Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 14, 2026

Introduction

Penny Finance Tracker ("Penny," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application (available on iOS and Android) and web service at app.pennyfinance.net.

By using Penny, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our services.

Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

Account Information

When you create an account using Google or Apple Sign-In, we receive:

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • A unique identifier from the authentication provider

We do not have access to your Google or Apple account passwords.

Financial Data (Optional)

If you choose to connect your bank accounts through Plaid, we access:

  • Account names and types (checking, savings, credit card, etc.)
  • Account balances
  • Transaction history (date, merchant name, amount, category)
  • Account and routing numbers (masked, for identification only)

Important: Your bank login credentials are handled securely by Plaid and are never stored on our servers. We only receive read-only access to the financial data listed above.

User-Generated Content

Information you create within the app:

  • Debt entries (name, balance, interest rate, minimum payment)
  • Budget categories and spending limits
  • Financial goals and notes
  • Custom transaction categories
  • Receipt photos you choose to upload

Device and Usage Information

We automatically collect:

  • Device type and operating system version
  • App version
  • Crash logs and error reports (for debugging purposes)
  • General usage patterns (features used, not specific financial data)

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide, maintain, and improve our services
  • Display your financial data and track your debt payoff progress
  • Calculate debt payoff projections using snowball and avalanche methods
  • Categorize transactions and track spending against budgets
  • Send you notifications about your budgets and financial goals (with your permission)
  • Respond to your comments, questions, and support requests
  • Detect and prevent fraud or abuse of our services
  • Power optional AI features (Ask Penny and receipt scanning) and automatic transaction similarity
  • Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

Artificial Intelligence

Penny uses Google Vertex AI (Gemini) for the following:

  • Ask Penny: Your question, recent chat turns, and a snapshot of in-app finances (accounts, budgets, debts, recent transactions) are sent to Google to generate a reply. Chat history stays on your device. Server logs may include message length and token counts, not your full financial snapshot.
  • Receipt scanning: Receipt photos you upload to Firebase Storage are processed by Gemini to extract merchant, date, and amounts.
  • Transaction similarity: We generate embeddings of transaction details (merchant, amount, category) to help categorize similar purchases. This can run automatically for synced transactions.

You can avoid Ask Penny and receipt scanning by not using those features. To stop all processing, delete your account in Settings. Penny is not a crisis service. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline).

Google Cloud Privacy Notice

Third-Party Services

We integrate with the following third-party services to provide our app:

Firebase (Google Cloud)

We use Firebase for authentication, Firestore, Cloud Functions, Cloud Storage (receipt photos), Analytics, Crashlytics, and App Check. Data is stored in the United States. Firebase Privacy Policy

Plaid

Plaid securely connects your bank accounts to Penny. Plaid is certified for SOC 2 Type II compliance and uses bank-level security. Your bank credentials are never shared with us. Plaid End User Privacy Policy

Stripe

Stripe processes subscription payments on web and Android. We do not store your credit card information. Stripe Privacy Policy

Apple and Google billing

Subscriptions started in the App Store or Google Play are billed by Apple or Google under their store terms. We receive subscription status, not your full card number.

Google Vertex AI

Used for Ask Penny, receipt extraction, and transaction embeddings. See Artificial Intelligence above. Google Cloud Privacy Notice

Apple FinanceKit

On supported iOS devices, you may choose to share Apple Wallet account data through FinanceKit. That data stays under your Apple ID permissions.

Google Analytics (Firebase Analytics)

We use Firebase Analytics to understand how users interact with our app. This data is aggregated and does not include your financial information.

These third parties have their own privacy policies governing their use of your data. After you delete your account, Analytics and Crashlytics may retain limited records under their own policies.

Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information:

  • Encryption in Transit: All data is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher
  • Encryption at Rest: All stored data is encrypted using AES-256 encryption
  • Secure Authentication: We use OAuth 2.0 through Google and Apple Sign-In
  • Access Controls: Employee access to user data is strictly limited and logged
  • Regular Audits: We regularly review our security practices

While we implement these safeguards, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention and Deletion

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. Specifically:

  • Account Data: Retained until you delete your account
  • Transaction Data: Retained for up to 24 months for historical analysis, or until account deletion
  • Usage Analytics: Aggregated data retained for up to 36 months

How to Delete Your Account

You can delete your account and all associated data at any time:

  1. Open the Penny app
  2. Go to Settings (gear icon)
  3. Tap "Delete Account"
  4. Confirm deletion

Upon deletion, we will permanently remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

You may also request account deletion by emailing support@pennyfinance.net.

Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data
  • Portability: Request your data in a portable format
  • Disconnect Bank Accounts: Unlink your bank accounts at any time through Settings
  • Opt-Out of Notifications: Disable push notifications in your device settings

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@pennyfinance.net.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

  • Right to Know: You can request details about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected
  • Right to Delete: You can request deletion of your personal information
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights

We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA.

To make a CCPA request, email support@pennyfinance.net with "CCPA Request" in the subject line.

Children's Privacy

Penny is not intended for use by children under 13 years of age (or 16 in the European Economic Area). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under these ages.

If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at support@pennyfinance.net, and we will delete such information.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where our servers and third-party service providers are located. By using Penny, you consent to this transfer.

We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international data transfers in compliance with applicable laws.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by:

  • Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
  • Updating the "Last updated" date at the top
  • Sending an in-app notification for material changes

Continued use of Penny after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: support@pennyfinance.net
Website: https://pennyfinance.net

We aim to respond to all inquiries within 30 days.