Welcome to Business Khata. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and how we keep it safe. We wrote it in plain English so it is easy to read.

By using our app, you agree to this policy. Please also read our Terms and Conditions.

1. What information we collect

We collect the following details to run the app for you:

Account details: Your name, email address, password (stored in a hidden, secure form), an optional phone number, and an optional profile photo.
Business data: The records you enter, such as your businesses, customers, suppliers, items, sales, purchases, payments, money accounts, income, expenses, transfers, and income or expense categories.
Photos and voice notes: Any images (such as receipts or bills) or voice notes that you attach to your records.
Selected contacts: If you use Import Contact, we only access the contacts you choose to add. We do not upload your whole phonebook.
Device information: Basic details about your phone, such as the model, operating system, and app version, so we can keep your account secure and manage logged-in devices.
Usage and activity: When you last used the app, and similar activity that helps us see which accounts are active and which parts of the app people use.
Location and security signals: Your IP address and general location (such as city or country) to help stop unauthorized logins.
Subscription details: If you buy a paid plan, we process purchase tokens from Google Play so we can unlock the right features.
Referral program: If you use Refer & Earn, we collect your referral code, link activity, earnings, and the payment details you give us for withdrawals (such as account name, wallet number, bank name, or IBAN).
Referral tracking: If someone opens your referral link and enters an email on our website, we store that email for a short time so we can link the invite to the correct account.

2. App permissions we ask for

The app may ask for certain permissions on your phone. You can turn these off in your phone settings, but some features may stop working:

Contacts: So you can pick a customer or supplier from your phonebook. We only store contacts you import or create in the app.
Camera and photos: So you can take or select photos of bills, receipts, and profile pictures, and scan barcodes or text with on-device ML Kit.
Microphone: So you can record voice notes on business entries.
Notifications and alarms: So we can send the payment reminders you set, and keep data synced in the background.
Bluetooth: So you can find and connect to thermal printers for receipts.
Fingerprint or biometric: So you can lock and unlock the app with your phone's App Lock.
Internet and background sync: So we can back up your data to our servers, sync across your devices (using Firebase Cloud Messaging), and check your subscription.

3. How we use your information

We use your information to run Business Khata, keep it secure, and improve it. In particular, we use it to:

Create and manage your account.
Store your business records and show you reports.
Back up and sync your data so you can use the app on more than one phone.
Protect your account from unauthorized logins.
Check your subscription status and unlock the right features.
Run the Refer & Earn program, track invites, calculate earnings, and process withdrawals.
Check app integrity and reduce fraud using Google Play Integrity.
Send the reminders you schedule.
Help you if you contact support, and reach you by phone or WhatsApp if you share a phone number.
Understand how the app is used (for example, which accounts are active and which features people rely on) so we can fix problems and improve the product.

Our team may look at account details, usage, and, when needed, business records stored on our servers. We do this only for our own work: support, security, abuse checks, and product improvement. We do not sell your data. We do not share it with other companies for their advertising or marketing.

4. Do we share your information?

We do not sell your personal information. We share data only when it is needed to run the app, or when the law requires it:

Service providers: We use trusted third-party services to send OTP emails and keep the app running.
Google services: We use Google Play for subscriptions, Google Sign-In for login, and Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for real-time device sync.
On-device machine learning: We use Google ML Kit for barcode scanning and text recognition. This runs on your phone. Images are not uploaded to Google for this.
Security services: We use an IP lookup service to check where a login is coming from, to help stop hackers.
Legal reasons: We may share information if the law requires us to do so.

5. Third-party services we use

The app works with a few trusted external services:

Google Play Billing: To manage paid subscriptions.
Google Play Integrity API: To check that the app is genuine and to help prevent fraud.
Google Sign-In and Firebase: To let you log in and to sync data across devices.
Google ML Kit: For on-device barcode and text scanning. No data is sent to the cloud for this.
Email (SMTP): To send password reset codes (OTPs).
IP geolocation (ip-api.com): To check your general location for login security.

6. Where your data is stored

Your data is stored on your phone so the app can work quickly, including offline. When you are online, it is also backed up to our cloud servers. If you lose your phone, you can sign in on another device and sync your data back.

7. Sharing via WhatsApp or other apps

If you share a receipt or report through WhatsApp or another app, that app handles the information. We do not control WhatsApp's privacy rules.

8. How long we keep your data

If you have a paid subscription, or if you buy a paid plan later, we keep your data for as long as your account exists. If you ask us to delete your account, we remove your data after the 30-day window described in section 11.

If you never buy a paid plan, the rules are different. New accounts usually get a free trial of 30 days, or the length shown in the app. After the trial, you can still log in and buy a plan to keep using your data. We aim to keep that unused account for up to 6 months after the trial ends. After that, we do not promise to keep it. If we need to reduce server load or clean unused accounts, we may delete the account and all of its data. This may or may not happen. If it is deleted, you will need to create a new account.

This unused-account cleanup applies only to accounts that have never purchased a paid subscription. It does not apply to accounts that have bought a plan.

9. How we keep your data safe

We use security measures and encryption to protect your data. No system on the internet is 100% perfect, so please keep your password private and do not share it.

10. Your choices and rights

You control your account:

You can update your profile and business details in the app at any time.
You can turn permissions (such as Camera or Contacts) on or off in your phone settings.
You can delete your account, as explained below.

11. Account deletion

You can delete your Business Khata account from inside the Android app. Open the app, go to Profile, then tap Delete Account. Follow the on-screen steps to schedule deletion.

Your request starts as soon as you confirm in the app.
You are logged out immediately.
You have 30 days to cancel by logging in again.
After 30 days, your account and synced business data are permanently deleted.

Full instructions: Account Deletion. For help, email info@businesskhata.com or use Contact Us.

12. Referral program

If you use Refer & Earn, we use your data to run the program fairly and safely. This includes:

Creating and showing your referral code and link.
Tracking when a new user joins with your invite.
Calculating earnings based on your friend's first paid subscription.
Storing withdrawal details you submit so we can send your payment after review.
Recording basic device and IP details to help prevent abuse or fake referrals.

We do not sell your referral or payment details. If we suspect fraud, we may hold, cancel, or reverse earnings and suspend referral access.

13. Children's privacy

This app is for business owners. It is not for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the Effective Date at the top of the page. If you keep using the app, it means you accept the updated policy.

15. Contact us

If you have questions or need help, contact us:

Email: info@businesskhata.com

You can also use the Contact Us form or the Feedback option inside the app.