Data Retention Policy

Last Updated: December 2025

Our Commitment

Ping is committed to retaining only the data necessary to provide the service and deleting data when it is no longer needed.

We keep only what we need, and only for as long as necessary.

1. What Data Is Stored

We store the following categories of data:

1.1 User Account Information

  • Phone number (encrypted)
  • Account preferences and settings
  • Bank connection status
  • Account creation date

1.2 Transaction Metadata

  • Transaction amounts
  • Merchant names
  • Transaction dates
  • Transaction categories
  • Account identifiers (encrypted)

1.3 Message Logs

  • Outbound messages (messages sent to you)
  • Inbound messages (your replies)
  • Message timestamps
  • Message delivery status

1.4 System Logs

  • Error logs (for system reliability)
  • API request logs (anonymized)
  • Performance metrics (no personal data)

2. Retention Duration

2.1 Transaction Metadata

Retention Period: 30-90 days

  • Recent transactions are retained for message generation and context
  • Older transactions are automatically deleted
  • You can request immediate deletion of all transaction data

Why: We need recent transaction data to provide relevant messages and respond to your questions. We do not need long-term transaction history for the MVP.

2.2 Message Logs

Retention Period: 30 days

  • Message history is retained for 30 days to maintain conversation context
  • After 30 days, messages are automatically deleted
  • You can request immediate deletion of message history

Why: Recent message history helps us provide context-aware responses. We do not need long-term message archives.

2.3 Account Information

Retention Period: Until account deletion

  • Account information is retained while your account is active
  • Deleted immediately upon account termination
  • You can delete your account at any time

Why: Account information is necessary to provide the service. It is deleted when you no longer use the service.

2.4 System Logs

Retention Period: 7-30 days (anonymized)

  • Error logs: 30 days (for debugging)
  • API logs: 7 days (anonymized, no personal data)
  • Performance metrics: 30 days (aggregated, no personal data)

Why: System logs help us maintain service reliability. They are anonymized and do not contain personal information.

3. Deletion Triggers

Data is deleted in the following circumstances:

3.1 User Requests

  • Immediate Deletion: You can request deletion of specific data categories
  • Account Deletion: Deleting your account triggers deletion of all associated data
  • Data Export: You can request a copy of your data before deletion

3.2 Account Termination

  • User-Initiated: When you close your account, all data is deleted
  • Service-Initiated: If we terminate your account, data is deleted in accordance with this policy

3.3 Automatic Deletion

  • Transaction Data: Automatically deleted after 30-90 days (based on category)
  • Message Logs: Automatically deleted after 30 days
  • System Logs: Automatically deleted after retention period

3.4 Inactivity Period

  • Inactive Accounts: Accounts inactive for 12 months may be automatically deleted
  • Notification: We will notify you before deleting inactive accounts

3.5 Legal Requirements

  • Legal Holds: Data may be retained longer if required by law or legal process
  • Compliance: We may retain data as required by financial regulations

4. Deletion Method

4.1 Permanent Deletion

When data is deleted:

  • Database Records: Permanently removed from our databases
  • Backups: Deleted from backup systems within 30 days
  • Third-Party Processors: We instruct third parties to delete data where applicable

4.2 Secure Deletion

  • Data is securely deleted using industry-standard methods
  • Deleted data cannot be recovered
  • We cannot restore deleted data

4.3 Third-Party Deletion

When you disconnect services:

  • Bank Connections: Transaction data collection stops immediately
  • SMS Providers: Message history is deleted per their policies
  • AI Providers: No personal data is retained by AI providers (data is processed, not stored)

5. Data Export

Before deletion, you can request:

  • Export Your Data: Receive a copy of your data in a machine-readable format
  • Transaction History: Export your transaction data
  • Message History: Export your message history

How to Request:

  • Use the "Export Data" option in Settings (if available)
  • Contact support: ping.finance.app@gmail.com
  • Allow 7-10 business days for processing

6. Exceptions

6.1 Legal Requirements

We may retain data longer if:

  • Required by law or legal process
  • Subject to a legal hold or investigation
  • Required for compliance with financial regulations

6.2 Anonymized Data

  • Aggregated, anonymized data may be retained indefinitely
  • This data cannot be linked to individual users
  • Used only for service improvement and analytics

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Request Deletion: Delete specific data or your entire account
  • Request Export: Get a copy of your data before deletion
  • Verify Deletion: Confirm that your data has been deleted
  • Set Preferences: Adjust data retention preferences (where available)

8. Changes to Retention Policy

We may update this Data Retention Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

  • Posting the updated policy in the app
  • Sending a notification (if significant changes)
  • Updating the "Last Updated" date

9. Contact Us

If you have questions about data retention or want to request deletion, please contact us:

By using Ping, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Data Retention Policy.