# BalanceMate Privacy Policy

**Effective date:** 6 September 2026

BalanceMate helps you keep personal borrowing, lending, and split-bill records. This Privacy Policy explains what information the app handles, why it is handled, and the choices available to you.

## Information BalanceMate handles

The app only handles information you choose to enter:

- People and ledger records, such as names, optional phone numbers, email addresses, notes, amounts, currencies, dates, and repayment details.
- Split-bill records, including participant names, items, amounts, tips, VAT, service charges, and notes.
- App preferences, such as your chosen currency and theme.
- If you sign in with Google, your Google account identifier, display name, email address, and profile photo, plus any optional profile phone number or note you add in BalanceMate.

BalanceMate does not collect bank-account details, card details, government-issued identifiers, precise location, contacts from your device, or payment information. It does not show third-party advertising or sell your information.

## How information is used and stored

Without sign-in, your records are stored only on your device using local app storage. They remain available offline.

Google sign-in is optional. When you choose to sign in, BalanceMate uses Firebase Authentication to authenticate you and Cloud Firestore to back up and synchronise your profile, people, ledger entries, settings, and split bills between your signed-in devices. Your cloud records are stored under your own authenticated user account and are intended to be accessible only to you.

We use the information solely to provide the app’s record-keeping, calculation, sharing, backup, and synchronisation features. A bill is shared with another app or person only when you explicitly select the Share action.

Firebase is provided by Google. Google’s handling of data is governed by the [Google Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and the Firebase terms applicable to the service.

## Sharing and disclosure

BalanceMate does not share your personal records with advertisers, data brokers, or other users. Information may be processed by Firebase when you opt into cloud backup. Information may also be disclosed where required by law or to protect the security and integrity of the app.

## Your choices and controls

- You can use BalanceMate without signing in; your data then stays in local app storage.
- You can edit or delete individual people, entries, bills, and profile details in the app.
- You can export your local records as JSON from Settings.
- **Clear all data** removes local records and, if you are signed in, the associated BalanceMate cloud records. This action is permanent.
- You can sign out through the profile area. Signing out stops access to cloud backup on that device; local records remain until you remove them.

You are responsible for ensuring that you have permission to enter and share information about other people.

## Data retention and security

Local data is retained until you clear app data, uninstall the app, or use Clear all data. Cloud data is retained until you delete it using Clear all data or request deletion through the developer contact details on the Google Play listing.

We use Firebase’s authenticated access controls for cloud records. No method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. Do not enter highly sensitive information that is unnecessary for personal record keeping.

## Children

BalanceMate is not directed to children under the age at which they can lawfully consent to data processing in their country. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

## Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when the app or applicable law changes. The updated version will be posted in the app’s published documentation with a revised effective date.

## Contact

For privacy questions, requests, or deletion assistance, use the developer contact details listed on BalanceMate’s Google Play Store page.