1. INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Countro Expense Tracker ("we," "our," "us," or "the App"). This Privacy Policy explains how NeelStudio ("Developer"), based in India, collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our mobile application.
We believe your financial data belongs to you. Free users' data stays entirely on their device. We collect only what is necessary to operate the app.
By using Countro Expense Tracker, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.
2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT
Local Data (All Users)
All financial data for free users is stored exclusively on your device. We do not have access to it.
- Expense and income amounts
- Categories, notes, and timestamps
- App preferences (currency, language)
Device & Usage Data
- Device type and OS version
- App usage events and screen views
- Crash logs and error reports
- Advertising identifier (IDFA on iOS, AAID on Android)
Analytics & Advertising
Collected via Firebase Analytics and Google AdMob. Used to improve app performance and show relevant ads. This data is pseudonymized and aggregated — it cannot be used to identify you personally.
Cloud Backup Data (Premium Users Only)
Only collected if you choose to enable cloud backup:
- Email address and user ID (from Google or Apple sign-in)
- All transaction data you sync (expenses, income, categories, notes)
- App settings and preferences
Payment Information
- Purchase transaction ID (from Google Play or Apple App Store)
- Purchase date, product, and currency
We do not store credit card information. All payments are handled by the respective app store.
Referral Program Data
- Your unique referral code
- Referral usage count and timestamps
- Device identifiers (pseudonymized, for fraud prevention)
Referral codes are not linked to your personal identity.
What We Do NOT Collect
3. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
- To store and display your financial transactions
- To generate spending summaries and insights
- To improve app stability and performance (crash logs, analytics)
- To display banner ads and rewarded video ads (free users)
- To verify premium purchases and activate features
- To manage the referral program and prevent abuse
- To comply with legal obligations and prevent fraud
5. DATA STORAGE & SECURITY
Local Data (Free Users)
Stored on your device using secure local storage. Not transmitted to our servers. Protected by your device's operating system security and app sandboxing.
Cloud Data (Premium Users)
Stored in Google Firebase Cloud Firestore. Encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest (AES-256). Accessible only via your authenticated account.
Data Retention
- Local data: Remains on your device until you delete it or uninstall the app
- Cloud data: Retained while your account is active; permanently deleted when you delete it from within the app
- Analytics and crash logs: Retained for 14 months (Firebase default), pseudonymized
6. YOUR DATA CONTROLS
You can manage your data directly within the app:
- Edit or delete any transaction at any time in the app
- Delete cloud data from Settings → Cloud Backup → Delete All Data (permanent)
- Uninstall the app to remove all local data
We do not provide manual data access or processing requests outside the app. All data controls are handled in-app.
7. CLOUD BACKUP
Cloud backup is an optional feature available to premium users.
How it works:
- Requires sign-in with Google or Apple account
- Stores your selected data securely in Firebase
Deleting cloud data:
- Go to Settings → Cloud Backup → Delete All Data
- Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone
8. ADVERTISING
The app displays ads via Google AdMob. This includes banner ads and rewarded video ads.
Rewarded Video Ads
Watching a rewarded ad unlocks premium features for 6 hours. No payment required.
Ad Personalization
Ads may be personalized based on your Advertising ID. We do not use your financial transaction data for ad targeting. We do not provide in-app controls to disable personalized advertising.
9. REFERRAL PROGRAM
Users can share a referral link or code. We use deep linking combined with referral codes to track referrals.
How it works:
- When a new user installs the app using your referral link or code, both of you receive 15 days of premium access
Rewards Structure:
- No maximum limit on referrals
- At 12 successful referrals: 1 year of full premium access
- Each referral beyond 12 continues to grant additional premium days
- At 24 referrals: an additional year of premium is added
11. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY
The app is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13.
If a child has created an account and enabled cloud features, that data can be deleted directly from within the app (Settings → Cloud Backup → Delete All Data).
12. THIRD-PARTY LINKS & SERVICES
The app may link to third-party privacy policies (Firebase, AdMob, app stores). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external services.
13. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, new features, or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date and notify you via an in-app notification.
Continued use of the app after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
14. CONTACT US
For urgent security concerns, contact us through the app store listing and we will respond within 48 hours.
15. CONSENT & ACCEPTANCE
By downloading, installing, or using Countro Expense Tracker, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy and agree to the collection and use of your information as described.
If you do not agree, do not use the app. You may uninstall the app at any time to remove all local data.