A clear account of what we keep, and why.
Stow is where groups organize the practical details of shared life. This policy explains the small amount of information we need to make that work, how we protect it, and the choices that stay with you.
- Effective date
- August 20, 2026
- Read time
- About 6 minutes
The short version
Private by default. Clear by design.
We do not sell your personal or financial information. We use it to sync groups, calculate shared expenses, protect accounts, and keep Stow reliable.
No ad business
No selling, renting, or behavioral advertising.
Group-scoped
Shared details stay with the people in that group.
Your call
Access, export, correct, or delete your data.
01
Information we collect
We collect only the essential information needed to synchronize group balances, manage trips, and coordinate settlements.
- Account information
- Name, username, email address, and an optional avatar image.
- Group & expense data
- Group names, member lists, descriptions, amounts, splits, currencies, and settlement logs.
- Receipts & proofs
- Receipt images, payment proof photos, and travel documents you choose to upload.
- Optional bank information
- Bank and account details you choose to share with group members, stored with masked privacy protections.
- Technical logs
- IP address, device operating system, browser user agent, and session identifiers collected for account security and fraud prevention.
02
How we use your information
Your information is used strictly to power core Stow features.
- 01 Calculate real-time net balances, debt simplification, and group expense splits.
- 02 Deliver transaction notifications, payment reminders, and invitation updates.
- 03 Maintain persistent itinerary timelines and shared trip documentation.
- 04 Authenticate accounts and protect against unauthorized access or abuse.
- 05 Diagnose technical issues and maintain system performance.
03
Group privacy & information sharing
Group finance is personal. We enforce strict boundary controls on who can view group information.
- Group members Confirmed members can view group expenses, balances, uploaded receipts, and itinerary schedules.
- Public & guest links A group admin can create a shared web link with password protection and automated expiration.
- Service providers Trusted infrastructure providers support secure hosting, database management, and transactional email under data protection terms.
- No third-party sharing We do not disclose personal financial data to advertisers, data brokers, or commercial third parties.
04
Data storage & security
We implement administrative and technical safeguards to keep your data secure.
- All data transmissions are encrypted using HTTPS / TLS encryption.
- Uploaded receipts and attachments are stored in private, access-controlled object storage.
- Authentication credentials and session tokens are securely hashed and stored.
- Routine automated backups and security monitoring help prevent data loss and unauthorized modifications.
05
Data retention & your rights
You maintain ownership of your data and have several rights regarding your information.
- Access & export
- Review and export your group activity and financial breakdowns at any time.
- Correction
- Edit your profile information or rectify incorrect expense records directly in the app.
- Account deletion
- Request complete account deletion from Settings. Your credentials, profile, memberships, and personal content are permanently removed. Shared financial records may remain in a de-identified form so group balances and audit history continue to make sense. Accounts that still own groups must delete those groups before deletion can proceed.
07
Changes to this privacy policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect improvements to our platform or legal requirements. When changes occur, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
08
Contact us
Questions, feedback, or a data privacy request? We are happy to hear from you.
Stow Support
Privacy questions go straight to our team.