Introduction
Finance Bot ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our WhatsApp-based finance tracking service.
By using Finance Bot, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide
- Phone Number: Your WhatsApp phone number for authentication and communication
- Transaction Data: Expenses and income you log manually via WhatsApp
- Voice Notes: Audio recordings you send for transcription (deleted after processing)
- Statement PDFs: Bank/UPI statements you upload for transaction import
Information We Collect from Gmail
- Transaction Alerts Only: We read emails from banks, e-commerce sites, and merchants to extract transaction details (amount, date, merchant)
- Sender Filtering: We only access emails from specific sender domains (HDFC, ICICI, Amazon, Swiggy, etc.)
- Limited Data: We extract transaction metadata only, not full email content
What We Do NOT Collect
- Passwords or PINs
- Personal emails (we only read transaction alerts)
- WhatsApp contacts or chat history
- Location data
- Device information beyond what's required for authentication
- Banking credentials or card CVVs
How We Use Your Information
- Transaction Tracking: To categorize and track your expenses and income
- Tax Insights: To identify tax-eligible deductions (80C, 80D, etc.)
- Spending Analysis: To answer your queries about spending patterns
- Weekly Digests: To send spending summaries via WhatsApp
- Service Improvement: To improve categorization and insights (anonymized data only)
Data Storage & Security
Where We Store Data
- India-Hosted: All data is stored on servers located in India
- Encrypted at Rest: Gmail OAuth tokens are encrypted using industry-standard encryption
- Secure Transmission: All data transfers use HTTPS/TLS encryption
Security Measures
- Webhook signature verification for WhatsApp messages
- PII masking (card numbers, account numbers) before AI processing
- No plain-text password storage
- Regular security audits
- Access controls and logging
Data Sharing
We do NOT sell your data. We only share data in these limited circumstances:
- AI Processing: Transaction text is sent to Anthropic Claude and Google Gemini for categorization (PII masked)
- Analytics: Anonymized usage metrics may be shared with our analytics provider (CyberKyntic)
- Legal Requirements: If required by law or to protect our rights
Your raw transaction data, personal emails, and financial details are NEVER shared with third parties.
Your Rights (DPDP Act 2023 Compliance)
Under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you have the right to:
- Access Your Data: Request a copy of all data we have about you
- Correct Your Data: Update incorrect transaction categorizations
- Delete Your Data: Permanently delete your account and all associated data
- Withdraw Consent: Disconnect Gmail access or stop using the service anytime
- Data Portability: Export your transaction data as CSV
To exercise these rights, message "delete my account" on WhatsApp or visit Settings → Delete Account. All data will be permanently erased within 24 hours.
Data Retention
- Transaction Data: Retained as long as your account is active
- Voice Notes: Deleted immediately after transcription
- Gmail Tokens: Encrypted and stored until you disconnect Gmail
- After Account Deletion: All data is permanently deleted within 24 hours, except for:
- Anonymized analytics (no personal identifiers)
- Legal compliance records (if required by law)
Cookies
We use minimal cookies for authentication (JWT tokens in httpOnly cookies). No third-party tracking cookies are used.
Children's Privacy
Finance Bot is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect data from children.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance.
Contact Us
For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your data rights, contact us at:
- Email: privacy@financebot.in
- WhatsApp: Message "privacy" to our bot