Privacy Policy

1. What data the app handles

Cost Wise is an offline, on-device business tracker. The data you create while using it includes:

Sales records (items sold, amounts, payment method)
Expense records and receipt photos
Inventory and ingredient stock levels
Recipes and product costs
Employee names, roles, attendance, and payroll figures you enter (if you use those features)
A PIN you set for app lock, and optionally a device biometric unlock preference
Backup files you choose to export

We do not collect any of this. It is not sent to us, and we have no way to see it.

2. On-device processing

A few features process data using on-device intelligence, never a cloud service:

Receipt scanning uses on-device text recognition (ML Kit) to read the supplier name, amount, and date off a photo you take. The photo and extracted text are processed entirely on your phone and are never uploaded anywhere.
Voice dictation (Quick Entry / Chat) uses on-device speech recognition to turn what you say into text. Audio is processed on-device and is not sent to a server.
Biometric unlock (if you enable it) is handled entirely by your phone's operating system. Cost Wise never receives or stores your fingerprint or face data — it only receives a yes/no result from the OS.

3. Permissions the app requests, and why

Cost Wise only asks for a permission when a feature that needs it is actually used, and every feature that uses a permission still works (in a reduced form) if you decline it.

Permission	Used for	If you decline
Camera	Taking a photo of a receipt, or attaching a photo to an expense.	You can still enter expenses manually — no photo required.
Microphone	Voice dictation in Quick Entry (Chat), turning speech into typed text on-device.	You can still type your entry normally.
Notifications	An optional evening reminder if you haven't logged anything by a time you choose.	The app works normally; you just won't get the reminder.
Biometric hardware	An optional shortcut to unlock the app instead of typing your PIN.	Your PIN still works as the primary unlock method.
File storage / share sheet	Creating a backup file and letting you save or send it wherever you choose.	Uses your device's standard share/file picker — Cost Wise does not request broad storage access.

Cost Wise does not use or request: location, contacts, SMS or call logs, Bluetooth, background location tracking, or an advertising identifier.

4. Data storage and security

All data is stored locally on your device in an encrypted database (SQLCipher, 256-bit key).
The encryption key is unique to your device and is stored in your device's own secure storage (Android Keystore / iOS Keychain via Secure Store) — not stored by us, because we don't have a server to store it on.
Your device's own lock screen and storage encryption provide an additional layer of protection.
Because there is no account or server, there is no "our servers were breached" risk for your business data — the risk model is the same as any other file stored securely on your phone.

5. Backups you create

The Backup My Data feature lets you export a copy of all your data to a file, which you then choose where to send using your phone's normal share sheet (for example, Google Drive, email, or another app).

This export only happens when you choose to do it — Cost Wise never backs up or transmits your data on its own.
Once you've shared that file somewhere, the security of that copy is governed by wherever you sent it, not by Cost Wise. Keep it somewhere you trust, the same as any other sensitive file.

6. Data sharing with third parties

We do not share, sell, rent, or trade your data with anyone, because we never receive it in the first place. Cost Wise does not integrate any third-party analytics, advertising, or data-collection SDK.

7. Children's privacy

Cost Wise is a business tool intended for small business owners and their staff, not for children. We do not knowingly collect information from children, and the app is not directed at or marketed to children under 13 (or the relevant age of consent in your region).

8. Data retention and deletion

Since all data lives only on your device:

You can delete individual records at any time from within the app.
Uninstalling the app removes all of its local data from your device.
Because there's no account or server-side copy, there is nothing further for us to delete on your behalf — deleting the app or its data on-device is complete deletion.

9. Your choices and control

You are always in control of your data with Cost Wise:

Every permission above is opt-in and requested only when you use the related feature.
You choose if and when to create a backup, and where it goes.
You choose whether to enable biometric unlock, notifications, or voice dictation.
Nothing in the app requires an internet connection to function — it's designed to work fully offline.

10. Changes to this policy

If this policy changes — for example, because a future version adds an optional cloud sync or backup service — we will update this document and change the effective date above before that feature ships, and we'll make a reasonable effort to surface the change in the app itself if the change is material.

11. Contact us

If you have questions about this policy or how Cost Wise handles data, contact:

Email: maabootcamp@gmail.com

The short version