Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 17, 2026

1. Overview

Collateral Dev LLC ("we," "us," or "our") operates the Collateral application ("the App").

We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how data is handled.

Collateral is designed as a local-first application. Your financial data is stored on your device and is never transmitted to our servers. An optional iCloud backup feature lets you export a snapshot of your data to your own iCloud Drive — this is stored under your Apple ID and governed by Apple’s privacy policy, not ours.

2. Information We Collect

a. Information You Provide

We may collect:

Name
Email address

This information is used for licensing, trial access, and purchases.

b. Financial Data (Stored on Your Device)

The App allows you to enter financial information, including:

Transactions
Account balances
Categories and notes

This data is stored on your device in a SQLite database file within the App's data directory. It is never transmitted to our servers. If you opt in to iCloud backup, the App exports a snapshot of your data to your iCloud Drive — the SQLite database file itself remains on your device. That backup is stored under your Apple ID and governed by Apple’s privacy policy.

c. License & Validation Data

To enable and validate your license, we may store:

Name
Email
License status or identifier

This information is stored on our servers and used only for license validation.

d. Automatic Update Data

The App periodically checks for updates using Electron's built-in update mechanism. This process sends at minimum your current app version, and may also include technical details such as your operating system version, to our update servers. No financial data is ever included in these requests.

Note: The App is built on Electron, which uses the Chromium engine. By default, Electron does not automatically send crash reports to any central server. However, this behavior is subject to change by the Electron or Chromium projects, and we will update this policy if that occurs.

3. How We Use Information

We use collected information to:

Issue and validate licenses and trial access
Process purchases
Provide access to the App
Maintain and improve the App
Respond to support requests

We do not use your data for advertising.

4. Payment Processing

We use Stripe to process payments.

Payment details are handled directly by Stripe
We do not store credit card information
We may retain your name and email associated with transactions

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell or rent your personal data.

We only share limited information:

With service providers (such as Stripe) as necessary to process payments and validate licenses
When required by law

6. Data Storage & Security

Your financial data is stored on your device in a SQLite database file. It is never transmitted over a network to our servers. If you enable iCloud backup, the App exports a data snapshot to your iCloud Drive under your Apple ID — the SQLite database file itself stays on your Mac. The security of your data is protected by your device's access controls, file system permissions, and (if applicable) Apple's iCloud security practices.

License-related data stored on our servers is protected using encryption in transit and access controls appropriate to the sensitivity of the data.

No method of data storage or transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain license-related data (name, email, license information) only as long as necessary to:

Provide access to the App
Comply with legal obligations

If you request deletion, we will remove your data within 30 days, unless retention is required by law.

8. Cookies & Website Usage

The Collateral App does not use cookies
Our website (https://collateral.app) may use limited cookies for basic functionality or analytics

9. Backups & User Responsibility

Your financial data is stored on your device and is your responsibility to protect:

You are responsible for maintaining backups of your data
We recommend using the built-in iCloud backup feature to protect against data loss — backups are exported to your iCloud Drive under your Apple ID
We are not responsible for loss of data stored on your device or in iCloud

10. Your Rights

You may request to:

Access your personal data
Correct inaccurate data
Delete your personal data

To make a request, please use the contact form at collateral.app/#contact. We will respond to deletion requests within 30 days.

11. Children's Privacy

The App is not intended for individuals under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

12. Future Features & Third-Party Integrations

We may introduce optional features that integrate with third-party financial service providers (e.g., account aggregation services).

You will be clearly notified before enabling them
Additional data sharing will only occur with your consent
This Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly

We also plan to introduce an optional iCloud backup feature. This will allow the App to export a snapshot of your financial data to your iCloud Drive under your Apple ID. No financial data will pass through our servers. Enabling this feature will be opt-in and clearly disclosed in the App.

13. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising under this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Minnesota.

Note: If you are located in the European Union or California, additional privacy rights may apply to you under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

The "Last Updated" date will reflect changes
Significant changes will be communicated more prominently

15. Contact

For questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please use the contact form at:

collateral.app/#contact

16. Plain-English Summary

Collateral is built to respect your privacy:

Your financial data stays on your device and is never sent to our servers — if you use iCloud backup, a data snapshot is exported to your own iCloud Drive under your Apple ID
We only store minimal information needed for licensing (your name and email)
We do not sell your data
We do not track your financial activity
You can request deletion of your data and we will fulfill it within 30 days