BudgetByChat helps you plan and track your money in the web app. Free iPhone and Android apps and a paid WhatsApp add-on are coming soon. This policy explains what we collect, why we need it, and the choices you have. If anything here is unclear, email [email protected].
What we collect
Account details: your mobile number (used to sign in with a WhatsApp code), your name, and optionally an email address, a recovery email, your base currency and your timezone.
Financial records you enter: budgets, categories, expenses, income, accounts and transfers, savings goals, assets, debts and bill reminders. We only have what you type into the app or send to the bot. We never connect to your bank.
WhatsApp messages to our number:the text of messages you send to the BudgetByChat WhatsApp number, so we can log the expense, answer the question or confirm your waitlist place. Logging by WhatsApp is part of the WhatsApp add-on, which is coming soon. We don't read your other chats.
Technical data: standard server logs (such as IP address and request times) kept to run and secure the service.
Website visits:on this marketing site we count page views ourselves, without cookies or third-party analytics. We keep only daily totals per page and the site that referred the visit (or its utm_source). To count a visitor once a day we use a one-day keyed hash of the IP address and browser that is never stored in the database and can't be linked across days. If your browser sends Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control, nothing is counted.
Contact form:the name, email address and message you send, so we can reply. Messages are kept until they're handled and for a reasonable period after.
How we use it
To run your account: sign you in, save and calculate your budgets and reports, convert currencies, send the WhatsApp replies and reminders you turned on (once you have the WhatsApp add-on), and keep the service secure. We don't sell your data and we don't use it for advertising.
Waitlist
What we collect: when you join the WhatsApp add-on waitlist we keep your name, email address, WhatsApp number, main currency, your answers to the short questions, any note you add, and how you found us (the link or campaign you came from, the referring site, your device type and timezone). If you ask to be told when the mobile apps launch, we keep your email address and which platform you chose.
Why:to tell you about the launch and your place on the list, and to decide what to build and how to price it. We don't sell this data or use it for advertising.
WhatsApp:we only message you on WhatsApp if you opt in and then message us first (the “Confirm on WhatsApp” button sends us a short code). Before launch we send at most 3 messages. Reply STOP at any time and we stop. Replies you send us on WhatsApp are kept with your waitlist entry so we can answer them.
Email: every waitlist email has an unsubscribe link and a link to delete your waitlist data.
How long: until you ask us to delete it (by the link in any email, or by emailing [email protected]) or until the waitlist closes, whichever comes first. If you create an account, your account data is covered by the rest of this policy.
Who else processes it
We use a hosting provider to run the servers and database, an email provider to send account and waitlist emails, a WhatsApp gateway to send and receive WhatsApp messages and sign-in codes, and an exchange-rate provider (which only receives currency codes, never your data). They process data only to provide those services to us.
How long we keep it
For as long as your account is open. When you delete your account in Settings it is scheduled for deletion; you can change your mind by signing in again within 30 days. After 30 days your account and all its financial records are permanently deleted. Server logs are kept for a limited period for security.
Your choices and rights
You can view and edit your details in Settings, export your expenses and reports, turn WhatsApp reminders on or off, and delete your account at any time. You can also email us to ask for a copy of your data or to have it corrected or deleted.
Security
Connections are encrypted, sign-in codes expire after 10 minutes and lock after repeated wrong attempts, and sessions expire automatically. No system is perfectly secure, so please keep your phone and WhatsApp account protected too.
Changes
If we change this policy we will update the date above, and tell you in the app or by WhatsApp when the change is significant.