Benefits for iPhone and Apple Watch
In short: Benefits doesn't collect any personal data. There are no accounts, no analytics, no ads and no tracking, and Benefits has no servers of its own. What you enter stays on your iPhone and Apple Watch, or in your own private iCloud if you turn sync on. We can't see it.
1. Who we are
Benefits is an app for iPhone and Apple Watch that helps you keep track of your spending, cards, budgets and subscriptions. References to "Benefits," "we," "us," or "our" in this Privacy Policy refer to the developer of the Benefits app.
This Privacy Policy describes how information is handled when you use Benefits (the "App"). It should be read together with our Terms of Use.
2. What the App stores and why
Everything you enter into Benefits is stored on your device and, if you turn on iCloud sync, in the private database of your own iCloud account. We do not operate servers that receive or store any of it, and we have no way to read it.
| Data | How it is used | Stored where |
|---|---|---|
| Purchases and income you log (amount, date, merchant, note, category, card) | Monthly totals, budgets, reports and your year in review | On-device + iCloud (if enabled) |
| Cards (name, the name shown in Apple Wallet, colour, type, optional monthly limit, optional card picture) | Spending per card, and matching Apple Pay payments to the right card | On-device + iCloud (if enabled) |
| Categories and budgets | Budget rings and the alerts at 80% and 100% of a budget | On-device + iCloud (if enabled) |
| Subscriptions (name, amount, billing schedule, free-trial status, card, notes) | Renewal reminders, logging renewals on the day, monthly and yearly totals | On-device + iCloud (if enabled) |
| Merchants Benefits has learned | Suggesting a category the next time you pay the same merchant | On-device + iCloud (if enabled) |
| Settings (currency, reminder time, Face ID lock and similar) | Remembering your choices | On-device only |
A short summary — this month's totals, top categories and next renewal — is also kept in an on-device App Group so the Benefits widgets can show it, and is sent to your paired Apple Watch (see section 6). It never leaves your own devices.
We do not collect analytics, advertising identifiers, device fingerprints, location, contacts or any form of behavioural tracking.
3. Card pictures
You can add a card from a screenshot. You choose the picture with the system photo picker, so Benefits only ever sees the one picture you pick and never gets access to your photo library.
On your iPhone, using Apple's Vision framework, Benefits finds the card in the picture, straightens it and paints over the card number, expiry date and security code. Only that cleaned-up image is kept. The original screenshot is not stored, and nothing is uploaded for processing.
4. Apple Pay logging, Shortcuts and Siri
Benefits cannot read your Apple Pay, Apple Wallet or bank history. If you choose to set up the optional Shortcuts automation, iOS passes the amount, merchant name and card name of each payment you tap to Benefits, on your iPhone, and Benefits logs it. You can turn the automation off at any time in the Shortcuts app.
Siri, Shortcuts, widgets and Lock Screen controls pass Benefits only what you give them (for example, the amount you say or type). They are features of iOS and are covered by Apple's privacy policy.
5. iCloud and CloudKit
iCloud sync is off unless you turn it on, during setup or in Settings › iCloud. When it is on, your Benefits data is copied to the private database of your iCloud account using Apple's CloudKit, so it comes back if you delete the app or get a new iPhone. Only your Apple Account can read that database; we cannot. Apple's privacy policy covers how iCloud stores it.
If you sign out of iCloud, or turn iCloud off for Benefits, iOS removes the synced data from that iPhone; it returns when you sign back in with the same Apple Account.
6. Apple Watch
The Watch app receives a small summary from your iPhone — this month's totals, your categories and cards — and sends back the purchases you log on it. Your iPhone and Watch talk to each other directly using Apple's WatchConnectivity; nothing passes through us.
7. Notifications
Renewal reminders, budget alerts and the yearly review notice are scheduled on your iPhone as local notifications. We do not run a push-notification service and never send you marketing messages.
8. Face ID lock
The optional lock uses iOS's own Face ID, Touch ID or passcode check. Benefits only learns whether unlocking succeeded — never anything about your face, fingerprint or passcode.
9. Backups and exports
- By default the Benefits database is left out of iPhone backups (iCloud Backup or a computer). You can include it in Settings › Backup, export & storage.
- Spreadsheet (CSV) and full backup (JSON) exports are created only when you ask, and leave your iPhone only if you save or share them somewhere.
10. Third-party services
Benefits contains no third-party SDKs, analytics or advertising code. The only outside services it relies on are Apple's: iCloud (CloudKit), Shortcuts, Siri and the App Store.
If you have chosen to share analytics with app developers (Settings › Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements), Apple may give us anonymous crash reports and performance data. They do not include your Benefits data, and we use them only to fix problems.
11. Data retention and deletion
Your data is kept for as long as you keep it in the App. Settings › Backup, export & storage › Erase all data removes everything Benefits holds on your iPhone, and in iCloud if sync is on. Deleting the app removes its data from your iPhone. To delete the iCloud copy without the app, go to the Settings app › your name › iCloud › Manage Storage.
12. Children's privacy
Benefits is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children.
13. Your rights
Because we do not collect or process your personal data on our servers, requests to access, export, correct or erase your data are fulfilled directly in the App and your iCloud account: you can see everything, export it, change it or erase it yourself at any time.
If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or California, you may have additional rights under the GDPR, UK GDPR or CCPA. Given that we hold none of your data, those rights are inherently satisfied, but if you have a specific concern please contact us.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, for material changes, mention it in the App Store update notes.
15. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how Benefits handles data, please get in touch:
Have a question or concern? Email us and we'll get back to you within 5 business days.
spbenetos@gmail.com