you can contact us if you have concerns about analytics data collection. Note that analytics data is aggregated and does not identify individual users.

6. Children's Privacy

Our App is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information from our systems.

7. International Users

If you are using our App from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States and other countries where our service providers operate. By using our App, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

9. Contact Us

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