1 Introduction & Data Controller

This Privacy Policy governs the manner in which BudgetSnap ("we", "our", or "the App"), developed and operated by April Thoutam ("Developer", "Data Controller"), collects, uses, maintains, and discloses information gathered from users ("User", "you") of the BudgetSnap Android application and the website located at budgetsnap.thoutam.com.

By installing, accessing, or using BudgetSnap, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use BudgetSnap.

2 Information We Collect

BudgetSnap collects limited data solely necessary to provide expense tracking, receipt digitization, and financial budgeting capabilities:

• Receipt Images & Scans: Images of paper receipts, invoices, or bills captured via the device camera or uploaded from your photo library.
• Extracted Financial Data: Data parsed via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) including merchant/store name, transaction date, line items, currency, subtotal, tax amounts, and total purchase cost.
• User Budget Inputs: Budgets, custom category names (e.g., Groceries, Dining, Travel), manual transaction notes, and financial goals created within the app.
• Technical & Device Information: Device model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, language settings, app version, and diagnostic crash logs necessary to maintain system stability and resolve bugs.
• Customer Communications: Records of communications, questions, or bug reports submitted via email to [email protected] or WhatsApp (+91 733 087 1994).

3 Device Permissions & Access Justifications

BudgetSnap requests only the permissions strictly required to perform its advertised budgeting and scanning services:

• Camera Permission (android.permission.CAMERA): Required exclusively when you trigger the camera to capture a photograph of a physical paper receipt for OCR processing. The camera is never accessed in the background, never operates without active user command, and does not record audio or video.
• Media / Storage Access (READ_MEDIA_IMAGES / Storage): Required only if you choose to select existing receipt photos or PDFs from your device library, or when exporting financial expense summaries (CSV or PDF files) to your local device.
• Internet Access (android.permission.INTERNET): Used to fetch current foreign exchange conversion rates for Travel Mode, transmit crash diagnostics, and provide optional cloud synchronization.

4 How We Use Collected Information

The information collected is used strictly for the following purposes:

• To convert receipt photos into structured, categorized expense entries using OCR.
• To calculate monthly spending totals, track budget progress, and display visual financial dashboards.
• To convert foreign currency transactions into your primary domestic currency during international travel.
• To generate downloadable expense reports for personal bookkeeping or business tax filing.
• To troubleshoot technical errors, diagnose app crashes, and deliver customer support.
• To prevent fraudulent activity and ensure compliance with applicable regulations.

5 Third-Party Service Providers & No-Sale Pledge

We may engage vetted third-party service providers solely for technical app operation:

• Hosting & Infrastructure: Reputable cloud platforms (such as Cloudflare) for secure content delivery, SSL/TLS encryption, and server hosting.
• Legal Requirements: We will only disclose information if required to do so by applicable law, enforceable governmental request, court subpoena, or to protect the safety and legal rights of our users and the public.

6 Data Retention & User Deletion Policy (Google Play Compliant)

We retain your information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or until you request its deletion.

How to Exercise Your Deletion Rights:

• In-App Deletion: You can delete any receipt, expense record, category, or purge local cached files directly within the BudgetSnap application settings at any time.
• Complete Account & Server Erasure: To delete your entire account, all cloud-synced receipts, and all associated personal data from our servers, simply send an email to [email protected] with the subject line "BudgetSnap Data Deletion Request".
• Deletion SLA: Upon receiving your request, all personal data, receipt photos, and financial history will be permanently deleted from our active databases and backup systems within thirty (30) calendar days. No residual copies will be retained once the deletion cycle completes.

7 Security & Encryption Standards

We implement rigorous technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal and financial information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:

• All network communication is encrypted in transit using industry-standard Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.3 / HTTPS).
• Stored financial data is protected with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) mechanisms.
• Access to backend infrastructure is protected by multi-factor authentication and strict least-privilege principles.

8 User Rights (GDPR & CCPA/CPRA Disclosures)

Depending on your geographic location, you may have specific statutory rights regarding your personal information:

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR - EU/EEA/UK): You have the right to access, rectify, or erase your personal data; restrict or object to processing; and request data portability in a machine-readable format.
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA - California Residents): You have the right to know what personal categories of data are collected, request deletion, correct inaccurate data, and be free from discriminatory treatment for exercising privacy rights. We do not sell your personal data.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].

9 Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

BudgetSnap is designed for general audiences and is not intended for or directed to individuals under the age of 13 (or under 16 in certain jurisdictions such as the European Economic Area). We do not knowingly collect, request, or solicit personal information from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will promptly delete that information from our records.

10 Policy Updates & Contact Information

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our app features, legal requirements, or regulatory standards. When updated, the "Last Updated" date at the top of this document will be revised accordingly. We encourage users to periodically review this page.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact the Data Controller: