Privacy Policy for Trip Kharcha

Welcome to Trip Kharcha! Your privacy is incredibly important to us. We built this app to be fast, frictionless, and secure. This Privacy Policy explains what data we store, how we use it, and why you don't have to worry about your personal information when using our service.

1. Information We Do NOT Collect

We believe in absolute minimal data collection. To use Trip Kharcha, we do not require, collect, or store:

• No Email Addresses: You never have to sign up or verify an email.
• No Mobile Numbers: We will never ask for your phone number or send you SMS OTPs.
• No Passwords: Your access is tied to a shared 5-character trip code, not a personal account.
• No Personally Identifiable Information (PII): We do not track who you are in the real world.

2. Information We DO Collect

To make the app function and calculate your splits, we store the following data on our secure servers:

• Trip Details: The 5-character trip code, the name of your trip, and the names of the people you manually add to the group (we recommend using first names or nicknames).
• Expense Data: The amounts, categories, descriptions, and who paid for what.
• Receipt Images: If you choose to upload a photo of a receipt, we compress and store that image file on our server so your group can view it.

3. How Your Data is Accessed

Because Trip Kharcha is account-less, anyone who knows your 5-character trip code can view and edit the trip data.

• Please do not share your trip code publicly unless you want others to see your group's expenses.
• Treat your trip code like a private link meant only for your travel companions.

4. Local Storage (No Tracking Cookies)

We do not use invasive tracking cookies or third-party advertising trackers. We use a simple browser feature called Local Storage strictly to remember your active 5-character trip code. This is what allows you to close the app and reopen it later without having to retype the code every time.

5. Data Retention & Deletion

To keep our systems fast and clean, we automatically archive inactive trips.

• If a trip has no new expenses or activity for a prolonged period (e.g., 30 days), it may be archived or removed from active monitoring.
• Since there are no user accounts, if you clear your browser data and lose your 5-character code, you will lose access to the trip from that device (though friends with the code can still access it).

6. Third-Party Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade any trip data, expense habits, or receipt images to third parties, advertisers, or data brokers. Your trip data is strictly used to calculate your group's balances.

7. Changes to This Policy

If we ever add new features (like premium upgrades) that require changes to this policy, we will update this page. However, our commitment to a frictionless, account-less core experience will remain.

8. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact us at: [Insert Your Contact Email or Link Here]