---
title: Membership and permissions
description: How repository ownership, accepted collaborators, and pending invitations define a BranchBalance group.
---

# Membership and permissions

GitHub is the source of truth for who belongs to a BranchBalance group. The app does not persist a duplicate member list in `group.json`.

## Repository owner

The person who creates the group owns its private repository and is always a group member. The owner manages collaborator invitations because that operation requires repository administration permission.

## Accepted members

Accepted collaborators with write access are group members. They can read the shared data; add, edit, or delete expenses; update the shared spending plan; and record or delete settlement payments based on current suggestions. A new settlement payment remains pending until the named recipient confirms receipt. No other member—including the sender, recorder, or repository owner—can confirm on that recipient's behalf.

## Pending invitations

Pending invitees are displayed separately and do not participate in expenses or balances until they accept. Eligible invitees can accept or decline from **Your groups** in BranchBalance; GitHub remains authoritative for the decision. Invited collaborators authorize BranchBalance, but do not need to install the GitHub App on their own account to access a repository covered by the owner’s installation.

## Historical usernames

If a username referenced by a historical expense or valid settlement payment is no longer an active collaborator, it remains in the balance calculation so the stored record does not silently change meaning. A former member cannot confirm a pending payment because confirmation requires the current accepted recipient with write access.

For the complete requirements, see the [product requirements](../reference/PRD#5-users-membership-and-permissions).