Privacy policy
Your data, plainly.
Last updated November 5, 2026
The short version. Ambag keeps track of shared bills and your personal budget. It never moves money. We store what you put in so the app works across your devices and with your group. We don't show ads, we don't sell your data, and we don't use analytics or tracking tools.
This policy explains what the Ambag iPhone app and getambag.app collect, why, who can see it, and what you can do about it. It's written with the Philippines Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173) in mind. "Ambag", "we" and "us" mean the people who run Ambag. Questions go to support@getambag.app.
What we collect
Your account
- Sign-in: your email address and a password, or your Apple or Google account. Sign-in runs on Firebase Authentication (Google). We never see your Apple or Google password.
- Profile: your display name, email, profile photo (optional), home currency and whether you want email notifications.
- Payment details you add (optional): GCash, Maya or bank account name, account number, bank, and a QR Ph image. These are only there so friends know where to pay you.
What you log
- Groups: group names, emoji, currency, trip dates, members, and invited people's names and emails.
- Expenses: titles, amounts, categories, dates, who paid, each person's share, items, and payment status with reference numbers.
- Photos you attach: receipt photos and screenshots of payments (proofs).
- Your personal budget: wallets, income, transactions, transfers between your own wallets, utang with people, category budgets, your sahod plan, savings goals, and repeating bills.
What we don't collect
No analytics, no crash-reporting SDKs, no advertising IDs, no location, and no contacts. Ambag doesn't read your GCash, Maya or bank accounts and can't send or receive money.
What Ambag uses on your iPhone
- Camera: only when you scan a receipt. Receipt scanning reads the text on your device with Apple's Vision. The scan isn't sent to us to be read.
- Photos: only the photos you pick (a profile picture, receipt or proof), and saving QR codes and receipts to your library when you ask.
- Face ID / Touch ID: optional app lock. It's handled by iOS; we never get your face or fingerprint data.
- Notifications: reminders for bills, pay-back dates and daily logging are scheduled on your phone. We don't use push notification tokens.
Who can see what
| Data | Who can see it |
|---|---|
| Personal budget: wallets, transactions, budgets, goals, utang, bills | Only you. |
| Group expenses, receipt photos, payment proofs | Members of that group. |
| Your profile and payment details (GCash, Maya, bank, QR) | You, and people who share a group you joined. |
| Your name and photo | Someone who adds you to a group by your exact, confirmed email can see your name and photo to confirm it's you. Profiles can't be listed or searched. |
| A Singilan link (getambag.app/s/…) | Anyone who has the link. See below. |
Singilan links
Any group member can create a Singilan link so friends can see their share without the app. It lasts 7 days, and any member can turn it off sooner. It shows first names, amounts and items. When a visitor picks who they are, it also shows the payment details (name, number and QR) of the people that person owes, so they can pay. Visitors can also upload a payment screenshot through it. Anyone who has the link can see this, so share it only with your group.
Join links (getambag.app/j/…) show only the group's name, emoji and number of members. Utang reminder links (getambag.app/r/…) show the lender's name and the amount.
Emails we send
Ambag sends emails when you're added to a group, when there's a new expense you owe on, when a payment is marked (a receipt to both people), as reminders, as invites, when someone joins by code, and when someone says they've paid you. You can turn these off in Settings.
Some emails go to people who don't have Ambag yet: invites, "your share" emails for people added to a group by email, and utang reminders a lender sends. Every utang reminder has a link to stop further reminders to that address. Emails come from notif@getambag.app and are delivered by Resend, our email provider.
Services we rely on
- Google Firebase (Authentication, Firestore database, Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions and Hosting) stores and serves your data. Google acts as our service provider, and data may be stored on servers outside the Philippines.
- Google Sign-In and Sign in with Apple, if you choose them.
- Apple handles Ambag Pro purchases. We receive a signed record of your subscription from Apple and verify it on our server. We never see your card or payment details.
- open.er-api.com (ExchangeRate-API) provides currency rates. The app asks it for rates only. None of your personal data is sent.
- Resend delivers Ambag's emails. To send one, it receives the recipient's email address and the message: names, amounts and group names. Resend stores this data in the United States and keeps email and delivery logs for about 30 days.
We don't sell, rent or trade your personal data, and we don't share it for advertising.
Why we use it
We use your data to run the features you ask for: syncing your account, splitting bills with your group, showing balances, sending the emails above, checking your Ambag Pro status, preventing abuse (for example, limits on invites and lookups), and answering you when you write to us. Our legal bases under RA 10173 are providing the service you signed up for, your consent where we ask for it, and our legitimate interest in keeping Ambag safe.
How long we keep it
We keep your data while your account is open. Singilan and join links expire on their own. On the Free plan, history older than 3 months is locked in the app but not deleted.
Deleting your account
In Ambag, go to Settings → Delete account. This deletes:
- your login and profile,
- your personal data: transactions, budgets, wallets, goals and inbox,
- your profile photo, payment QR codes and personal payment proofs.
Shared group records stay so the other members' balances still add up: group expenses and shares, receipt photos and payment proofs in groups, and invites. In those groups you'll show as "Former member". Records of emails already sent are also kept. If you'd like something specific removed, write to us.
Your rights
Under the Data Privacy Act you can be informed about how your data is used, access it, correct it, object to processing, ask for it to be deleted or blocked, get a copy in a usable format, and claim damages. You can also file a complaint with the National Privacy Commission (privacy.gov.ph). Most of your data can be viewed and edited in the app. For anything else, email support@getambag.app and we'll reply within 15 days.
Security
Data travels over encrypted connections. Access is limited by database and storage rules so people see only what's described above, and server checks guard invites, joins and subscriptions. No system is perfect. If a breach affects you, we'll tell you and the National Privacy Commission as the law requires.
Children
Ambag isn't meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their data. If you think a child has an account, contact us and we'll delete it.
Changes
If we change this policy, we'll update the date above. If the change is significant, we'll also tell you in the app or by email.