Last Updated: August 9, 2026
BorderBudget LLC ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of our digital nomad and slow travel community. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the BorderBudget mobile application ("App").
BorderBudget is intended for users who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we learn that a user under 18 has provided personal information, we will delete it promptly.
Your email address and encrypted password, managed through Firebase Authentication.
Expense logs, budget entries, trip itineraries, visa documents, and travel records you create. These are stored locally on your device (SQLite) and synced to Firebase Cloud Firestore for backup and multi-device access.
Photos you capture or upload for expense receipts, medical cost reports, and border-crossing records, and travel documents (such as flight confirmations, hotel bookings, and visas) you upload in PDF or other file formats. These are stored privately in Firebase Cloud Storage, tied to your account, and are not shared with other users unless you submit them as part of a crowdsourced report described below.
With your permission, the App briefly samples ambient sound level (in decibels) while you rate a workspace's noise level. Only the resulting numeric decibel reading is saved — no audio recording is ever captured, stored, or transmitted.
The App collects foreground location to display your position on maps, calculate Schengen zone entries, and detect city presence for basecamp tracking. A background location service runs only when you activate the Transit Timer — it is explicitly started and stopped by you and does not run continuously in the background. Location data is shared with Google Maps Platform to render maps and power location search, and is not otherwise shared with third parties beyond what's described in this policy.
Work spot ratings, WiFi measurements, noise levels, medical cost entries, transit wait times, and rental listings and reviews you submit. This data — including the procedure type on medical cost entries, which may indirectly reveal health-related information — is displayed to all App users to power community map layers. Where a submission is shown anonymously, we still retain an internal record linking it to your account for moderation and abuse-prevention purposes.
If you post a rental listing, the contact information you provide for inquiries (an email address, phone number, or messaging link) is displayed to other App users browsing that listing, so they can reach out about the property. If you enter someone else's contact information (for example, a landlord's), you are responsible for ensuring you have their permission to share it through the App.
If you pair your account with a partner using the Couples feature, a display name derived from your email address is shared with your paired partner so they can identify you. No other personal or financial data is shared automatically through pairing — additional sharing (such as trip or budget visibility) is a separate, explicit feature.
An emergency phone number you may optionally add in Settings → Travel Insurance, for your own reference during travel.
Anonymized crash reports, device diagnostics, and error logs collected via Firebase Crashlytics to identify and fix technical issues. Aggregated, anonymized usage analytics via Firebase Analytics to understand how features are used. Device and installation identifiers used by Firebase App Check to verify requests come from a legitimate, unmodified copy of the App.
Purchase history and subscription status managed by RevenueCat, Inc. RevenueCat processes subscription transactions on our behalf and receives an account identifier (not your email address) to link purchases to your account.
• Authenticate your account and maintain your session
• Sync travel and financial data across your devices
• Calculate visa entry limits and countdown timers
• Display your location on maps and detect city presence
• Populate community map layers with crowdsourced data, including rental listings and medical cost reports
• Let you contact rental listing owners and pair your account with a travel partner
• Diagnose crashes and improve app stability
• Manage your subscription and verify access to premium features
We use the following third-party services, each governed by its own privacy policy:
Firebase Authentication (Google LLC) — account sign-in and session management
Firebase Cloud Firestore (Google LLC) — cloud data sync and backup
Firebase Cloud Storage (Google LLC) — photo and document storage
Firebase Crashlytics (Google LLC) — crash and error reporting
Firebase Analytics (Google LLC) — anonymized usage analytics
Firebase App Check (Google LLC) — verifying requests come from a legitimate app install
Google Maps Platform (Google LLC) — interactive maps and location search
RevenueCat (RevenueCat, Inc.) — subscription management and purchase validation
Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
RevenueCat Privacy Policy: https://www.revenuecat.com/privacy
Your data is stored on your device and in Firebase Cloud Firestore and Cloud Storage hosted on Google servers in the United States. We retain your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account via Settings → Delete Account & Data, your cloud data is permanently erased within 30 days.
All users: You can permanently delete your account and all associated cloud data at any time via Settings → Delete Account & Data.
EEA and UK users (GDPR): You have the right to access, correct, export, or erase your personal data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. Contact us at developer@borderbudget.com to exercise these rights.
California residents (CCPA): You have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, and opt out of any sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.
We use encrypted local storage and secure HTTPS transmission to protect your data. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by displaying a notice in the App. Continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
For privacy questions or requests, contact us at developer@borderbudget.com.