Last updated: 2 August 2026
Summary
Payself collects nothing. There is no account to create, no analytics, no advertising, and the app makes no network connections at all. Your income, budget categories, transactions and savings goals are stored only on your device. We — the developer — never see them, because there is nowhere for them to be sent.
Data we collect
None. Payself does not collect, transmit, sell, or share any personal information or usage data. Specifically, the app contains:
- No accounts and no sign‑in.
- No analytics or crash‑reporting SDK of any kind.
- No advertising, ad networks, or advertising identifier (IDFA).
- No bank connection, no Plaid, no transaction import — you enter your own figures.
- No cross‑app or cross‑site tracking, under Apple’s App Tracking Transparency definition or any other.
- No server. Payself has no backend, so there is no database anywhere holding your information.
What stays on your device
Everything you enter is written to your device’s local storage and stays there:
- Your monthly income figure, budget categories and their targets.
- Individual transactions you log — amount, note and date.
- Recurring transaction rules.
- Your emergency‑fund and investment goals and their running totals.
- Your settings: chosen currency, light/dark appearance, and your saved budget template.
This storage is shared between the Payself app and its Home Screen widget so the widget can display your current figures. That sharing happens entirely on your device, in a private container that no other app can read.
System permissions Payself requests
None. Payself asks for no permissions whatsoever — no location, no contacts, no camera, no microphone, no notifications, no photo library.
When data leaves your device — only when you send it
There are two features that can move your data off the device, and both require you to deliberately trigger them:
- CSV export. Settings → Your Data → Export as CSV writes your budget and transactions to files and hands them to the standard iOS share sheet. Where they go next — Files, Mail, AirDrop — is entirely your choice. Payself does not upload them anywhere.
- Share this app. Shares a short text message about Payself. It contains no personal or financial information.
Device backups
If you have iCloud Backup or encrypted local backups switched on in iOS, your Payself data is included in that backup, exactly like every other app’s data. That backup is made and encrypted by Apple under Apple’s privacy policy — it is not something Payself sends or can access. Payself itself has no iCloud sync feature.
Deleting your data
Because nothing is stored off your device, you are always in full control:
- Reset everything in the month controls wipes all months and starts fresh.
- Deleting the app removes all of its data from your device permanently.
There is no account to close and no request to send us, because we hold nothing to delete.
Children
Payself is not directed to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone — it does not collect personal information at all.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes in any material way, the updated version will appear here with a new “Last updated” date.
Contact
Privacy questions: programmingdash@gmail.com.