Privacy policy

1. Scope

This privacy policy applies to:

• the website FinanceCounter.de in German and English (including all pages under https://financecounter.de/en/), and
• the Android app FinanceCounter. It was checked against app version 1.3.15.

The website presents the app, provides support and legal information and links to Google Play. It is not a web application for entering, storing or syncing personal financial data.

FinanceCounter is operated as a local app. Users’ personal financial data generally stays on their device.

2. Controller

The controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is:

Maximilian Holstein
Schmiededamm 9
25379 Herzhorn
Germany

Phone: +49 151 61837074
Email: support@financecounter.de
Website: https://financecounter.de

No data protection officer has been appointed at present. Privacy requests can be sent directly to the email address above.

3. Core principle: a local app without internet permission

In particular, FinanceCounter has:

• no FinanceCounter user account, no registration and no login,
• no cloud sync and no shared online households,
• no FinanceCounter API, no app backend and no server-side financial database,
• no transfer of personal financial data to STRATO or any other FinanceCounter server,
• no bank connection (no open banking or PSD2 interface).

No internet permission: Android version 1.3.15 requests neither the Android permission for internet access (INTERNET) nor for network state (ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE). The app itself therefore cannot open network connections. Data only leaves the device through other components the user chooses to use:

• the Google Play app (checking and purchasing Premium, app updates, optional rating – section 22),
• the Android clipboard, when the user copies the local subscription diagnosis (section 22),
• the browser, when the user opens a link (for example to this privacy policy or a confirmed partner link – section 19),
• the Android file picker, when the user writes an export or backup to a location of their choice (section 20).

The operator cannot view, retrieve, change or restore the financial data stored in the app.

For local text recognition the app contains Google’s ML Kit library. Receipt images, document contents and recognised text are not sent to Google. Details on the technical data ML Kit can collect in principle, and why it cannot be transmitted in the current version, are given in section 13.

4. Website hosting by STRATO

FinanceCounter.de is hosted by STRATO GmbH, Otto-Ostrowski-Straße 7, 10249 Berlin, Germany.

When the website is accessed, STRATO processes technically necessary data to deliver the content securely and without errors. This may include the IP address, date and time of access, the page or file requested, the amount of data transferred, the referrer URL (where sent by the browser), browser type and version, operating system and HTTP status and error codes.

The processing serves technical delivery, error analysis and the detection and prevention of attacks. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; the legitimate interest lies in operating the website securely and reliably.

According to STRATO, the IP addresses of visitors to hosted websites are stored for a maximum of seven days to detect and prevent attacks. In the event of a specific security incident or due to legal obligations, necessary evidence may be retained longer to the extent legally permitted. STRATO processes hosting data as a processor under Art. 28 GDPR; according to STRATO, hosting takes place in data centres in Germany.

More information (in German): Privacy at STRATO and STRATO information on data processing agreements.

5. TLS encryption

FinanceCounter.de uses TLS encryption. This protects the connection between your browser and the web server against eavesdropping. You can recognise an encrypted connection by https:// in the address bar.

6. WordPress and technically necessary functions

FinanceCounter.de runs on WordPress with its own technical components. Technically necessary data is processed to deliver public pages, secure administrator access and detect technical errors.

Public visitors cannot post comments, create a user account, subscribe to a newsletter or upload financial data. There is no contact form; you can reach us by email or phone.

The language is selected solely via the page address (German pages under /, English pages under /en/). Nothing is stored in the browser for this.

The website uses a small script of its own for the menu, the FAQ, the app demo and the savings calculator. It sends no data, stores nothing in the browser (including local and session storage) and runs entirely locally. Values entered in the savings calculator never leave the browser.

7. Cookies and similar technologies

No analytics, advertising or marketing cookies are used on the public pages. When the site is accessed publicly without logging in, FinanceCounter.de itself sets no cookie and uses no comparable storage technology in the browser. WordPress administration cookies only concern logged-in administrators.

Should technically necessary storage become required in future, it will only be used where it is strictly necessary for a function the user has expressly requested (Section 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG, the German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act); any subsequent processing of personal data would then be based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Non-essential cookies or optional services would only be activated after any required consent, and this policy would be updated beforehand.

8. No website analytics, advertising or marketing tracking

In particular, FinanceCounter.de does not use Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google AdSense, Meta Pixel, heatmap or session-recording services, social media tracking pixels, personalised advertising or any other marketing or profiling services.

The fonts (Inter and Plus Jakarta Sans, the same as in the app) are served by FinanceCounter.de itself; third-party font services such as Google Fonts are not used. Icons are graphics embedded in the page. Images are only loaded from FinanceCounter.de itself. No external videos, maps, social media feeds, fonts or scripts are loaded; the Google Play buttons are our own design elements and load nothing from Google servers.

9. No app financial data on the website

The app’s personal data is not transmitted to FinanceCounter.de. In particular, the website receives no income or expenses, amounts, balances, budgets, savings goals, account data, merchant, payee or category data, project data, receipt images or texts, invoices, e-invoices or other documents, bank statements or imported transactions, categorisation rules or notes.

STRATO only hosts the public website. There is no FinanceCounter database with personal app data at STRATO.

10. External links and Google Play

FinanceCounter.de contains ordinary links to external services, in particular Google Play, HolsteinShops and TeamCounter. Simply visiting FinanceCounter.de does not transmit any data to these services. Only when you click a link is the external service opened; from then on the respective provider processes data under its own responsibility. Google’s privacy policy applies to Google services.

11. Contact by email or phone

When you contact us by email at support@financecounter.de or by phone, the information you provide is processed, in particular your email address or phone number, name (if given), content and time of the message, voluntarily attached files and technical details about a reported problem.

The processing serves to handle your request. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR where the request concerns a contract, a purchase or the use of FinanceCounter; otherwise Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in handling requests properly).

Please do not send bank statements, receipt images, full financial overviews, passwords, online banking credentials, PINs, TANs or full card details. FinanceCounter never attaches financial, receipt or document data to a support email automatically. The email providers of sender and recipient may be involved in transmitting and storing the message.

12. Data stored locally in the app

Depending on the features used, FinanceCounter processes the following data locally on the device in particular:

• households, accounts with names, opening balances and balances,
• income, expenses, splits, amounts, dates, merchants or payees, categories, notes and the private/business classification,
• budgets, savings goals, recurring transactions, projects and project assignments,
• saved receipts with original file and recognised details (section 13),
• documents, invoices and e-invoices with original file and metadata (section 15),
• optional private image and PDF attachments to transactions,
• local merchant and categorisation rules, favourites and planning data,
• import check values for detecting duplicate statement imports,
• app, display, notification, reminder, lock and backup settings as well as the status of the introduction and of hints and usage-mode details (section 22).

This data is kept in a local database and in files in the app’s private storage. Other apps generally cannot access it. The database is not additionally encrypted; its protection relies on Android sandboxing, device encryption and a screen lock. Optionally the app can be protected with an app PIN. The app preview in the recent-apps overview is covered by default.

A secure storage backed by the Android Keystore holds: the verifier of an app PIN (not the PIN itself, but a value derived with a random salt) with failed-attempt counter and lockout time, the biometric unlock status, the Premium entitlement cache, the identifier of the last update notice shown (app version and build) and – only if automatic backups are set up – the target folder and backup password. With biometric unlock FinanceCounter receives no fingerprint or face data, only the result of the Android check.

In Android preference files the app also stores technical states for the rating prompt (a rough count of saved transactions and timestamps), the update flow, the Google Play Billing bridge (selected base plan) and – for at most 24 hours – the progress of a running document export (target address, file name, checksum), so an interrupted export can be completed cleanly.

Local storage is necessary for FinanceCounter to provide the selected features. Where data protection law applies, it is carried out to perform the user relationship (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR); the technically necessary storage on the device is based on Section 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG.

13. Local receipt scanning

The user can capture a receipt with the camera or pick it as an image or PDF file (JPEG, PNG, PDF up to ten pages) via the Android file picker. With Premium, a screenshot (JPEG, PNG) can also be turned into a transaction suggestion. Recognition and analysis take place on the device; receipt images, PDF files and recognised text are not sent to the operator, STRATO, a FinanceCounter server or a cloud OCR service. The camera photo is deleted after processing.

If the user expressly saves a recognised receipt, FinanceCounter stores a local receipt record and the original document privately in app storage. In particular, this includes merchant, total, date, line items and – where printed on the receipt – payment method, receipt number and the last digits of a payment card, the confirmed category, classification and project, the receipt status, the link to the transaction and file metadata with checksum. The full recognised raw text is not stored permanently.

Temporary copies of selected files are cleaned up after completion or cancellation; any remaining temporary import files are removed at the next app start. Technical file or operating-system errors may delay physical deletion in individual cases.

The saved receipt original is kept even if a transaction link is archived or removed. The current version offers no individual deletion of saved receipt originals; they are removed by the full local data deletion, by clearing the app data or by uninstalling, and they are part of encrypted FinanceCounter backups.

Optional private transaction attachments

Separately, the user can expressly add a JPEG, PNG, WebP or PDF file to a transaction as an attachment. FinanceCounter copies it under a random internal name into private app storage and saves a sanitised display name, media type, file size, SHA-256 checksum, creation time and the assignment. The limits are ten attachments per transaction, 6 MiB per file and 12 MiB in total. Attachments can be opened, replaced and removed.

Google ML Kit for local text recognition

For text recognition the app contains Google’s ML Kit text recognition with a built-in recognition model for Latin script (com.google.mlkit:text-recognition, version 16.0.1). The image and the recognised text are processed only on the device.

Google states that ML Kit can additionally collect technical information and send it to Google – such as device and app information, an installation-specific identifier, performance and configuration data, input and output sizes, event types and error codes – to operate, measure and improve the service. Receipt images, receipt texts or financial content are not part of this.

Because Android version 1.3.15 has no internet permission (section 3), the app cannot transmit such technical data to Google. The library may temporarily record technical events locally in app storage; they do not leave the device. No network analysis was carried out for this statement; it is based on reviewing the app code and Android permissions. Should a future version allow a network connection, we will check before its release whether consent is required for such metrics and update this policy.

Receipt scanning only runs when the user expressly starts it and is not required for manual use. Local text recognition is carried out to perform the requested function (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, Section 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG). More information: ML Kit terms and ML Kit Android data disclosure.

14. Local bank statement import

With Premium the user can pick a bank statement or transaction export via the Android file picker: a CSV file (up to 16 MiB), a PDF (up to 50 pages or 20 MiB) or up to four images. FinanceCounter does not access any bank account, uses no open banking or PSD2 interface, asks for no credentials, PIN or TAN and transfers the file to no server, OCR, AI or analytics service.

A bank statement may contain names, IBANs, dates, counterparties, amounts, balances and payment references. It is analysed locally; scanned PDFs or images use the local text recognition described in section 13. Only the transactions the user confirms are stored permanently, together with technical check values (fingerprints and counts) to detect duplicate imports. The original file stays where it is; a temporary working copy is deleted after completion or cancellation. If the user wants to keep the statement itself, it can be stored separately in the documents area (section 15).

15. Documents, invoices and e-invoices

Since version 1.3.11 FinanceCounter includes a documents area. The user can pick PDF, JPEG, PNG and XML files via the Android file picker and store them as invoice, till or purchase receipt, credit note, e-invoice, bank statement or other. The limited Free version allows up to 20 documents, Premium an unlimited number; no documents can be added in read-only mode (section 22).

Stored locally are the original file, its original file name from the file picker and a sanitised file name, document type, status (open, paid), merchant or issuer, amount, invoice number, date and due date, note, private/business classification, project assignment, a SHA-256 checksum for duplicate detection and, where chosen by the user, the link to a transaction. The app calculates suggestions for matching transactions locally from amount, date and merchant; nothing is linked until the user selects it.

E-invoices

With Premium, FinanceCounter can read and permanently archive e-invoices in XML format (UBL and UN/CEFACT CII, i.e. both XRechnung syntaxes) and PDF invoices with an embedded XML file (ZUGFeRD/Factur-X); a preview also works in the Free version. The analysis takes place entirely on the device. In particular, details of the seller and buyer, invoice number, invoice, delivery and due dates, currency, net, tax and total amounts, bank details (IBAN) and payment reference and the invoice line items are read and stored. No external validation service is used.

Storage, deletion and export

Documents and the data read from them stay in private app storage and are never uploaded. They are part of encrypted FinanceCounter backups. A document can be deleted individually after confirmation; the original file is then removed from app storage while a linked transaction is kept. The user can export individual original files to a location of their choice at any time; with Premium a batch export as a ZIP file with originals, JSON metadata and an optional CSV file is available. Export files are not encrypted (section 20). Invoice due-date reminders are described in section 18.

16. Local automatic categorisation

FinanceCounter can remember locally which category a user assigned to a merchant or transaction text and suggest a category for later transactions; with Premium, self-defined local merchant rules are also available. This information is used only on the device and can be changed or deleted at any time. There is no cross-user analysis and no training of an AI model with personal data.

17. Device permissions

Depending on the feature used, FinanceCounter uses the following permissions:

• Camera – only when the user wants to photograph a receipt. The app remains usable without camera access.
• Notifications – for local reminders (section 18).
• Biometrics – for optional biometric unlock via Android.
• Google Play Billing – for purchasing and checking Premium.

For files the app uses the Android file picker; it only gets access to the selected file or target folder and needs no general storage permission. System-managed technical rights are used to restore local reminders after a reboot and for background, wake-up and vibration functions for reminders and automatic backups.

FinanceCounter requests no permissions for internet access, network state, location, contacts, SMS or call logs and does not use an advertising ID. Permissions granted by the user can be revoked in the Android settings; the affected feature is then no longer available.

18. Local notifications and reminders

FinanceCounter can show local notifications, for example for due recurring or planned transactions, budget warnings, savings goals, weekly review and monthly close, a reminder after a few days without an entry, due dates of open invoices (Premium) and the monthly savings-opportunity reminder (section 19). Scheduling and display take place solely on the device; no data is sent to a server.

All categories are switched off initially. If the user enables notifications during the introduction and Android grants the permission, all reminder categories including the monthly savings-opportunity reminder labelled as an advertisement are switched on; the invoice and booking reminders are excluded and each needs to be enabled separately. Each category can be switched off individually in the app’s notification settings.

Most notifications contain generic text. Invoice due-date reminders may show the merchant or file name and the amount unless an app PIN is set up or amounts are hidden. Whether notification content is visible on the lock screen depends on the device’s Android settings.

19. Savings opportunities and partner links

The app contains a “Savings opportunities” section with links to comparison offers of the CHECK24 group (electricity, gas, green electricity, DSL, mobile), clearly labelled “Advertisement · affiliate partner link”. The section is visible to all users, including Premium users. It is not a complete market comparison. Other partner programmes, for example from Amazon, are not included.

A partner link is never opened automatically. The app first shows a notice with the target address and asks for explicit confirmation. Only then does Android open a fixed short link via www.c24n.de in the external browser. FinanceCounter appends no parameters and no personal data – in particular no amounts, accounts, transactions, receipts or identifiers. The fixed links may contain a partner identifier that CHECK24 uses to attribute the referral to the operator.

From the moment the link opens, the redirect provider and the respective target provider process in particular the IP address, time, referrer or partner attribution and device and browser information under their own responsibility; their privacy information applies. If a contract is concluded through the referral, the operator may receive a commission; this costs the user nothing extra.

There is also a monthly local reminder about this section, labelled as an advertisement. It contains no personal financial values, is enabled as described in section 18 and can be switched off individually at any time. Its status and scheduling times remain local.

20. Export and backup

Exports and manual backups are only started by a deliberate user action. The user chooses the destination via the Android file picker – for example a local folder, connected storage or cloud storage integrated into Android. Once a file is saved there, further processing is governed by the chosen provider. FinanceCounter never transfers exports to a server of its own and does not share them automatically.

Available exports: CSV of transactions and the full data export (.financecounterexport, including documents) in the Free version and, without a subscription, also in read-only mode; with Premium also PDF reports, project reports as CSV, PDF or Excel and the batch export of documents as ZIP. Export files are not encrypted and must be protected at their destination according to their confidentiality.

Via “My data” individual stored originals (receipt originals, transaction attachments, documents) can also be viewed and saved individually to a location of the user’s choice; these files are not encrypted either. Manual encrypted backups are also possible in read-only mode.

FinanceCounter backups are encrypted: a key is derived from the password chosen by the user (at least 12 characters) using PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256, and data is encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Backups contain the database content as well as attachments, receipt originals and documents. The password is never sent to the operator and cannot be recovered. Even with encrypted backups, a chosen storage provider may process file, account and access metadata under its own terms.

With Premium an automatic backup can be set up: daily or weekly to a folder chosen by the user, with an adjustable number of copies to keep. For this the app stores the folder permission, interval, number of copies, technical run and error times and the backup password in the device’s secure storage (section 12). After a successful write, older automatic backups of this installation are removed according to the retention number. When disabled, the configuration is deleted and the folder permission released.

21. Deleting local app data

Users manage their local data themselves in the app. As the operator has no access, it can neither delete nor restore this data centrally.

• Transactions: deleting a transaction is reversible. It is hidden from all views but remains stored locally together with its attachments until the full local data deletion is carried out, the app data is cleared or the app is uninstalled.
• Attachments: an attachment that is expressly removed is permanently deleted from app storage when the change is saved.
• Documents: can be deleted permanently one by one after confirmation (section 15).
• Receipt originals from the scanner: currently no individual deletion (section 13).

The full local data deletion in the app removes the database, attachments, receipt originals, documents, temporary files, PIN and biometric settings, scheduled notifications, the Premium entitlement cache and the configuration of automatic backups. Until the app data is cleared via Android or the app is uninstalled, the technical states for the rating prompt, update flow, the last update notice shown and the billing bridge remain, as well as any technical events ML Kit may have recorded locally. Purchase and subscription data at Google Play and exports or backups at a location chosen by the user are not affected.

Read-only mode: Without an active subscription and without a trial or Premium subscription previously confirmed on this device (section 22), changes and deletions in the app are blocked, including the full local data deletion. Existing data remains viewable and can be exported in full and backed up manually with encryption. In this mode it can be deleted via the Android settings (clear app data) or by uninstalling the app.

When the app is uninstalled or its data is cleared in the Android settings, Android removes the entire private app storage. Android’s automatic cloud backup and transfer to a new device are disabled for FinanceCounter; the data extraction rules additionally exclude the database, preferences and files. Users should therefore create a backup themselves before uninstalling.

22. Google Play: Premium, updates and rating

Installation, updates and Premium subscriptions are provided through Google Play. Google processes in particular account, device, app, installation, purchase and payment information under its own responsibility. FinanceCounter never receives full card or bank details.

Checking and purchasing Premium (Google Play Billing)

After start-up (once the introduction is complete) and when returning to the app, FinanceCounter asks the Google Play app for the status of a Premium subscription – for all users, including those who have not bought Premium. This serves to check and restore Premium and determines the scope of use: with an active Premium subscription or a valid trial the app is fully usable. If a trial or Premium subscription was previously confirmed by Google Play on this device, the limited Free version applies after it ends. Without such confirmation, the app opens in read-only mode after “Continue without Premium”: view data, back up manually and export in full; new entries, changes and deletions are blocked. A purchase is only started by an explicit user action; FinanceCounter passes no account or profile identifiers of its own and no financial data to Google Play. Without a new check, Premium stays usable offline for up to three days.

Stored locally are the product and base plan identifier, entitlement status, check and cache times, technical time values against a manipulated device clock and a SHA-256 checksum of the purchase token; the full token is only processed during a check. In addition, three yes/no values on the usage mode are stored in the local database: whether a trial or Premium subscription has been confirmed on this device, whether its end has been confirmed and whether the user continued without Premium. These values are not part of exports and are not transferred to another device via backups. This data is not linked to financial transactions for advertising purposes. Subscription management opens directly in Google Play via a link.

The legal basis for managing a Premium entitlement is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR; where legal accounting or record-keeping obligations exist, Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. Depending on the purchase and configuration, Google may provide the operator with certain transaction details.

Local subscription diagnosis

Under Premium the user can copy a “local subscription diagnosis”; the Premium selection screen also leads there. Only on this tap does the app create a text report, display it and place it on the Android clipboard. It contains the app identifier and version, the time, type and response code of the last Google Play query, the number of matching purchases with their status (purchased/pending, auto-renewing, paused, acknowledged), the local subscription and usage status with expiry, check and cache times, and the availability of the individual Premium features. Purchase tokens, checksums, order numbers, product or account identifiers and financial data are not included. The details of the last Play query are only kept in the memory of the running app. The report is never sent automatically; if the user pastes it into a support email, section 11 applies. How long the clipboard keeps the text and which apps (such as the keyboard) can access it depends on Android.

App updates

After start-up or unlocking, FinanceCounter automatically checks via Google Play whether an update is available – at most every six hours. Google Play may process device metadata, the app version and installed modules. Depending on urgency, the app offers or requires an update; installation runs through the Google Play flow. More information: Android documentation on in-app updates.

Optional rating

After at least five saved transactions and seven days since installation, FinanceCounter may request the Google Play rating dialog, then at most every 120 days. Google Play decides whether the dialog appears. In addition, after at least eight transactions and 14 days, the app may show its own hint at most every 90 days that opens the store listing on request. For this the app only stores a rough counter and timestamps; no financial content is passed on. If a user voluntarily submits a rating, Google Play processes it under its own responsibility; it may appear publicly and can be edited or deleted via Google Play. More information: Android documentation on in-app reviews.

23. No ad networks, no tracking, no profiling

The app uses no ad networks, no Google AdMob, no Firebase Analytics or Crashlytics, no Google Analytics, no Google Tag Manager, no Meta Pixel, no heatmap or session-recording services, no advertising ID, no personalised advertising, no general marketing or profiling SDKs and no location tracking. FinanceCounter creates no cross-user analytics, advertising or marketing profiles.

This is distinct from the technical ML Kit components described in section 13, the Google Play processes in section 22 and the labelled partner links and advertising reminder in section 19.

Should an analytics, advertising, cloud, AI or crash-reporting service be added in future, or the app be given internet permission, this policy will be updated beforehand and – where required – consent obtained before the service is activated.

24. Recipients and international transfers

Depending on the process, recipients of personal data may be:

• STRATO as the website’s hosting processor,
• the email and telephone providers involved when you contact us,
• Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, in connection with Google Play (installation, updates, subscription checks, payment processing, voluntary ratings),
• Google Commerce Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, as provider and contracting party for content on Google Play (see the Google Play Terms of Service for the EEA),
• file or cloud providers deliberately chosen by the user via the Android file picker for exports and backups,
• only after explicit confirmation of a partner link: the redirect service at www.c24n.de, companies of the CHECK24 group and the respective target provider,
• authorities, courts or other bodies where there is a legal obligation, and professional advisers where necessary for accounting, tax advice or legal defence.

According to Google’s published documentation, Google Ireland Limited is generally the controller for processing related to Google services for users in the European Economic Area. For data processed by Google Play, the operator and Google each act as independent controllers. Personal financial transactions, receipt, document and bank statement content are not transmitted to any of these recipients unless the user saves an export or backup with a chosen provider.

Hosting by STRATO takes place in Germany. Google operates servers worldwide; data processed by Google under its own responsibility may therefore also be processed outside the EEA. Google states that, depending on the destination country, it relies on adequacy decisions of the European Commission, on the EU–US Data Privacy Framework for certified Google companies in the USA and otherwise on standard contractual clauses. Details: Google’s legal frameworks for data transfers.

25. Retention periods

Personal data is only stored for as long as necessary for the respective purpose or as required by law:

• IP addresses in STRATO logs: according to STRATO, at most seven days (section 4).
• Support communication: until the request has been fully handled, unless there are legal or legitimate reasons to keep it; accounting and record-keeping data required by law for the statutory retention periods.
• Local app data (transactions, accounts, budgets, receipts, documents, e-invoice details, attachments, settings): on the device until the user deletes it, runs the full local data deletion, clears the app data or uninstalls the app. Deleted transactions remain stored in hidden form until then; receipt originals have no individual deletion (sections 13 and 21).
• Temporary scan and import files: until the process is completed or cancelled, at the latest until the next app start; progress of a document export for at most 24 hours.
• Counters and timestamps for rating prompts and states of the update flow and billing bridge: until the app data is cleared via Android or the app is uninstalled.
• Usage-mode details (section 22): until the full local data deletion, clearing the app data or uninstalling.
• Identifier of the last update notice shown: until the app data is cleared via Android or the app is uninstalled.
• Local subscription diagnosis: details of the last Play query only in memory until the app is closed; a copied report remains on the clipboard until overwritten or removed by Android.
• Configuration of automatic backups including the backup password: until disabled, until the full local data deletion or until uninstallation.
• Exports and manual backups at a chosen location: until the user deletes them there; automatic backups according to the chosen retention number.
• Data processed by Google under its own responsibility (Google Play, payments, ratings): according to Google’s retention rules (How Google retains data); for update metadata Google states a fixed period that is not published as a number.
• Data held by redirect and target providers after a partner link has been confirmed: according to their retention rules.

26. Legal bases

Depending on the processing, we rely on:

• Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for providing the app features chosen by the user, local text recognition, Premium entitlements and contract-related requests,
• Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR for legal retention, disclosure and record-keeping obligations,
• Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR for hosting, security, error analysis, general requests, legal defence and the restrained decision when to request an optional rating,
• Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR where consent is expressly obtained for a processing operation,
• Section 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG for storage on and access to the device that is strictly necessary for a service expressly requested by the user; otherwise consent under Section 25(1) TDDDG is generally required.

Voluntary provision and consequences of not providing data

Technical connection data arises when the website is accessed; without it, the page cannot be delivered. Support details are voluntary; without sufficient information a request may not be answerable. Financial, receipt, document, camera and file data are neither required by law nor necessary for the core features as a whole; without them only the affected feature is unavailable. Purchase and entitlement data are required for Premium, the trial and the limited Free version; without them only read-only mode is available after the introduction (section 22). Opening a partner link is voluntary.

27. Your rights

Subject to the legal requirements, data subjects have the right of access (Art. 15 GDPR), rectification (Art. 16), erasure (Art. 17), restriction of processing (Art. 18), data portability (Art. 20), objection (Art. 21) and withdrawal of consent with effect for the future (Art. 7(3)), as well as the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (Art. 77).

Requests can be sent to support@financecounter.de. Appropriate identity verification may be required to prevent unauthorised disclosure or deletion.

These rights relate to data actually held by the controller – such as support emails. The operator has no access to app data stored only locally; users can view and export it themselves in the app and – with an active subscription or in the limited Free version – correct and delete it. In read-only mode it can be deleted via the Android settings or by uninstalling (sections 20 to 22). Exported or externally backed-up files must be deleted separately at their storage location.

28. Right to object

Where personal data is processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, you have the right under Art. 21 GDPR to object on grounds relating to your particular situation. An objection can be sent to support@financecounter.de.

29. Right to lodge a complaint

Data subjects can lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority. The authority responsible for the controller is in particular:

Unabhängiges Landeszentrum für Datenschutz Schleswig-Holstein (ULD)
Visitor address: Holstenstraße 98, 24103 Kiel, Germany
Postal address: Postfach 71 16, 24171 Kiel, Germany

Phone: +49 431 988-1200
Email: mail@datenschutzzentrum.de
Website: www.datenschutzzentrum.de

This right also exists with any other supervisory authority competent under Art. 77 GDPR, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement.

30. Minors

FinanceCounter is not aimed at children. Minors should not record other people’s financial data, bank documents or confidential family data without the consent of a parent or guardian. Premium subscriptions may only be purchased within the legal age and consent requirements and the Google Play terms.

31. No automated decision-making

FinanceCounter can automatically suggest categories, receipt values, imported transactions, document links, forecasts or hints. These suggestions serve solely to organise personal finances and can be checked, changed or discarded by the user. There is no solely automated decision with legal or similarly significant effects within the meaning of Art. 22 GDPR.

32. Changes to this policy

This policy is updated when features, data flows, technical providers or legal requirements change – in particular before introducing user accounts, cloud sync, an app backend, internet permission for the app, ad networks, app analytics, crash reporting, cloud OCR, external AI, further partner programmes or a bank connection.

The current German version is available at https://financecounter.de/datenschutz/ and linked in the app. This English version at https://financecounter.de/en/privacy/ is a translation provided for convenience; in case of any discrepancy, the German version prevails.

Last updated: 3 October 2026