Privacy policy

Last updated: September 3, 2026

1. What PesaTrack does

PesaTrack is a passive expense tracker for Android. It reads both incoming and outgoing M-PESA and supported bank SMS messages, parses transaction details (amount, recipient, date, transaction code), and saves them locally on your device for categorisation, budgeting, and review.

2. SMS data we access

PesaTrack requests the following Android permissions:

RECEIVE_SMS — to detect M-PESA and supported bank SMS messages (incoming and outgoing transactions) in real time
READ_SMS — to import historical transaction SMS from your inbox (user-initiated only)

PesaTrack only reads SMS from specific senders:

M-PESA (sender: "MPESA")
NCBA Bank (sender: "NCBA")

Personal SMS from contacts, promotional messages, and SMS from unsupported senders are never read, accessed, or stored.

3. What data is stored on your device

From each qualifying transaction SMS, PesaTrack extracts and stores locally:

Transaction amount (KES)
Recipient name and number/till/paybill
Transaction date and time
M-PESA transaction code (e.g. "ABC123XYZ")
Transaction cost (if present in the SMS)
Payment type (Send Money, Buy Goods, Pay Bill, etc.)

You may also manually enter expenses or import from Excel/PDF. Categories, budgets, and settings are stored locally in a Room database and DataStore preferences.

4. Anonymous usage analytics (opt-in)

Starting in version 1.5.0, PesaTrack can send anonymous usage analytics so we can see which features help and which need work. This is off by default. On first launch (or after updating from an older version) you'll see a one-time prompt — say yes, dismiss it, or change your mind later.

What we send when analytics are on:

Which screens you open (e.g. "home", "analytics", "budget")
Which features you tap (e.g. "import completed", "budget created")
App version, Android version, device model, and country
Crash and error signals
An anonymous, rotating installation ID from Firebase Analytics

What we never send, even with analytics on:

The content of any SMS
Transaction amounts, merchants, till/paybill numbers, or transaction codes
Category names, budget names, or note text you type in the app
Your name, phone number, email, or M-PESA number
Anything else that could identify you personally

Analytics are processed by Google Firebase Analytics. See Google's privacy policy for how they handle this. We do not use Firebase for advertising, personalisation, or any purpose beyond product improvement.

Turning analytics off: Open PesaTrack, tap Settings, and toggle "Anonymous usage data" off. Collection stops immediately and the anonymous installation ID is reset so the previous session's identifier can't be associated with future data.

Your transaction data is never shared. The only data that leaves your device is the anonymous analytics described in Section 4 — and only if you opt in.

Transaction data is never sent to any server or cloud service
Transaction data is never shared with any third party, ad network, or SDK
No data — transactional or analytical — is sold, rented, or licensed

Certain features let you voluntarily share information outside the app:

Feedback emails. "Contact & Feedback" prepares a draft email. Usage context (app version, milestones) may be pre-filled to help us assist you. Review and remove anything before sending.
Backup files. Database backups you create and export may contain your expense data and settings. They stay on your device unless you share them.
CSV exports. Exports stay on-device unless you share them via Android's share sheet.

5.6 Google Play services

Firebase Analytics — for the opt-in analytics in Section 4
Google Play In-App Review API — may prompt you to rate the app within the Play review flow. No personal data is shared with PesaTrack through this.

6. Data security

PesaTrack offers an optional PIN lock with biometric unlock to prevent casual unauthorised access. The PIN is stored as a salted SHA-256 hash — the raw PIN is never stored.

Your data inherits the security of your Android device (device encryption, screen lock). PesaTrack does not implement additional database encryption; the threat model is casual-access prevention, not forensic-level protection. See /security for the full write-up.

Analytics data (when enabled) is transmitted to Firebase over HTTPS/TLS.

7. Your rights & data deletion

View: all expense data is visible in-app at all times
Edit: re-categorise, exclude, or modify any expense
Delete on-device data: Android Settings → Apps → PesaTrack → Storage → Clear data
Disable analytics: PesaTrack → Settings → Privacy
Reset analytics ID: turning analytics off also resets the anonymous Firebase installation ID
Uninstall: removes all stored data permanently

Because analytics data is anonymous and not tied to your identity, we cannot look up or delete specific analytics records on request. Turning analytics off stops future collection and severs the link between past and future sessions on your device.

8. Children's privacy

PesaTrack is not directed at children under 13. The app requires access to financial SMS, which is inherently an adult use case.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app evolves. Material changes will be called out in-app on next launch. The Last updated date at the top always reflects the current version.

10. Contact

Questions or concerns? Email joelmumo.jm@gmail.com.