Privacy policy
Monize helps you track your money, so it handles sensitive information. We collect only what we need to run the service, we never sell your information, we never ask for your banking passwords, and you can delete everything at any time.
1. Who we are
Monize is provided by Monize (Pty) Ltd ("Monize", "we", "us"). We are the responsible party for your personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).
- Company
- Monize (Pty) Ltd, a private company registered in South Africa
- Registration number
- 2021/347449/07
- Registered address
- 173 Oxford Road, Rosebank, South Africa
- Directors
- D Sure
- Phone
- 011 476 6560
- Website
- portal.monize.co.za
- Information Officer
- D Sure, compliance@monize.co.za
Our Information Officer is responsible for compliance with POPIA and for handling privacy requests. Contact them at compliance@monize.co.za.
2. What this policy covers
This policy applies to the Monize web app at portal.monize.co.za, the Monize mobile apps, and any emails and support we provide. It explains what personal information we process, why, who we share it with, and your rights.
3. What we collect
Information you give us or that comes from signing in
- Account details: your name, email address and profile photo from Google or Apple when you sign in, or your email address if you sign in with an email link.
- Profile and preferences: your country, main currency, what you want help with, theme and similar settings.
- Financial information you add: account names and types, the bank or provider, the last four digits of account numbers, balances, transactions and their descriptions, categories, budgets, goals, recurring payments, investment holdings and exchange rates.
- Statements you import: the contents of the files you choose (CSV, Excel, OFX, PDF or images), which we read to create your accounts and transactions. We never store full account or card numbers.
Information created when you use Monize
- Usage information: which screens and features you use, when you were last active, and how many statements you import and assistant messages you send, used to run the service, apply plan limits and improve Monize. Detailed usage analytics are collected only if you allow them (see section 12).
- Plan and billing information: your plan, subscription status, payment dates and amounts, and any voucher or discount code you use. Card details are handled entirely by Paystack; we never see or store them.
- Technical information: device and browser type, and your IP address, which our hosting and security providers process to deliver the service and protect it from abuse.
- Messages to us: anything you send us when you contact support or our Information Officer.
We do not collect your banking usernames, passwords or PINs, and we do not connect to your bank.
4. How we use your information
| Purpose | Information used | Lawful basis under POPIA |
|---|---|---|
| Provide Monize: store your accounts, show budgets, reports, forecasts, goals and net worth, and sync across your devices | Account, profile, financial and statement information | Needed to perform our agreement with you |
| Read statements and suggest categories with Claude, and run the Monize Assistant | Statement contents, transaction descriptions and amounts, and a summary of your numbers | Needed to perform our agreement, at your request |
| Sign you in and keep your account secure | Account and technical information | Agreement and our legitimate interest in security |
| Process subscriptions, vouchers and discounts | Plan, billing and code information | Agreement, and legal obligations for financial records |
| Apply plan limits and prevent abuse | Usage counts and technical information | Agreement and legitimate interest |
| Improve Monize using usage analytics | Feature and screen usage | Your consent, which you can withdraw in Settings |
| Understand overall trends, such as the average share of spending on groceries | De-identified information combined from at least five people | Legitimate interest; no individual can be identified |
| Send service emails, such as sign-in links and billing notices | Email address | Agreement |
| Meet legal, tax and regulatory requirements and handle disputes | As needed | Legal obligation and legitimate interest |
We do not use your information for advertising, we do not sell or rent it, and we will not send you marketing messages unless you have agreed to receive them.
Our team can see the account-level information needed to run Monize: your email, plan, sign-up date, last activity, which features you use and how many accounts and transactions you have. We do not view your balances or individual transactions, except where you ask us to help with a support request or the law requires it.
5. Information we receive from Google (Google user data)
If you choose Continue with Google, Monize uses Google Sign-In through Firebase Authentication. We request only Google's basic sign-in permissions (scopes openid, email and profile). We do not request access to your Gmail, Google Drive, Contacts, Calendar or any other Google service.
| Google user data we receive | How we use it |
|---|---|
| Your name | To greet you in the app and label your account |
| Your email address | To create and identify your Monize account, sign you in, and send service emails such as sign-in links and billing notices |
| Your profile photo | Shown only to you, next to your account in the app |
| A unique Google account identifier | To link your Google sign-in to your Monize account securely |
- Storage: this information is stored in Firebase Authentication and Google Cloud (see sections 8 and 9), encrypted in transit and at rest.
- Sharing: we do not sell Google user data, share it with advertisers or data brokers, or use it for advertising. It is processed only by the service providers in section 7 that we need to run Monize, and as required by law.
- No AI training: Google user data is not used to develop, improve or train AI or machine-learning models, including Claude.
- Human access: our staff do not read your Google user data, except your email address where needed to support you, with your consent, for security, or as required by law.
- Deletion: deleting your Monize account in Settings > Delete my account deletes your Google user data from Monize. You can also remove Monize's access at any time at myaccount.google.com/permissions, or email compliance@monize.co.za.
If you sign in with Apple instead, we receive your name (if you choose to share it) and either your email address or a private relay address from Apple, and use them in the same way.
6. Claude and the Monize Assistant
Some features use Claude, an AI model provided by Anthropic, PBC:
- Reading statements: when you import a PDF or image, its contents are sent to Anthropic so Claude can read the transactions.
- Sorting transactions: transaction descriptions and amounts, and examples of how you've categorised similar transactions, are sent so Claude can suggest categories.
- Monize Assistant (on plans that include it): each message you send is shared with a summary of your Monize numbers, such as account names and balances, monthly income and spending by category, budgets, goals and recurring payments, so Claude can answer.
CSV, Excel and OFX files are read on your device; only descriptions and amounts are sent if Claude sorts them. Your assistant conversations are kept on your device, not on our servers; we record only how many messages you send. Anthropic processes this information on our behalf under its commercial terms, which do not allow it to use the information to train its models, and retains it only for a limited period for safety and abuse monitoring.
The assistant gives general guidance based on your own numbers. It is not financial advice; see our Terms.
7. Who we share your information with
We share personal information only with service providers (operators) who process it on our behalf under written agreements requiring them to keep it secure and confidential:
| Provider | What they do |
|---|---|
| Google Cloud and Firebase (Google LLC) | Hosting, sign-in, database, server functions, security and, with your consent, Google Analytics for Firebase |
| Anthropic, PBC | Claude: statement reading, categorisation and the Monize Assistant |
| Paystack Payments South Africa | Subscription payments |
| Twilio SendGrid | Delivering sign-in and service emails |
| Coinbase and Frankfurter (European Central Bank rates) | Exchange rates. Only a currency request is sent; no personal information other than your IP address |
| Apple and Google | Sign in with Apple and Google, and the app stores if you use our mobile apps |
We may also disclose information where the law requires it, to protect our rights or the safety of others, or to a successor if Monize is sold or restructured, in which case this policy will continue to apply.
8. Storage and processing outside South Africa
Your Monize data is stored by Google Cloud in the United States (multi-region "nam5"). Some processing by our providers takes place in the United States, Europe and other countries. Section 72 of POPIA allows these transfers where the recipient is bound by law, binding corporate rules or a binding agreement that provides an adequate level of protection. We rely on our providers' data processing terms, which include such protections, and on the fact that the transfer is necessary to perform our agreement with you.
9. How we protect your information
- Information is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and at rest.
- Security rules mean each person can read and change only their own data; our servers check every request.
- Secret keys for Claude and Paystack are stored in Google Secret Manager, never in the app.
- Access to the back office is limited to authorised staff and protected by sign-in.
- We never ask for banking passwords or full account numbers.
No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by section 22 of POPIA.
10. How long we keep your information
- Your Monize data is kept while your account exists. When you delete your account in Settings, it is deleted from our live systems immediately and from backups within 30 days.
- Billing and payment records are kept for five years after the transaction, as South African tax law requires.
- Usage analytics are kept for up to 14 months.
- Support messages are kept for up to two years after the matter is resolved.
- De-identified, combined statistics may be kept longer, as they cannot identify you.
11. Your rights
Under POPIA you have the right to:
- Access your personal information and ask what we hold about you.
- Correct information that is inaccurate. Most of it you can edit directly in Monize.
- Delete your information. Use Settings > Delete my account, or contact us.
- Object to processing based on legitimate interest, and withdraw consent, for example to analytics in Settings.
- Take your data with you: export your transactions and accounts as CSV from Monize.
- Complain to the Information Regulator (see section 15).
To make a request, email compliance@monize.co.za. We will respond within 30 days and may need to confirm your identity first. Requests are free, except where the law allows a reasonable fee for copies of records.
12. Cookies and device storage
Monize stores small amounts of information in your browser or app to keep you signed in, remember preferences such as your theme, keep your assistant conversations on your device, and let the app load quickly and work offline. These are necessary for the service. Google Analytics for Firebase cookies are used only if you allow usage analytics. You can turn this off at any time in Settings.
13. Children
Monize is for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as Monize changes or the law requires. We will post the new version here with a new date and, for significant changes, tell you in the app or by email before they take effect.
15. Contact and complaints
For any privacy question or request, contact our Information Officer, D Sure, at compliance@monize.co.za, or write to Monize (Pty) Ltd, 173 Oxford Road, Rosebank, South Africa.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) at inforegulator.org.za.