Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Expense Tracking - Tally (“Tally”, “we”, “us”, or “the app”) handles information when you use the Tally mobile app on iOS or Android. Tally is built local-first: your ledger lives on your device, and we collect as little as possible.

1. Who we are

Tally is an independent app maintained by its developer. For any privacy questions or requests, you can reach us at thisaruudam@gmail.com. This email is the contact point for everything described in this policy.

2. Information we handle

Tally is designed so that most information never leaves your device. The information involved falls into these groups:

• Your ledger content - the expenses and income you log: amounts, descriptions/merchant names, categories, dates, budgets, and any notes. This is stored on your device.
• Text you send to be parsed - when you type a log (for example “coffee 4”), that text may be sent to an AI provider to extract the amount and category.
• Receipt images you choose to scan - when you scan a receipt, the photo is sent to an AI provider to read the merchant, total, and category.
• Subscription status - if you buy Tally Pro, our payments provider processes the purchase and tells the app whether your subscription is active.
• Account identifiers - you sign in with Google, Apple, or email to use Tally's AI features and Cloud Backup. We receive a basic account identifier (and your email address, if you sign in with email) so your AI usage allowance and any backup can be tied to your account.
• Basic technical data - minimal device and app-integrity signals used by our service providers to keep the service working and to prevent abuse.

We do not ask for your name, your bank login, or connect to your bank to read transactions. Tally never sees your card numbers or banking credentials.

3. Data stored on your device

Your ledger is saved in a private database on your phone using on-device storage. Under normal use it is not transmitted anywhere. Because it lives on your device:

• It is covered by your device's own security (passcode, biometrics, and OS-level app sandboxing).
• It is removed if you delete the app - and you can also wipe it from inside the app using Delete everything in Settings.
• It is only ever copied off-device if you turn on the optional Cloud Backup described in Section 7, or if you export it yourself.

You can export your ledger to a CSV file at any time from Settings. Once exported, that file is in your control and outside the scope of this policy.

4. AI parsing & receipt scanning

To turn a casual note or a photo of a receipt into a clean entry, Tally uses Google's Firebase AI (Gemini models). When you use these features:

• The relevant text, or the receipt image you selected, is sent securely to Google's AI service for processing.
• The service returns the structured result (amount, suggested category, merchant), which Tally then shows you and saves locally.
• App Check is used to confirm requests come from a genuine copy of the app and to deter abuse.

This processing is handled under Google's terms for Firebase AI. According to Google, content submitted through the Firebase AI / Gemini API is not used to train its general models. If you'd rather not send anything to an AI provider, you can simply log entries manually - Tally still records them on-device without an AI round-trip, and a basic on-device parser is used when AI is unavailable.

5. Subscriptions (Tally Pro)

Tally Pro is sold as an in-app purchase. Purchases and renewals are handled by the Apple App Store or Google Play, and entitlements are managed through RevenueCat, our subscription infrastructure provider.

• Payment details are handled entirely by Apple or Google - we never see or store your card information.
• RevenueCat receives a purchase token and an anonymous app-user identifier so it can tell the app whether your subscription is active, plus basic device/platform information needed to process the receipt.
• We use this only to unlock Pro features and to keep your subscription status accurate across reinstalls.

6. Accounts, AI usage & Cloud Backup

Using Tally requires a free account. You sign in with Google, Apple, or email, and we receive a basic account identifier (and your email address, if you choose email sign-in). We don't post anything or read your contacts.

• AI usage allowance. Your free monthly allowance of AI actions and receipt scans is counted against your account, so the limit stays fair and consistent across devices and reinstalls. We store only a small record - the remaining counts - tied to your account identifier, never the content of your notes or receipts.
• Cloud Backup is optional, off by default, and available with Tally Pro. If you enable it, a snapshot of your ledger is stored in Firebase Storage under an area scoped to your account, so you can restore it on a new phone.
• You can stop using Cloud Backup at any time. To remove a stored backup, sign in and delete it, or contact us to have it removed.

7. App configuration

Tally uses Firebase Remote Config to fetch small settings - such as how many AI parses and receipt scans are included on the free tier - so these can be adjusted without an app update. This is a one-way fetch of configuration values and does not send your ledger content.

8. Who we share information with

We do not sell, rent, or trade your information, and we do not use it for advertising. We share the limited information described above only with the service providers that make specific features work:

• Google / Firebase - AI parsing & receipt scanning, app integrity (App Check), Remote Config, and (only if enabled) authentication and Cloud Backup storage.
• RevenueCat - subscription management.
• Apple App Store / Google Play - processing in-app purchases.

Each provider handles data under its own privacy policy. We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of our users and the app.

9. Retention & deletion

• On-device data stays until you delete it - either by removing the app or using Delete everything in Settings.
• Cloud backups (if you enabled them) persist until you delete them or ask us to remove them.
• AI requests are processed to return a result; any retention by the AI provider is governed by Google's terms for Firebase AI.
• Subscription records are retained by the app stores and RevenueCat as needed to manage your purchase.

To request deletion of anything held off-device, email thisaruudam@gmail.com.

10. Security

On-device data is protected by your device's operating-system security and app sandbox. Data sent to AI parsing, subscriptions, or Cloud Backup is transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) to our service providers, who maintain their own security programs. No method of storage or transmission is ever completely secure, but we aim to keep the amount of data leaving your device as small as possible.

11. Children

Tally is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your country), and we do not knowingly collect information from them. If you believe a child has provided information through the app, contact us and we will help address it.

12. Your rights & choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, export, or delete your personal information. Because your ledger is stored on your device, you already hold direct control: you can view, edit, export (CSV), or delete it at any time. For anything stored off-device (cloud backups or subscription records), email us and we'll help you exercise your rights. You can also:

• Avoid AI processing by logging entries manually.
• Leave Cloud Backup off so nothing is uploaded.
• Manage or cancel a subscription from your App Store or Google Play account.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the app evolves. When we make material changes, we'll update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, note it in the app. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised policy.

14. Contact us

Questions, requests, or concerns about your privacy? Email us at thisaruudam@gmail.com and we'll get back to you.