Privacy policy
Last updated: 4 October 2026
What personal information Beyond Budget collects in its Android, iOS and web apps, why, who we share it with, and your rights.
- We collect what we need to run your budget: your account details, the budget data you enter or import, and basic device and usage information.
- We don't sell your data and we don't show ads.
- AI features send the data they need to third-party AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic and Google) that process it for us.
- You can export your data and delete your account in the app at any time.
- Questions or requests: support@beyondbudgetapp.com.
Who we are
Beyond Budget ("we", "us") is the trading name of a sole trader in New Zealand. We provide the app and are the data controller for the information described here. Contact: support@beyondbudgetapp.com.
What we collect
| Data | Why we use it | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Account details: name, email address, profile photo, how you sign in (Google, Apple, Facebook in the Android app, or email and password). If you choose Try without an account, an anonymous account ID. | Create and secure your account, sign you in on every device | You and the sign-in provider you choose |
| Budget data: budgets, accounts and balances, categories, targets, transactions, payees, notes, tags, reminders and settings | Provide the app and sync it across your devices | You, and the files you import |
| Files: receipt photos, files attached to transactions, imported CSV, OFX, QIF and OFC files (including files you email to our import address) | Store attachments, read transactions from receipts and files | You |
| Location (optional): the place you attach to a transaction | Show where you spent | Your device, only if you turn it on |
| Notification content (Android, optional): bank and payment notifications that look like transactions | Create transactions automatically | Your device, only if you grant notification access |
| Family group: the email addresses you invite | Send invites and share a budget | You |
| Purchases: the plan you bought, purchase token and status | Unlock Pro on your account and restore it | Google Play or the App Store. We never see your card details. |
| Device and usage data: device model, operating system, app version, language, country, time zone, device name, push notification token, IP address, in-app events, crash and performance reports | Keep the app working and secure, fix bugs, understand which features are used | Your device, through the services listed below |
| Support messages: what you write to us | Answer you | You |
We don't ask for your bank login details, and we don't access your contacts.
How we use it, and our legal bases
Our legal bases (required in the EEA, UK and Switzerland):
- To provide the app you asked for (contract): your account, budget data, sync, family sharing, imports, AI features you use, purchases and support.
- With your consent: location, notification access, camera, push notifications, and analytics cookies on the web in Europe. You can withdraw consent at any time in the app or your device settings; this doesn't affect what we did before.
- For our legitimate interests, balanced against your rights: keeping the service secure and preventing abuse, crash reporting, usage analytics in the mobile apps and improving the app. You can object (see Your rights).
- To meet legal obligations: for example tax records of purchases, or responding to lawful requests.
We send service emails (such as sign-in links and family invites) and push notifications for your reminders, which you can turn off in the app or your device settings.
AI features
BudgetChat, Money insights, daily AI insights, Receipt scan, Bank notification import, CSV import matching, AI category suggestions, smart search and icon suggestions use AI. When you use one, the data it needs goes to our servers and then to a third-party AI provider that processes it for us. We use OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. Depending on the feature:
- your question and the conversation so far, plus the budget data needed to answer it (such as category and account names, balances and transactions);
- a receipt photo you scan, which is uploaded to our cloud storage;
- the text of a transaction notification;
- transaction descriptions, amounts and notes, account and category names from a file, or a search phrase.
We use these providers through their APIs, and they don't use your data to train their models. They may keep API data for a limited time for abuse monitoring (for example, up to 30 days), then delete it.
Daily AI insights run only after you turn them on. AI output can be wrong; check anything important.
Who we share it with
We share personal information only as described here:
- Service providers that process it for us under contract:
- Google (Firebase and Google Cloud): sign-in, database, file storage, server functions, analytics, crash and performance reporting, remote configuration, push notifications and app integrity checks (Play Integrity, reCAPTCHA on the web), Google sign-in, and Google Maps on Android.
- Apple: Sign in with Apple, push notifications and Apple Maps on iOS.
- Meta: Facebook sign-in in the Android app, through the Facebook SDK. The SDK may also send Meta basic device information and app events such as app installs and launches.
- AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic and Google), for the AI features above.
- Sentry: error reports from the web app.
- Railway: hosting of the web app.
- Google Workspace: our email, including support emails.
- Google Play and Apple when you buy Pro. They process your payment as independent controllers under their own privacy policies.
- Other users you choose: members of your family group see the budgets you share with them. If you join the online league, other players see your avatar, level and XP, never your financial data.
- Legal and safety: when the law requires it, or to protect the rights, safety or property of our users, the public or us.
- Business transfers: if Beyond Budget is merged, acquired or sold, under this policy.
We don't sell your personal information, and we don't use your budget data for advertising.
International transfers
We store your data with Google Cloud in Sydney, Australia, and our team works from New Zealand. Some providers, including Google, Apple, Meta, our AI providers, Sentry and Railway, process data in the United States and other countries. When personal information from the EEA, UK or Switzerland goes to a country without an adequacy decision, we rely on safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses and the UK addendum. New Zealand has an EU adequacy decision.
Analytics and your choices
- Web: in Europe, analytics cookies stay off until you accept them. Anywhere, change your choice in More › Settings › Privacy › Usage analytics. Storage needed for sign-in and security is always on.
- Android: you can reset or delete your advertising ID in your device's Google settings.
- iOS: we don't use Apple's advertising identifier and don't track you across other companies' apps and websites.
How long we keep it
- Account, budget data and files: while you have an account. When you delete your account, we delete your account, your budget data and your files. Backups are overwritten within 7 days.
- Inactive accounts: if you don't open the app for 3 months, we permanently delete your account and all your data, without notice. This applies to free and expired-Pro accounts, including guest accounts. It doesn't apply to Lifetime purchases (unless refunded), current Pro (your own or through a family group), accounts with more than 30 check-ins, and subscriptions within 7 days of lapsing.
- Crash reports, analytics and logs: for the limited periods set by those services, then deleted or anonymised.
- AI providers: API data for a limited time for abuse monitoring (for example, up to 30 days), then deleted.
- Purchase and support records: as long as needed to provide support and meet legal and tax obligations.
Security
Data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest (Google Cloud). Access rules stop other users from reading your budget unless you share it with them. Our servers and AI providers process it only to run the features you use, and we look at it only to help you when you ask for support. An optional passcode (stored only as a one-way hash) and biometric unlock protect the app; biometric data stays on your device. No system is perfectly secure.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you can:
- access your data and get a copy, including in a portable format;
- correct it;
- delete it;
- object to or restrict how we use it, including uses based on legitimate interests;
- withdraw consent at any time;
- complain to your data protection authority, for example the EU authority where you live, the UK ICO or the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner.
California residents have the right to know what personal information we collect, use and disclose; to delete and correct it; and not to be discriminated against for using these rights. We don't sell personal information.
To use any right, email support@beyondbudgetapp.com from your account's email address. We may ask you to confirm your identity, and we reply within 20 working days.
Delete your account or export your data
- Delete your account in the app: More › Profile › Reset & Danger Zone › Delete account. This permanently deletes your account, budget data and files. See Deleting your account. You can also email us to ask for deletion.
- Export your data at any time, free: More › Profile › Data & Backups › Export data. See Exporting your data.
Deleting your account doesn't cancel a subscription; cancel it in Google Play or the App Store.
Children
Beyond Budget is for people aged 16 and over. It isn't directed at children, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we'll delete it.
App permissions
The app asks only when you use the feature; you can change it in your device settings.
| Permission | Used for | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Notifications | Reminders and alerts | Android, iOS |
| Notification access | Bank notification import | Android |
| Camera | Taking receipt photos | Android, iOS |
| Photos and files | Attaching receipts and importing files (you pick each file) | Android, iOS, web |
| Location | Adding a place to a transaction | Android, iOS |
| Face ID, fingerprint | Unlocking the app (checked by your device only) | Android, iOS |
Changes to this policy
We'll update this page and its date when our practices change, and tell you in the app or by email before a significant change applies.