Privacy Policy

1. Scope and Roles

This Policy applies to personal information we collect through the Service. It does not apply to third-party websites, apps, or services that we do not control, including financial institutions and data aggregators such as Plaid.

For account-linking features, Plaid may act as a service provider or independent controller depending on the activity. Plaid's own privacy policy governs its collection and use of information you provide when linking accounts: https://plaid.com/legal.

Budgetnik is a read-only personal finance tool. We do not move money, initiate payments, or execute transactions on your behalf.

2. Information We Collect

Account information you provide: name, email address, phone number, and password (stored only as a cryptographic hash).

Verification and security data: email and phone verification status, session metadata (such as device user agent and IP address used for security logging), and authentication tokens stored according to our security architecture.

First-party product analytics: a small set of named events we store on our servers (for example, that you viewed the landing or signup page, which dashboard screen you opened, or that you started or finished linking a bank). Pre-login visits may include IP address, user-agent, coarse country, landing path, referrer, and optional campaign parameters so we can measure who is interested in Budgetnik and who signs up. After you create an account, usage events are linked to your account and login session. We do not record transaction amounts, merchants, account numbers, or precise device location in this log. We do not use third-party analytics, advertising, or tracking SDKs.

Financial information you choose to link: account names, masks, institution names, balances, credit limits, transaction details (amounts, dates, merchants, categories), recurring payment streams, and related metadata received from Plaid or your financial institutions. We do not receive or store your bank login credentials.

Usage and technical information: app interactions, feature usage needed to operate the Service, and technical logs used for security, debugging, and reliability.

Communications: messages you send to us for support or privacy requests.

3. How We Collect Information

Directly from you when you register, verify contact information, link accounts, change settings, or contact us.

Automatically when you use the Service, including through cookies or similar technologies where applicable for authentication, session management, and first-party product analytics (including an HttpOnly visitor cookie on the website and a random visitor identifier stored on the mobile app).

From third parties you authorize, primarily Plaid and your financial institutions, to provide account and transaction data you request to view in Budgetnik.

4. How We Use Information

Provide, operate, maintain, and secure the Service, including authentication, account linking, transaction display, charts, and settings.

Understand how the Service is used (screens, acquisition funnel, and retention) using first-party events stored in our database. We do not sell this information or use it for cross-context advertising.

Verify your identity and contact information, prevent fraud and abuse, and enforce our Terms.

Respond to support and privacy requests and communicate service-related notices.

Improve reliability and fix errors using aggregated or de-identified insights where possible.

Comply with law, respond to lawful requests, and protect rights, safety, and security.

5. We Do Not Sell or Share Personal Information for Advertising

We do not sell your personal information.

We do not share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

We do not use third-party product analytics, advertising, or session-replay providers.

We do not rent your personal information to third parties for their own marketing.

We use personal information to provide the Service you request, not to build advertising profiles about you.

6. When We Disclose Information

Service providers that help us run the Service under contractual confidentiality and security obligations, including hosting, database, email/SMS delivery, and Plaid for account connectivity.

Your financial institutions and Plaid, as necessary to establish and maintain connections you authorize.

Professional advisors (such as lawyers or accountants) under confidentiality obligations, when needed.

Law enforcement, regulators, or other parties when required by law, legal process, or to protect rights, safety, and security.

A successor entity in connection with a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, subject to this Policy or a successor policy with notice as required by law.

We do not disclose personal information to third parties for their independent marketing.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as needed to provide the Service, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements.

Financial data linked through Plaid is retained while your connection remains active. When you unlink a bank or use "Remove all financial data" in Settings, we delete the associated accounts, transactions, and related records from our systems, subject to backup retention for a limited period as described below.

Your sign-in profile (email, phone, name, password hash) is retained until you delete your account in Settings, request deletion by email, or we close your account.

When you delete your account, we remove your profile and financial data from active systems and revoke all sessions. We retain a minimal tombstone record for fraud prevention and audit purposes that does not include your name, email, or phone in cleartext. That record includes a one-way hash of contact identifiers (where applicable), your former internal user identifier, account creation and deletion timestamps, terms acceptance metadata, and optional security context (such as the IP address used for the deletion request). Tombstone records are kept for up to seven (7) years unless a longer period is required by law.

Security and audit logs may be retained for a limited period for fraud prevention and operations even after data removal.

First-party product analytics: we keep events tied to an account for up to thirteen (13) months. Visitor records for people who never create an account, and their events, are deleted after ninety (90) days of inactivity. Deleting your account also deletes your analytics events and visitor records.

8. Security

We use administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect personal information, including encryption for Plaid access tokens, hashed passwords, authenticated API access, and scoped data access per user.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. You are responsible for safeguarding your password and devices.

9. Your Choices and Rights

Account settings: update your profile information and manage linked banks in the Service.

Remove financial data: use Settings → "Remove all financial data" to delete all linked banks, accounts, transactions, and related financial records stored in Budgetnik while keeping your sign-in profile.

Delete account: use Settings → "Delete account" to permanently delete your profile, all financial data, and all active sessions. You may register again later with the same email address unless your account was closed for abuse or legal reasons.

Unlink one bank: remove a single institution and its data without deleting your entire financial history.

Revoke Plaid access: you may also revoke Budgetnik's access through your financial institution's connected-app settings.

Access, correction, and deletion requests: you may delete your account in Settings or email privacy@budgetnik.com from the address associated with your account. We will verify your request and respond as required by applicable law. You may also request access to personal information we hold or correction of inaccurate information.

Authorized agents: where required by law, you may designate an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf with proof of authorization.

10. California Privacy Rights (CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you may have the right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose; to request deletion or correction; to limit use of sensitive personal information to what is necessary to provide the Service; and not to receive discriminatory treatment for exercising privacy rights.

We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under California law.

Financial account and transaction information you link is treated as sensitive personal information and is used only to provide the Service you request.

To exercise California rights, email privacy@budgetnik.com with the subject line "California Privacy Request." We will verify your identity before fulfilling the request.

11. Other U.S. State Privacy Rights

Residents of other states with consumer privacy laws may have similar rights regarding access, deletion, correction, and opting out of certain processing. Contact privacy@budgetnik.com to exercise rights available in your state.

We will update this Policy as additional state requirements apply to our operations.

12. Children

The Service is not directed to individuals under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has provided us personal information, contact privacy@budgetnik.com and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will post the updated Policy, revise the version and effective date, and provide reasonable notice when practicable (for example, by email or in-app notice).

Your continued use of the Service after an updated Policy becomes effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy, subject to your rights under applicable law.

14. Contact Us

Coppernik LLC (d/b/a Budgetnik)

Florida, United States

Privacy requests and questions: privacy@budgetnik.com

Please include the email address associated with your Budgetnik account so we can verify your request.