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Privacy policy

We respect your data and explain how it's collected, used, and protected across FairShare.

Introduction

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Welcome to FairShare! We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring you have a positive experience while using our expense-sharing application. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the FairShare mobile application.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information

  • Email address: Used for authentication and account recovery.
  • Display name: How you appear to other users in shared groups.
  • Profile photo (optional): Avatar image for your profile.

1.2 Expense Data

  • Group information: Names and icons of expense-sharing groups you create or join.
  • Bill details: Titles, amounts, dates, and notes for expenses you add.
  • Receipt images (optional): Photos of receipts you choose to upload.
  • Payment records: Settlement transactions between group members.
  • Comments: Any notes or comments you add to bills.

1.3 Usage Data

  • Authentication data: Firebase authentication tokens.
  • Device information: App version, device type (collected by Firebase).
  • Usage analytics: Anonymous app usage statistics.

2. How We Use Your Information

  • Provide core functionality: Enable expense tracking, bill splitting, and group management.
  • Calculate balances: Determine who owes what to whom in shared groups.
  • Sync data: Keep your expense data synchronized across devices.
  • Authentication: Securely log you into your account.
  • Improve our service: Analyze usage patterns to enhance user experience.
  • Communicate: Send important updates about the app or notify you of group invites.

3. Data Storage and Security

FairShare uses Google Firebase for secure data storage. Data is stored on servers managed by Google, primarily located in the United States and other global regions.

  • Firestore Database: Stores your groups, bills, payments, and user profiles.
  • Firebase Authentication: Manages secure user login (email/password, Google Sign-In, and Sign In with Apple).
  • Firebase Storage: Stores receipt images you upload.
  • Firebase Cloud Functions: Processes invitations and background cleanup.
  • Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM): Delivers push notifications for group invites and activity updates. Device tokens are managed by Google and are not shared with third parties.
  • Firebase Crashlytics: Collects anonymised crash reports and diagnostic information to help us fix bugs. No personally identifiable information is included in crash logs.
  • Firebase Analytics: Collects anonymous usage events (e.g. feature usage, session length) to help us improve the app. Analytics data is not linked to your identity and is not used for advertising.
  • Firebase App Check: Uses Apple's DeviceCheck framework on iOS to verify that requests come from a genuine FairShare app installation. No personal data is collected or transmitted by this service.

Note on Financial Data: FairShare does NOT store sensitive financial information such as bank account numbers, PINs, or transaction passwords. All actual financial transactions occur within third-party UPI applications.

Security Measures

  • All data transmission is encrypted using HTTPS/SSL.
  • Firebase Authentication provides industry-standard security.
  • Access controls ensure users can only view data from groups they belong to.

4. Data Retention and Deletion

Your data is retained as long as your account is active.

Account Deletion: You can delete your account from the Settings screen. Upon deletion:

  • Your personal identifiable information (PII) such as email, avatar, and name will be removed from your profile.
  • To preserve the financial integrity of shared groups, your name on historical bills will be replaced with "Deleted User".
  • Receipt images associated with bills you created will be permanently deleted.
  • Groups you own will be deleted in their entirety.

5. Communications & Emails

We use your email address to send essential service notifications, including:

  • Account Verification: To confirm your identity when you sign up.
  • Security Alerts: If we detect suspicious activity on your account.
  • Activity Summaries: Periodic reports of your groups' expenses (e.g., monthly summaries).

You can opt-out of non-essential activity summaries within the app settings, but crucial security and account notifications cannot be disabled.

6. Specific Disclosures for EU and UK Residents (GDPR)

If you are a resident of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or the United Kingdom:

  • Data Controller: FairShare App Team (contact: fairshare.contact@gmail.com).
  • GDPR Compliance: We comply with the EU GDPR and UK GDPR.
  • Legal Basis: We process your data based on Contractual Necessity (to provide service) and Legitimate Interests (security, fraud prevention).
  • International Transfers: Your data is stored on Firebase servers (provided by Google) which may be located outside the EEA/UK. We ensure a high level of protection through Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).
  • Data Subject Rights: You have the right to access, rectify, or erase your data ("Right to be Forgotten"), restrict processing, and the right to data portability. You can exercise these directly within the app's Settings.
  • Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority (DPA) or the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK.

7. Specific Disclosures for California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

  • Notice at Collection: We collect the categories of personal information listed in Section 1.
  • Categories of Information: Identifiers (email, name), Financial Info (bill amounts), and Internet Activity (device info).
  • No Sale of Data: We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
  • No Sharing for Cross-Context Behavioral Advertising: We do not share your data with advertisers.
  • Right to Opt-Out: Since we do not sell or share data for advertising, no opt-out is necessary, but you can delete your data at any time.

8. UPI Payments (Android only)

On Android, FairShare provides a convenient way to settle debts using UPI (Unified Payments Interface) deep links. This feature is not available on iOS.

  • No Server Storage: FairShare does NOT collect, store, or transmit your UPI ID (VPA) on our servers or databases. VPAs are strictly entered and managed transiently on your device and are never saved.
  • VPA Usage: The VPA is entered manually by the payer at the time of settlement and only exists to generate a secure payment link locally on the device.
  • Payment Processing: FairShare is NOT a payment aggregator or processor. We simply generate a secure link that opens your installed UPI apps (like Google Pay, PhonePe, or BHIM).
  • NPCI Guidelines: All transactions are governed by the security protocols of the NPCI and your chosen UPI service provider.

9. Third-Party Services & AI Features

9.1 Google Gemini AI (Receipt Scanning & Icon Suggestions)

FairShare offers optional AI-powered features that communicate with Google's Gemini API:

  • Receipt scanning: When you use the camera to scan a receipt, the image is compressed and transmitted to the Gemini API together with a structured text prompt. Gemini extracts bill items, amounts, and categories and returns the result to your device. The image is sent inline in the API request and is not stored by Google beyond the processing of that single request, subject to Google's Gemini API Terms of Service.
  • Icon suggestions: When you create a new group, the group name (text only — no images or personal data) is sent to the Gemini API to suggest a relevant emoji icon. This feature is optional and can be ignored.

You are not required to use either feature; receipt scanning is triggered only by your explicit action (tapping the camera button), and icon suggestions can be dismissed.

Google's handling of data sent via the Gemini API is governed by Google's Privacy Policy.

9.2 Currency Exchange Rates

To display multi-currency balances, FairShare fetches publicly available exchange rate data from the open-source @fawazahmed0/currency-api served via the jsDelivr CDN. This request contains only a currency code (e.g., inr) and no personal data of any kind.

10. Sign In with Apple

If you choose to sign in using Sign In with Apple, Apple may provide FairShare with either your real email address or a randomly generated private relay email address (if you select "Hide My Email"). In either case:

  • We store only the email address Apple provides to identify your account.
  • If you use a private relay address, all email communications from FairShare (such as account verification or security alerts) are routed through Apple's relay service before reaching your real inbox.
  • We never receive or store your real email address if you choose to hide it.

Apple's handling of Sign In with Apple data is governed by Apple's Privacy Policy.

Your Rights (Global)

Regardless of your location, you have the following rights:

  • Access: You can view all your personal data within the app.
  • Correction: You can update your profile information in Settings.
  • Deletion: You can delete specific expenses or your entire account.
  • Portability: On Android, you can export your expense data as a CSV file via Settings > Export Data. This feature is not currently available on iOS.