Privacy Policy for A1 PayAlert

A1 PayAlert Payment Soundbox - Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 14, 2025

A1 PayAlert ("we," "our," or "us") cares deeply about your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the A1 PayAlert mobile app.
A1 PayAlert is a helpful tool made for Indian shopkeepers and small businesses.

It listens for incoming UPI payment notifications and announces the payment amount so you can hear it instantly — using Text-to-Speech (TTS). Because we deal with payment notifications, we take your privacy very seriously. All sensitive payment information is processed and saved locally on your phone only. We never upload it to the cloud.

By using our app, you agree to this policy. If you don't agree, please do not use the app.

1. Information We Access and Collect

1.1 Payment Notification Data (Saved Locally)

A1 PayAlert needs to read incoming notifications from payment apps (like Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe) to announce them loudly. When a notification comes, we only read:
Transaction Amount: The exact money you received.
App Source: The name of the app that sent the payment notification.
Timestamp: The exact time the payment came.
Google Play Data Safety Truth: WE DO NOT UPLOAD OR SHARE YOUR NOTIFICATION DATA TO ANY SERVER. Everything is read on your phone, converted to speech, and saved inside your phone's local storage.

When you sign in with Google, we only access your:
Name — to personalize your account.
Email Address — to create and identify your account in our system.
We do not access your Google Drive, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, or any other Google service. Your Google credentials are never stored on our servers.

1.3 Device & Usage Information (Anonymized)

To make sure our app doesn't crash and works smoothly, we collect basic, non-personal data:
The model of your phone and Android version.
Crash reports through Firebase Crashlytics (to fix bugs quickly). Firebase Crashlytics only collects anonymized crash data. No personally identifiable information (like your name, email, or payment data) is ever linked to crash reports.
How many times a day the app speaks (to track free-tier limits).

1.4 What We Explicitly DO NOT Touch

Your UPI PINs, banking passwords, or OTPs.
Your Bank Account numbers, credit/debit card numbers.
Your Contacts, GPS Location, Photos, or Videos.
Your personal SMS messages or phone calls.
Any notifications from non-financial apps.

2. How We Use Your Information

To Announce Payments: Helping you know immediately when a customer pays you, by reading the notification out loud.
Local History: Keeping a local history record so you can check how much money you collected today or this month.
App Stability: Fixing technical problems and crashes based on automated, anonymized crash logs.
Checking Subscriptions: Making sure your premium subscription is active so you can enjoy unlimited voice alerts.
Account Management: Using your Google email to link your subscription and sync your settings across re-installs.

3. Data Storage and Security

Local Safety: All transaction records are stored inside your device. No other app can access it.
Zero-Cloud Uploads: Payment data NEVER leaves the phone you are holding in your hand.
Subscription Data: Only your email address and payment/subscription status are stored securely in Firebase Firestore to manage your premium plan.

4. Permissions Explained (Why We Need Them)

A1 PayAlert acts like a smart soundbox. To ensure you never miss a payment alert even when your phone is locked in your pocket, we need the following specific Android permissions:

Notification Access (`BIND_NOTIFICATION_LISTENER_SERVICE`)

Why we need it: This is the main engine of our app. We need this to read the notification text when a customer pays you.
What we do with it: We extract the money amount from the notification so the phone can speak it out loud. We ignore all non-financial notifications (messages, social media, etc.). No notification data is ever shared or uploaded.

Foreground Service & Special Use (`FOREGROUND_SERVICE` & `FOREGROUND_SERVICE_SPECIAL_USE`)

Why we need it: Android automatically kills background apps to save battery. We run a permanent background service so our listener stays awake.
What we do with it: It guarantees the app stays alive all day to monitor payment notifications without you having to repeatedly open the app. A visible sticky notification will always be shown so you know the service is running.

Ignore Battery Optimizations (`REQUEST_IGNORE_BATTERY_OPTIMIZATIONS`)

Why we need it: By default, Android puts apps to sleep (Doze mode) if the phone screen is off for a long time. Because shopkeepers receive payments randomly at all hours, the app must not go to sleep.
What we do with it: It stops Android from restricting our background service, so even if the phone has been resting on the counter for hours, the payment voice alert fires instantly on time.

Prevent Phone From Sleeping (`WAKE_LOCK`)

Why we need it: Even if your phone screen is black and locked, the speaker needs processor power to play the sound.
What we do with it: It slightly wakes up the phone processor just long enough to speak the payment amount, then lets it rest again.

Run at Startup (`RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED`)

Why we need it: Shopkeepers don't always remember to open the app after restarting their phones.
What we do with it: This allows the app to automatically start working silently in the background immediately after the phone turns on, so you never miss a payment.

Modify Audio Settings

Why we need it: Sometimes a phone is on low volume, so merchants can't hear the alert.
What we do with it: It allows us to increase the media volume to announce the payment clearly, and connect the sound easily to your Bluetooth speakers or external soundboxes.

App Notifications (`POST_NOTIFICATIONS`)

Why we need it: To communicate important alerts to the shopkeeper.
What we do with it: To send visual alerts if your subscription expires, or if the background service has stopped working and needs your attention.

5. Third-Party Services We Use

We use very standard, reputable tools to keep the app healthy:
Google Firebase (Crashlytics & Firestore): Firebase Crashlytics is used only to see where the app crashes and fix it. No personally identifiable information is linked to crash reports. Firebase Firestore stores only your email and subscription status. (Firebase Privacy Policy applies.)
Text-To-Speech (TTS): Uses your phone's native voice engine to speak words aloud on-device, without needing an internet connection. No audio data is ever sent to us.
OneSignal: Safely delivers critical push reminders (like subscription expiry or app updates) to your device. We only share your subscription status and account role (owner/member) with OneSignal as notification tags. No payment data is ever shared with OneSignal. (OneSignal Privacy Policy applies.)
Payment Providers: Your premium subscription upgrades are processed safely by external checkout services. We do not store or see your bank card details whatsoever.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

Your Device, Your Rules: Because payment records are stored only on your device, they stay there until you either delete them inside the app, clear the app data, or uninstall A1 PayAlert entirely.
Uninstall Deletion: If you delete the app from your phone, all local payment history is permanently erased as we do not keep a backup of it on the internet.
Account Data: If you wish to delete your account and associated subscription data from our servers, please email us at sparqfast@gmail.com and we will permanently delete it within 7 business days.

7. Children's Privacy

This app is strictly meant for business owners and shopkeepers 18 years and above. We do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 18. If we discover that a child has provided us personal information, we will delete it immediately. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has used this app, please contact us at sparqfast@gmail.com.

8. Changes to This Policy

Sometimes Google Play updates their rules, and we might need to update this Privacy Policy. We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top, and if it's a significant change, we will show you an alert inside the app so you're always informed.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions, worries about your data, or need help understanding these permissions, please email us directly:
📧 Email: sparqfast@gmail.com

By downloading and using A1 PayAlert, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to this Privacy Policy. You also understand and consent to the permissions described above, which are essential for the app to function as a payment soundbox utility.
A1 PayAlert is a helper soundbox utility and is not a bank or financial institution. Any legal disputes will be governed under the laws of India. If you disagree with this policy, please kindly uninstall the app.

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