Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 29, 2026

ExpenseSyncBot ("the Bot", "we", "us") is a Telegram bot that helps users track expenses and sync them to Google Sheets. This policy describes what data we collect, how we use it, and how you can control it.

1. Data We Collect

We collect and store the following data when you use the Bot:

• Telegram identifiers — your Telegram user ID, first name, and the group chat ID where the Bot is used. We do not collect your phone number or Telegram username.
• Expense data — amounts, currencies, categories, and comments you send to the Bot.
• Google OAuth refresh token — when you connect a Google account, we store an encrypted refresh token to maintain access to Google Sheets on your behalf.
• AI conversation history — messages sent to the Bot's AI assistant within group chats, used to provide contextual responses.

2. How We Use Your Data

• Creating and updating Google Sheets — we use Google Sheets API (spreadsheets scope) to create a spreadsheet and write your expenses into it.
• Creating spreadsheet files — we use Google Drive API (drive.file scope) solely to create new spreadsheet files. We do not access any other files on your Google Drive.
• Expense tracking — we store expenses locally to provide statistics, budgets, and AI-powered analysis.

3. Google API Scopes

The Bot requests the following Google API scopes:

• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets — to read and write expense data in your Google Sheets spreadsheet.
• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file — to create new spreadsheet files. This scope is limited to files created by the Bot and does not grant access to any other files on your Drive.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data or Google user data with any third parties, except as described below. We do not use your data for advertising, retargeting, or interest-based advertising. We do not use your data to determine credit-worthiness or for lending purposes.

Telegram Messenger: The Bot operates on the Telegram platform (Telegram FZ-LLC / Telegram Messenger Inc.). All messages you send to the Bot — including expense entries, commands, and photos — are transmitted through and stored on Telegram's servers in accordance with Telegram's Privacy Policy. We do not control Telegram's data retention or processing.

AI-powered analysis: When you use the Bot's AI assistant (by mentioning the bot or using the /advice command), your expense data, budgets, and conversation history are sent to Anthropic, PBC (the provider of Claude AI) to generate responses. This transfer is strictly necessary to provide the AI analysis feature and only occurs when you explicitly invoke it. No data is sent to Anthropic without your action. See Anthropic's Privacy Policy for details on how they handle data.

5. Data Storage and Security

• All data is stored in a SQLite database on a private server with restricted access.
• Google refresh tokens are encrypted using AES-256-GCM before storage. Plaintext tokens are never logged or stored.
• All communication with Google APIs and the OAuth callback endpoint is encrypted via HTTPS (TLS).
• Server access is restricted to authorized administrators only.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

We retain your data for as long as you actively use the Bot:

• Google OAuth refresh token — stored encrypted until you disconnect or revoke access. Deleted immediately upon disconnection.
• Expense records, categories, and budgets — stored indefinitely to provide statistics and analytics, until you delete them.
• AI conversation history — stored to maintain context in group conversations, deleted on disconnect.
• Bank connection credentials — stored encrypted for as long as the bank connection is active, deleted when you disconnect the bank or the bot.

You can delete all stored data at once by using the /disconnect command in Telegram. This permanently removes all expenses, tokens, budgets, categories, AI history, and bank connections for the group. The Google Sheets spreadsheet itself is not deleted — it remains in your Google Drive.

7. Your Rights

You can exercise the following rights at any time:

• Delete all data — use the /disconnect command in Telegram to permanently delete all group data from our servers.
• Revoke Google access — use /reconnect to re-authorize, or revoke access directly in your Google Account permissions.
• Access your data — all your expense data is available in the Google Sheets spreadsheet and via the /stats command in Telegram.

8. Google API Services User Data Policy

ExpenseSyncBot's use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Specifically:

• Data received from Google APIs (spreadsheet contents synced automatically) may be sent to a third-party AI provider (Anthropic) solely to provide user-facing AI analysis features. This transfer occurs only when you explicitly invoke the AI assistant and is necessary to provide the feature you requested.
• We do not use Google API data for serving advertisements, retargeting, or any purpose unrelated to providing the Bot's functionality.
• We do not allow humans to read Google API data except where necessary to respond to security incidents, comply with law, or with your explicit consent.

9. Children's Privacy

The Bot is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes to how we use Google user data, we will notify users and obtain fresh consent before using data in the new way. The "Last updated" date at the top indicates the most recent revision.

11. Contact

For questions about this privacy policy, to report a bug, or to send feedback, mention @ExpenseSyncBot in your group chat and ask it to send feedback. Your message will be delivered directly to the administrator.