Budgets connects to your bank so your budget stays current without manual entry. We want you to know exactly how we protect that connection and the data that comes through it.
We never see your bank password
When you connect a bank, you sign in through Plaid, our account connection partner. Many banks have you sign in on their own site, so your password goes only to the bank. For other banks, Plaid handles your login on its own secure systems. In both cases, Budgets never sees your username or password, never stores them, and has no access to them.
Once your bank confirms it’s you, Plaid gives Budgets a secure token. That token lets us read your accounts, balances, and transactions. It can’t be used to log in to your bank.
Learn more about Plaid’s security practices
Bank-grade encryption protects your data
Everything sent between your device and Budgets is encrypted with TLS, the same standard banks use. Once your data reaches our servers, we store it with 256-bit AES encryption, backups included.
In short:
- Data in transit is encrypted with TLS
- Data at rest is encrypted with 256-bit AES
Your bank connection can’t move money
We use your bank connection to read balances and transactions. Budgets never moves money between your accounts. The only payment we ever collect is your Budgets subscription, and only with the payment method you choose.
Extra protection for your Budgets account
- Two-step verification. Turn it on in account settings and we’ll email you a one-time code each time you sign in.
- Hashed passwords. We store your password as a one-way bcrypt hash, so no one at Budgets can read it.
- Sign-in limits. We slow down repeated failed sign-ins to stop password guessing.
- Sign out everywhere. One button in account settings signs you out on every device.
Your card details stay with Stripe
Stripe processes Budgets payments. You enter your card on Stripe’s secure checkout page, so your card number never reaches our servers.
How we treat your personal information
We don’t accept payment of any kind in exchange for your personal information or financial data. Some states, like California, have their own definitions of selling and sharing data that can cover common advertising tools. Our Privacy Policy has the full details, including how to opt out.
Sharing a budget with your partner
Only people you invite can join your household. Everyone in a household sees the same budget, accounts, and transactions. The household owner manages billing and can remove members.
You’re always in control
You decide what happens with your data.
- Unlink accounts anytime. Remove a bank in account settings and Budgets loses access to it right away. Transactions you already imported stay in your budget history.
- Delete your account anytime. When you delete your Budgets account, we disconnect your banks and delete your budget, transactions, and account data. We keep only the payment records the law requires. If you belong to someone else’s household, deleting your account removes only you.
About Plaid
Plaid is a trusted third-party service that securely connects apps like Budgets to your bank. Plaid works with more than 12,000 banks and credit unions and powers bank connections for apps like Venmo and SoFi.
Questions or concerns?
- Something looks wrong: If you see a connection or activity you don’t recognize, email hello@budgets.money right away.
- Security researchers: If you’ve found a potential vulnerability, email hello@budgets.money with steps to reproduce it. We value responsible disclosure.
We’ll never ask you to email us your bank password, your Budgets password, or a verification code.
Frequently asked questions
Does Budgets see or store my bank login?
No. You enter your login in a secure screen from Plaid or your bank. Budgets never sees, stores, or has access to your banking username or password.
How is my data encrypted?
We encrypt data in transit with TLS and data at rest with 256-bit AES.
Where is my data stored?
We store your data on Railway, a cloud platform with SOC 2 Type II certification.
Can Budgets move money out of my accounts?
No. Budgets reads balances and transactions. The only payment we collect is your subscription, through the payment method you choose.
Can I delete my data?
Yes. Unlink a bank anytime to end our access, or delete your account and its data from account settings.
What if I lose a device that’s signed in?
Sign in from another device, open account settings, and choose Sign out everywhere. Then change your password.