AvaBooks Privacy Policy

Introduction

AvaBooks is an AI-powered financial service that helps users manage and analyze their expenses by processing receipt data through messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. We provide a convenient way for you to send your receipts via these platforms and receive organized financial information in return. At AvaBooks, we take user privacy seriously and understand the importance of protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy outlines how AvaBooks collects, uses, and safeguards your data when you use our services. It also explains your rights regarding your personal information. By using AvaBooks, you agree to the collection and use of your information as described in this Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use the service.

Data Collection

Personal and Contact Information: When you use AvaBooks, we collect certain personal details necessary to provide our services. This includes your phone number (when you use our WhatsApp integration) and your Telegram username or account ID (when you use our Telegram integration). We use this contact information to communicate with you, verify your identity on these platforms, and deliver our service (such as sending you processed receipt information).

Receipt Data: The core of our service is processing the receipts you provide. When you send us a receipt (for example, by taking a photo or forwarding an electronic receipt through WhatsApp or Telegram), we collect the content of that receipt. This may include all details printed on the receipt, such as: merchant or store name, items or services purchased, prices, dates and times of the transaction, taxes, total amounts, and any other information visible on the receipt. If the receipt contains personal data (for example, your name, loyalty card number, or the last four digits of a payment card), this information is also collected as part of the receipt data.

Financial Data and Derived Information: From the receipts you submit, AvaBooks may derive additional financial information to help you analyze your expenses. For instance, our system might extract or calculate totals, categorize your spending (e.g., groceries, utilities), or compile summaries over a period of time. This derived data is based on your receipts and is treated with the same level of privacy protection as the raw receipt data. We do not collect any direct financial account information (such as bank account numbers or credit card numbers) beyond what may incidentally appear on receipts you provide.

Why We Collect This Data: AvaBooks collects only the information that is necessary to operate our service and fulfill your requests. We require your contact details (phone number or Telegram ID) to associate receipts with your account and to send you responses. We need your receipt and financial details to perform the core function of our service – analyzing the receipts and providing you with expense tracking and insights. Without this data, we cannot deliver accurate or personalized results. We do not collect any personal information that is not relevant to providing or improving the AvaBooks service. Any information you provide is used solely for the purposes described in this Policy, such as processing your receipts, communicating with you about your data, and enhancing our features.

Data Sharing and Third Parties

AvaBooks does not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. However, in order to provide our services, we share certain data with trusted third-party service providers under strict conditions:

OpenAI (Receipt Processing): AvaBooks utilizes OpenAI's artificial intelligence services to process and interpret the receipts you submit. This means that the content of your receipts (and any associated data needed for analysis) is securely transmitted to OpenAI’s API for processing. OpenAI acts as a data processor on our behalf, helping us extract text and relevant information from your receipts. We only share the minimum data necessary (e.g., the receipt text or image content) for this purpose. OpenAI’s use of your data is governed by their own privacy policy and terms of service, which we encourage you to review on OpenAI’s website. AvaBooks has an agreement with OpenAI to ensure that your data is handled confidentially and is not used for any purpose other than providing services to AvaBooks. However, we do not control OpenAI’s systems and therefore cannot guarantee how they handle data beyond our contract; any information processed by OpenAI is subject to OpenAI’s privacy practices and policies, not this Privacy Policy.
WhatsApp and Telegram (Communication Platforms): If you choose to use AvaBooks via WhatsApp or Telegram, your communications (including your messages and receipt data) will be transmitted through those platforms. This means that your use of AvaBooks is also subject to the terms and privacy policies of WhatsApp (owned by Meta/Facebook) and/or Telegram. For example, when you send a receipt image via WhatsApp, it is handled by WhatsApp’s network before it reaches AvaBooks. These third-party messaging services may collect data about your communications (such as phone numbers, message timestamps, and possibly the content of messages as needed for delivery) in accordance with their own policies. AvaBooks is not responsible for the data practices of WhatsApp or Telegram.

We recommend you review WhatsApp’s and Telegram’s privacy policies to understand how they treat your data. Please note that when using these platforms, your messages are typically end-to-end encrypted; however, WhatsApp and Telegram may still process metadata or store messages temporarily on their servers as part of their normal function. AvaBooks does not control and is not liable for how those services transmit or store your messages.
Other Service Providers: Besides OpenAI and messaging platforms, AvaBooks may use additional third-party service providers for ancillary services such as cloud hosting (for storing data and running our application), database management, or error monitoring. Any such providers will only have access to your data to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are contractually obligated to protect it and use it only for the instructed purposes. We do not share your personal data with any third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.
Legal Compliance and Protection: AvaBooks may disclose your personal information to third parties if we believe that such action is necessary to: (a) comply with the law or legal process (such as a court order, subpoena, or regulatory request); (b) enforce our Terms of Service or other agreements; (c) protect the rights, property, or safety of AvaBooks, our users, or the public. In such cases, we will only share the data that is reasonably required for the purpose (for example, providing information to law enforcement if required by law).

Third-Party Privacy Policies: Except as described above, this Privacy Policy does not apply to services or websites provided by third parties that you might interact with through AvaBooks. AvaBooks is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party services like WhatsApp, Telegram, or OpenAI.

When you leave our service or transmit data through another platform, your information is governed by that third party’s privacy policy. We encourage you to exercise caution and read the privacy statements of each third-party service you use in connection with AvaBooks. Your interactions with these third parties are outside of AvaBooks’s control, and you use them at your own risk.

Data Encryption and Security

We understand that the security of your personal information is paramount. AvaBooks implements industry-standard security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, disclosure, or alteration. Some of the key security practices we employ include:

Encryption in Transit: All communications between your device and AvaBooks (and between AvaBooks and our third-party processors like OpenAI) are encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS) or equivalent protocols. In the context of WhatsApp and Telegram, those platforms apply end-to-end encryption to your messages by default. This means that as your data travels over the internet, it is shielded from eavesdroppers.
Encryption at Rest: Personal data and receipt information stored on AvaBooks servers are encrypted at rest. We utilize strong encryption algorithms to store data in our databases and backups, adding an additional layer of protection in case of any unauthorized access to our storage. This ensures that even if our databases were compromised, the data would not be easily readable without the proper decryption keys.
Access Controls: We limit access to personal data to authorized personnel and service providers who need that information to operate, develop, or improve our service. Those who have access are bound by strict confidentiality obligations. AvaBooks employs authentication measures and access logs to prevent unauthorized access to systems where personal data is stored.
Security Practices: Our team regularly reviews our information collection, storage, and processing practices, including physical security measures, to guard against unauthorized access to systems. We also keep our software and infrastructure updated with the latest security patches. Additionally, we may conduct periodic security audits and penetration testing to identify and fix vulnerabilities.

While we strive to protect your information with these measures, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

AvaBooks cannot guarantee absolute security of your data. For example, the security of data transmitted via WhatsApp or Telegram also depends on those platforms’ security measures. You acknowledge that there is always some risk in transmitting data online. In the unlikely event of a data breach or security incident that compromises your personal data, we will notify you and the appropriate authorities as required by applicable law. By using AvaBooks, you accept the inherent security risks of providing information online and will not hold us responsible for any security breach or compromise beyond our control.

User Rights

We want you to have control over your personal information. Depending on your location and applicable data protection laws, you may have certain rights regarding the data we hold about you. AvaBooks is committed to honoring these rights and provides all users with the ability to inquire, update, or remove their information to the fullest extent practicable. These rights include:

Right to Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we have collected about you. This includes information like your contact details on file, the receipts you have submitted, and any derived financial data associated with your account. We will provide this data in a common electronic format (such as email or a downloadable file) so that you can review it.
Right to Rectification (Correction): If any of the personal information we hold about you is inaccurate or outdated (for example, if you change your phone number or if a receipt was processed incorrectly in a way that links to your personal info), you have the right to request that we correct or update it. You can also update certain information by contacting us or through any account settings we provide.
Right to Deletion: You may request that we delete personal information we have collected from you. For example, you can ask us to remove your account and associated data (including stored receipts and financial summaries). Upon receiving and verifying a deletion request, we will delete your personal data from our active databases, except for information we are required or permitted to retain by law or for legitimate business purposes. Please note that deletion of certain data (like receipts) might prevent us from providing the service to you thereafter. We will inform you if any data cannot be completely deleted (for instance, if it’s stored in backups that will be erased in the next scheduled purge).
Right to Withdraw Consent: In cases where we rely on your consent to process data (for example, if at any point we ask for your consent to receive a newsletter or to use your data in a new way), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing we already conducted but will stop the future processing of your data for that purpose.
Right to Object or Restrict Processing: You may have the right to object to certain processing activities or request that we limit the processing of your data. For example, if you disagree with an analysis or if you don’t want your data to be used for improving our AI models (if such usage were in place), you can object. We will review objections and honor them if required by applicable law.
Additional Rights for Certain Jurisdictions:

GDPR (EU/EEA residents): If you are located in the European Union or a jurisdiction with similar laws, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These include the right to data portability (to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format that you can transfer to another service) and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country. AvaBooks’s legal basis for processing your data is typically the necessity to perform our contract with you (providing the service you requested) and our legitimate interest in improving our services. Where we rely on consent, you will be explicitly asked. We will assist you in exercising your GDPR rights and ensure compliance with relevant obligations.
CCPA (California residents): If you are a resident of California, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) (as amended by CPRA). These include the right to know what categories of personal information we collect and for what purposes, the categories of sources of that information, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it. You also have the right to request specifically that we disclose to you the pieces of personal information we have collected about you, and the right to request deletion of your personal information. AvaBooks does not sell your personal information to third parties (as “sell” is defined under the CCPA), and we will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights (meaning we won’t deny you services or charge you different prices just because you exercised your rights). If applicable, you may also have the right to opt-out of any “sharing” of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, but AvaBooks currently does not engage in such practices.

How to Exercise Your Rights: To exercise any of your data rights, please contact us using the contact information provided in the “Contact Information” section below. Provide sufficient information for us to verify your identity (we may ask you to confirm your phone number or provide proof of identity if necessary, to protect your data from unauthorized access). Specify the right you wish to exercise and the scope of the request (e.g., what information you want to access or delete). We will respond to your request as required by law – generally within 30 days for GDPR requests or 45 days for CCPA requests (with the possibility of a lawful extension, of which we would inform you). There is no fee for making a request, but if a request is excessive or unfounded, we reserve the right to decline or charge a reasonable fee as permitted by law (we will explain the reasoning in such cases). If you have an account interface with AvaBooks, we may also provide self-service tools for you to review and update certain information directly.

Legal Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

No Liability for Third-Party Breaches: While AvaBooks is committed to protecting your data, there are factors that may be outside of our control. We disclaim liability for any unauthorized access to your information that occurs through breaches or failures of our third-party providers. This includes, for example, unauthorized access or data breaches that may occur on platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram, or security incidents on OpenAI’s side that affect the data you shared for processing. We trust these providers to secure data, but we cannot accept responsibility for their security measures or any breach that occurs in their systems. In the event of such an incident, we will support you in understanding what happened and report it as required, but AvaBooks (and its owners and operators) will not be held liable for the consequences of third-party breaches.

Accuracy of Processing: AvaBooks uses advanced technology (including AI) to process receipts and provide financial information. However, we do not guarantee that the receipt processing or any financial analysis provided by the service will be error-free or 100% accurate. The information and analysis you receive from AvaBooks are for your convenience and general informational purposes. AvaBooks is not responsible or liable for any mistakes, omissions, or misinterpretations of data that might occur when processing your receipts. For example, if an item on a receipt is read incorrectly by our system or categorized wrongly, AvaBooks will correct the error upon notice, but shall not be liable for any consequences arising from that initial error. Users should not rely solely on AvaBooks for financial, tax, or legal advice. Always double-check important financial information against the original receipts or other records. If you notice any discrepancy or error, please contact us so we can investigate and rectify it.

Use at Your Own Risk & No Warranties: Your use of the AvaBooks service is voluntary and at your own risk. AvaBooks is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, AvaBooks disclaims all warranties, express or implied, regarding the service and its outputs. This includes any warranties of accuracy, reliability, non-infringement, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose. We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted, secure, or free of errors or that any defects will be corrected. By using our service, you acknowledge and accept that no software or AI is perfect and that occasional errors or downtime may occur.

Limitation of Liability: In no event shall AvaBooks or its affiliates, officers, employees, or agents be liable to you for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages (including for lost profits, data loss, or business interruption) arising out of or related to your use of, or inability to use, AvaBooks or any content or services provided through it. AvaBooks’s total cumulative liability for any claims arising in connection with the service or this Privacy Policy will not exceed the amount (if any) you paid us to use the service in the 12 months preceding the incident giving rise to liability. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain liabilities, so some of these limitations may not apply to you. However, in such jurisdictions, AvaBooks’s liability will be limited to the greatest extent permitted by law. This Legal Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability section is intended to protect AvaBooks to the maximum extent legally allowed, and it applies to the extent permitted by applicable law.

By using the AvaBooks service, you agree that AvaBooks has set out these terms and limits of responsibility, and that you understand and accept them as part of this Privacy Policy (and our broader terms of service). If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the service or this Policy, your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue use of AvaBooks.

Changes to Privacy Policy

AvaBooks may update or modify this Privacy Policy from time to time. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and this Policy at any time, especially as our service evolves or as laws and regulations require. When we make changes, we will post the updated Privacy Policy with a new effective date at the top. If we make any material changes to how we collect, use, or share your personal information, we will take appropriate steps to notify you in a manner that is conspicuous and appropriate. This may include, for example, sending a notice to the email associated with your account (if we have it), placing a prominent notice on our website or within the AvaBooks service interface, or sending a message via WhatsApp/Telegram. We may also summarize the key changes for clarity.

Your continued use of AvaBooks after any changes to this Privacy Policy have been posted will signify your acceptance of those changes. However, if the changes require your consent (for example, if we plan to use your data for a new purpose that requires consent), we will obtain your consent accordingly. We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. The “Last Updated” date at the top of this Policy indicates when it was last revised.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us. We are here to help and will respond to inquiries as soon as reasonably possible.

Email: privacy@avabooks.org (for general privacy inquiries or to exercise your rights)
Support: support@avabooks.org (for general support and service-related questions, which will route to the appropriate team for privacy matters if needed)
Mailing Address: AvaBooks Privacy Team, [Insert Mailing Address, e.g., Company Name, Street, City, State/Province, ZIP, Country] (if you prefer to send a written request)

If you are contacting us to exercise a data subject right (such as requesting access or deletion), please include your contact information and a detailed description of your request. We may need to verify your identity for security purposes before acting on the request.

We value your trust in AvaBooks. Protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information secure is a top priority for us. Thank you for reading our Privacy Policy, and please reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification on any point. Your use of AvaBooks signifies your understanding of and agreement with this Policy.