1. Introduction
Pezana Group Inc. ("Pezana", "we", "us", or "our") operates the Pezana personal finance mobile application (the "App"). We are committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with applicable Ethiopian law, including the Personal Data Protection Proclamation, the Electronic Transactions Proclamation No. 1148/2019, and the Computer Crime Proclamation No. 958/2016.
By downloading or using the Pezana App, you agree to the practices described in this Policy.
2. Data Controller
Pezana Group Inc.
Website: pezana.app · Email: info@pezana.co
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Information You Provide Directly
- Full name and profile information
- Email address (for account creation and authentication)
- Financial data: income records, expense transactions, budget targets, and spending categories
- Preferred language (English or Amharic)
- Receipt photos (optional, uploaded when scanning transactions)
- Profile photo (optional)
3.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Device identifiers and device type
- App usage data and in-app behaviour
- Crash reports and error logs
- Push notification preferences
- Analytics data via Google Firebase Analytics
3.3 Information We Do Not Collect
We do not collect bank account numbers, credit card numbers, PINs, mobile wallet credentials, or any banking authentication information. All financial data is either manually entered by you or, if you choose to enable it, extracted on-device from SMS messages as described in Section 3.4 — in both cases for personal tracking only.
3.4 SMS Messages (Optional)
To help users track spending automatically, Pezana can read SMS messages from a hardcoded allowlist of Ethiopian financial senders: Telebirr, CBE Birr, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Awash Bank, Dashen Bank, Bank of Abyssinia, Nib International Bank, Zemen Bank, Bunna Bank, Lion Bank, Coop Bank of Oromia, Wegagen Bank, United Bank, Berhan Bank, Abay Bank, Oromia International Bank, Enat Bank, and Addis International Bank.
Messages from all other senders are ignored on-device.
When SMS access is granted:
- SMS text is parsed on-device only
- Only structured transaction data (amount, direction, timestamp, sender name) is saved
- Raw SMS text is never transmitted to our servers or stored beyond parsing
- Users can revoke SMS permission at any time via device Settings without losing account access
SMS access is entirely optional. Users who decline can manually enter or paste transaction details.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
- Contractual necessity — to provide the App and its features
- Legitimate interests — to improve services, detect fraud, and ensure security
- Consent — for push notifications and analytics
- Legal obligation — where required by Ethiopian law
5. How We Use Your Information
- Create and manage your Pezana account
- Provide transaction tracking, budget management, and spending analytics
- Parse SMS messages from allowlisted financial senders on-device to record transactions automatically (only with your consent — see Section 3.4)
- Send budget alert notifications (with your consent)
- Analyse App usage to improve features
- Detect and prevent fraud and unauthorised access
- Respond to customer support requests
- Comply with applicable Ethiopian laws
6. Data Storage and Security
Your data is stored securely using Google Firebase. Security measures include:
- Encrypted data transmission via HTTPS/TLS
- Firebase Authentication for secure login via email/password and Google Sign-In
- Firestore Security Rules restricting access to authenticated users only
- Role-based access controls within our organisation
7. Data Sharing
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We share data only with:
- Service providers: Google Firebase (storage, authentication, analytics, notifications)
- Legal authorities: where required by Ethiopian law or court order
- Business transfers: in the event of a merger or acquisition
- With your explicit prior consent in all other cases
8. Your Rights
- Right of access — request a copy of your personal data
- Right to rectification — request correction of inaccurate data
- Right to erasure — request deletion of your account and data
- Right to restriction — limit how we process your data
- Right to data portability — receive your data in a readable format
- Right to withdraw consent — at any time for consent-based processing
Contact us at info@pezana.co to exercise these rights. We respond within 30 days.
9. Data Retention
We retain your data while your account is active. When you delete your account in the app, all your personal data is permanently removed within a few seconds — Firestore records, uploaded photos, device tokens, and Firebase Authentication credentials are all deleted immediately. Deletion requests made by email are completed within 5 business days. Only anonymised, aggregated analytics data that cannot identify you individually may remain, and we retain specific records beyond deletion only where Ethiopian law requires it. See how to delete your account.
10. Children's Privacy
The App is intended for users aged 15 and above. Users between the ages of 15 and 18 must have parental or legal guardian consent to use the App. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under the age of 15. If you believe we have collected data from a person under 15, contact us at info@pezana.co immediately and we will take steps to delete such information.
11. Push Notifications
With your consent, we send budget alerts and reminders. You can disable notifications at any time via your device settings without affecting core App functionality.
12. Third-Party Services
- Google Firebase — storage, authentication, analytics, and notifications. See Google's Privacy Policy
- Google Play Store & Apple App Store — app distribution
13. International Data Transfers
Your data may be stored on servers outside Ethiopia (including Google LLC servers). All transfers comply with applicable Ethiopian law under appropriate safeguards.
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy periodically. Material changes will be communicated via our website and in-app notification at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of the App after the effective date constitutes acceptance.
15. Contact Us
Pezana Group Inc.
Email: info@pezana.co · Website: pezana.app
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant Ethiopian data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated.
