Privacy Policy

You can delete the data Money Buddy holds at any time:

• All local data (trips, spends, receipts, settings): in the app, go to Settings → Data & Reset → Reset All App Data. Uninstalling the app also removes all local data.
• Cloud-synced trip data (Group Sync): open the shared trip → Trip Settings → Danger Zone → Delete trip. This removes the trip from our servers for all members immediately.
• Anything else (for example anonymous purchase records held by RevenueCat, or analytics identifiers): email contact@mrchanproductions.com from any address and we will process the deletion within 30 days.

What is kept: nothing, once deleted. Local data is removed instantly, cloud trip data is removed from Firebase immediately on deletion, and emailed requests are completed within 30 days with no additional retention period. Aggregated analytics (counts that identify no one) cannot be traced back to you and therefore cannot be individually deleted.

Money Buddy does not collect your name, email address, location, or any personally identifying information.

When you use Group Sync, Google Firebase generates an anonymous authentication token (UID) stored on your device. This UID has no connection to your real identity.

Trip data you choose to share via Group Sync is uploaded to Google Firebase Firestore. This includes trip names, expenses, contributor names, journal entries, cash withdrawals, spend presets, member display names, an automatic activity log of member actions (who added or edited what), and any optional payment handles (for example a PayPal link) you enter for settle-up QR codes. Anything you add to a shared trip is visible to everyone who has that trip's room code.

Receipt photos are never uploaded and remain device-local only. Receipt scanning (text recognition) runs entirely on your device using Google ML Kit; neither the image nor the recognised text ever leaves your phone. This also applies to images you share into Money Buddy from other apps. The home screen widget reads only data already stored on your device.

QR codes (group invite codes and settle-up cards) are generated entirely on your device. No third-party QR service receives your room code, names, amounts, or payment details.

When you make an in-app purchase (Remove Ads), RevenueCat processes the transaction. RevenueCat stores an anonymous customer ID and your purchase receipt to validate entitlements. No personally identifying information is shared beyond what's required to process and verify your purchase.

The free version displays ads served by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect and use data to serve relevant ads, including:

• Device identifiers (advertising ID)
• IP address (used to approximate general location for ad targeting)
• App interaction data (e.g. which ads were viewed or tapped)

This data is collected and processed by Google LLC under their Privacy Policy. The advertising ID is shared with Google for advertising purposes. Money Buddy does not have access to it.

Consent (EEA, UK & other regulated regions). If you are in a region with ad-consent laws, Money Buddy shows a Google-certified consent form on first launch, where you can accept, reject, or customise the data used for ads. Ads are only requested once your choice allows it. You can change or withdraw your consent at any time from Settings → Privacy → Manage ad consent inside the app.

You can remove all ads permanently by purchasing “Remove Ads” (a one-time purchase) under Settings. Once purchased, no ad SDKs will serve content to you.

You can also reset or limit your advertising ID any time in your device settings:

• Android: Settings → Google → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalisation
• iOS: Settings → Privacy → Tracking → disable for Money Buddy

App analytics. We use Google Firebase Analytics to understand how the app is used, for example how many people create a trip or finish settling up. Events are aggregated, contain no trip content or amounts, and do not identify you personally. Ad-personalization signals are switched off by default.

Ad measurement. If you installed Money Buddy after tapping one of our ads, we share your device's advertising ID and basic install events with the ad network that showed you the ad (Meta or TikTok) so we can tell our ads worked. This is measurement only. None of your trips, spending, or personal content is ever shared with ad networks, and we never sell your data.

Install referrer. Google Play tells us which campaign or invite link led to an install. We use this for the same measurement, and to automatically open a shared trip invite you followed.

You can reset or limit your advertising ID at any time in your device settings (Android: Settings → Google → Ads).

📷 Camera: Used to photograph receipts and scan group QR codes to join shared trips. Images are processed on your device only.

🖼️ Photo Library: Used only when you choose an existing image to attach as a receipt. No images are uploaded or shared.

🔔 Notifications: Optional. Budget and daily-spend reminders are scheduled locally on your device and send no data anywhere. If you enable group activity notifications for a shared trip, an anonymous push token (a device identifier used only to deliver notifications) is stored with that trip in Firebase and used to notify you when group members add expenses or settle up. Notification content never includes amounts. Turning the toggle off, or leaving the trip, stops this and removes the token.

🔒 Biometric App Lock: Optional. Unlocking uses your device's own fingerprint or face unlock. Money Buddy never sees, stores, or transmits your biometric data; your device only reports that the unlock succeeded.

Google Firebase: Group Sync uses Firebase Authentication (anonymous mode only) and Firestore, and app analytics uses Firebase Analytics, operated by Google LLC under the Google Privacy Policy.

Meta & TikTok (ad measurement): Receive the advertising ID and basic install/app-open events for campaign measurement only, governed by the Meta Privacy Policy and the TikTok Privacy Policy. See Analytics & ad measurement above.

Firebase Cloud Messaging & Expo Push: Deliver optional group activity notifications, governed by the Google Privacy Policy and the Expo Privacy Policy.

Google AdMob: Serves ads in the free version, governed by the Google Privacy Policy. See Advertising above. Optional rewarded videos (for example to temporarily hide ads) only play when you choose to watch them.

RevenueCat: Processes and validates in-app purchases, governed by the RevenueCat Privacy Policy. Only anonymous purchase data is shared.

ExchangeRate-API: Live exchange rates are fetched from open.er-api.com. Only currency codes are sent, with no personal data.

Local data (trips, settings, receipts) is stored in your device's app storage and is deleted when you uninstall the app or tap Settings → Data & Reset → Reset All App Data.

Cloud data (Group Sync trips) persists in Firebase until you explicitly delete it. Your device's anonymous push token is removed when you turn off group activity notifications, leave the trip, or delete it. Uninstalling Money Buddy does not automatically delete cloud-synced trip data.

To remove cloud data: open the shared trip → Trip Settings → Danger Zone → Delete trip. Deleting a shared trip removes the trip data from Firebase for everyone; any push tokens registered by other members become permanently inaccessible at that point.

Purchase data is retained by RevenueCat to validate your entitlement. To request deletion, contact us at the email below.

You have the right to access, correct, or delete any data associated with your use of this app.

Delete all local data: Settings → Data & Reset → Reset All App Data. Delete cloud trip data: Trip Settings → Danger Zone → Delete trip.

For privacy inquiries or to exercise your rights under GDPR, CCPA, or applicable law, contact us below.

Money Buddy is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has used this app in a way that uploads data, contact us and we'll remove it promptly.

This privacy policy may be updated from time to time. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. The current version is always available at this URL and inside the app under Settings → Privacy.

Questions about this policy or your data? Email contact@mrchanproductions.com.