Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Categorize My Expenses ("we," "us," or "our") operates the web application at categorizemyexpenses.com (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal and financial information when you use our Service.

We are committed to protecting your privacy. Our Service is designed with a privacy-first architecture: your data is ephemeral, encrypted, and automatically deleted.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Financial Transaction Data

When you upload bank statement CSV files or connect a bank account via Plaid, we receive transaction data including:

• Transaction dates
• Transaction descriptions (merchant names)
• Transaction amounts
• Account type designation (business-only or mixed-use)

We do not receive or store your bank login credentials, account numbers, routing numbers, or account balances.

2.2 Plaid Integration

If you choose to connect your bank account through Plaid, Plaid collects your bank credentials directly and transmits only transaction data to us. We do not see, store, or have access to your bank login credentials. By using Plaid, you also agree to Plaid's End User Privacy Policy.

2.3 Account Information

If you create an account after payment, we collect your email address through our authentication provider (Clerk). This is used solely for account access and to send you a backup download link if requested.

2.4 Payment Information

Payments are processed entirely by Stripe. We do not receive, process, or store your credit card number or payment method details. We receive only a confirmation of payment status and your email address from Stripe.

2.5 Business Setup Information

You provide business type and categorization preferences to help us accurately categorize your transactions. This information is stored only in your ephemeral session.

2.6 Usage Analytics

We collect anonymized analytics data (page views, feature usage) through PostHog to improve our Service. This data does not include your financial transactions or personal details.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information solely to:

• Categorize your bank transactions for tax preparation purposes
• Generate downloadable tax reports (PDF, Excel, TXF)
• Process your payment
• Send you a backup download link (if requested)
• Improve our categorization accuracy and Service quality

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal or financial data with third parties for marketing purposes. We do not use your financial data to build consumer profiles or for any purpose beyond providing the Service.

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Ephemeral Storage

Your financial data is stored in ephemeral server-side sessions, not in a persistent database. Sessions expire 30 days after purchase and are then permanently deleted. We do not retain your transaction data beyond this period.

4.2 Encryption

• In transit: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher.
• At rest: Sensitive financial data stored in our session storage is encrypted using AES-256-GCM authenticated encryption.

4.3 Access Controls

Access to production systems is restricted to authorized personnel only, using role-based access controls and multi-factor authentication. Session cookies are httpOnly, secure, and use SameSite protections.

5. Data Retention and Deletion

• Session data (transactions, categorizations): Automatically deleted when your session expires (30 days after purchase).
• Generated reports: Stored for the duration of your session and then permanently deleted.
• Plaid access tokens: If you connect a bank account via Plaid, the access token is encrypted and stored only for the duration of your session, then permanently deleted. We do not retain ongoing access to your bank account.
• Payment records: Stripe retains payment records per their data retention policy. We store only payment confirmation status in your session.

You may request immediate deletion of your data at any time by contacting us at privacy@categorizemyexpenses.com.

6. Third-Party Services

We use trusted third-party services for bank connections, payment processing, authentication, AI-powered categorization, and infrastructure (hosting, storage, email delivery). Each service receives only the minimum data needed to perform its function.

Key points:

• Your bank credentials are handled directly by our bank connection provider — we never see or store them.
• Your payment details are handled entirely by our payment processor — we never receive your card information.
• Our AI categorization service receives only merchant names and transaction amounts — no personally identifiable information.
• Infrastructure providers process only encrypted or anonymized data.

No third-party service receives more data than is necessary, and none are permitted to use your data for their own purposes.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Deletion: Request immediate deletion of your data at any time. Data is automatically deleted when your session expires.
• Portability: Download your categorized data in multiple formats (PDF, Excel, TXF) while your session is active.
• Opt-out: You may use CSV upload instead of Plaid to avoid sharing bank credentials with any third party.
• Correction: Edit any transaction categorization during your review session.

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@categorizemyexpenses.com.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of material changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us at:

privacy@categorizemyexpenses.com