Question 1

When does Spend Sense launch?

Accepted Answer

Spend Sense is currently in TestFlight Beta on iOS, with a public App Store launch to follow. Join the waitlist to request early access and receive beta updates.

Question 2

What platforms does Spend Sense support?

Accepted Answer

Spend Sense is available as an iOS-native app in TestFlight Beta. It requires iPhone running iOS 15.0 or later. An iPad layout and Apple Watch companion app are planned for post-launch updates. An Android version is in active development and planned for release after the iOS launch — no date confirmed yet.

Question 3

Is Spend Sense free to use?

Accepted Answer

During the current beta, everything is free. After launch, the Free plan includes unlimited manual transaction logging, monthly budgeting, basic analytics, unlimited spending categories, unlimited savings goals, Squads, CSV import and export, and expense splitting without payment processing. Paid tiers cover higher-cost features like receipt scanning, split payment processing, advanced analytics, and vacation tracking. See the pricing page for planned tiers.

Question 4

Do I need to create an account to use the app?

Accepted Answer

Yes — a quick email and password account is required to use Spend Sense. This account identifies you to the app; it does not connect to your bank. Your financial data is encrypted — we do not sell it to advertisers or data brokers.

Question 5

How is Spend Sense different from Mint, YNAB, or Copilot?

Accepted Answer

The fundamental difference is depth: Mint, YNAB, and Copilot all record one transaction per store visit. Spend Sense captures itemized receipt data — what you actually bought, line by line — plus splits and budgeting in one place. No bank connection required to use the app today, and we never sell your data to advertisers or data brokers.

Question 6

Is Spend Sense available internationally?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Spend Sense supports 30+ currencies and is designed for global use. There are no region-specific features tied to US-only financial systems. The App Store launch will target worldwide availability from day one.

Question 7

Does Spend Sense connect to my bank account?

Accepted Answer

Not yet. Today, all transaction data is entered manually or via receipt scanning, and you can import CSV exports from your bank. Bank connection support is on our roadmap for a future update, and we'll be just as transparent about how that data is protected when it ships.

Question 8

Who can see my financial data?

Accepted Answer

Your financial data is encrypted and accessible only through your account. We do not sell your data to advertisers or data brokers.

Question 9

How is my data encrypted?

Accepted Answer

Multiple layers of encryption protect your data: At rest: industry-standard encryption for stored financial data. Key management: Encryption keys stored securely on your phone. iCloud backup (planned): End-to-end encryption before data ever leaves your device. App access: Face ID / Touch ID to unlock the app.

Question 10

Does Spend Sense collect any analytics or usage data?

Accepted Answer

Minimal and opt-in only. Spend Sense does not include any advertising SDKs, behavioral analytics (Amplitude, Mixpanel, etc.), or crash reporting by default. An opt-in anonymized crash reporter is available in Settings to help us fix bugs — it sends only stack traces, no financial data. You can opt out at any time.

Question 11

Does the app track my location?

Accepted Answer

Never. Spend Sense does not request location permission, does not use geolocation for merchant detection, and has no location-based features. We mention this explicitly because many finance apps silently request location for 'fraud detection' or 'nearby ATM' features we don't offer.

Question 12

What happens if Spend Sense is breached or goes offline?

Accepted Answer

We encrypt your financial data and do not sell it to advertisers or data brokers. Export a CSV any time to keep your own backup.

Question 13

What permissions does the app request?

Accepted Answer

Camera: Receipt scanning only. Optional — all other features work without it. Face ID / Touch ID: App lock. Optional — you can use a PIN or no lock. iCloud: Encrypted backup — planned for a future update. Will be optional. Notifications: Budget alerts and milestone notifications. Optional. Location: Never requested. Contacts: Never requested.

Question 14

How does receipt scanning work without the internet?

Accepted Answer

Receipt scanning is in development. Spend Sense will read receipts automatically on your phone. We protect your data with strong encryption and do not sell it to advertisers or data brokers.

Question 15

What types of receipts can Spend Sense scan?

Accepted Answer

Most printed receipts work well: grocery stores, restaurants, retail, gas stations, pharmacy, and online order confirmation printouts. Thermal paper receipts (the faded kind) work best when scanned fresh. Handwritten receipts, heavily stylized fonts, or receipts with significant glare may produce partial results — you can always manually fill in any missed fields after scanning.

Question 16

Can I track recurring splits with the same group of people?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Squads let you create named groups of contacts and tag expense splits to that group. Balances accumulate per group over time in the app, so you always know who owes what without re-entering the same people for every bill. Recipients never need the app.

Question 17

Does Spend Sense support multiple currencies?

Accepted Answer

Yes — 30+ currencies are supported. You set a default home currency during onboarding. Vacation Tracking mode lets you log transactions in local foreign currency and converts them to your home currency using an exchange rate you set (or optionally live rates when online).

Question 18

How does expense splitting work?

Accepted Answer

You log the full bill, tap "Split this expense," add participant names, and choose equal, percentage, or custom splits. Spend Sense generates a plain-text or shareable breakdown that you send via any messaging app. The other participants don't need Spend Sense. You track who's settled up directly in the app.

Question 19

Can I import transactions from my bank?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Spend Sense supports CSV import from major US banks including Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chime, USAA, TD Bank, and Capital One. For international or unsupported banks, a manual column-mapping screen lets you map any CSV format. OFX/QFX support is planned for v1.2.

Question 20

What financial calculators are available on the website?

Accepted Answer

Six free calculators are available at spendsenseapp.io/tools: Take-Home Pay, Self-Employment Tax, Debt-to-Income Ratio, Emergency Fund, Compound Growth, and Capital Gains Tax. All run in your browser — no data sent anywhere.

Question 21

Does Spend Sense support Apple Watch?

Accepted Answer

Not at launch. An Apple Watch companion app is planned for a post-v1 update. It will support transaction logging by voice, a daily budget summary complication, and over-budget wrist notifications.

Question 22

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

Spend Sense encrypts your financial data. We do not sell your data to advertisers or data brokers.

Question 23

How do I back up my data?

Accepted Answer

Today, you can export all your transactions as a CSV from Settings → Data → Export for archival or migration to another app. End-to-end encrypted iCloud backup is planned for a future update.

Question 24

What happens to my data if I delete the app?

Accepted Answer

All local data is permanently deleted when you uninstall the app. We strongly recommend exporting a CSV backup before deleting — there is no recovery path once local data is deleted without one.

Question 25

How do I move to a new iPhone?

Accepted Answer

Export a CSV backup from your old phone and import it into Spend Sense on your new phone. Automatic iCloud-based device transfer is planned for a future update.

Question 26

Is there a limit on how much data I can store?

Accepted Answer

No app-imposed limits on transaction count, categories, or goals. The only practical limit is your device storage — Spend Sense uses 45 MB for the app, and data storage grows with usage but remains small (5 years of daily transactions is typically under 10 MB).

Question 27

Can I export data for my accountant or tax return?

Accepted Answer

Yes — CSV exports include date, amount, category, merchant, and notes columns that import directly into Excel, Google Sheets, or accounting software. You can filter by date range and category before exporting to generate a clean report for a specific tax year or category.

Question 28

What's included in the free plan?

Accepted Answer

The free plan includes unlimited manual transaction logging, monthly budgeting, basic analytics, unlimited spending categories, unlimited savings goals, Squads, CSV import and export, expense splitting without payment processing, and iCloud encrypted backup (coming soon). Receipt scanning, split payment processing, advanced analytics, and vacation tracking are planned for paid tiers.

Question 29

What does Pro add?

Accepted Answer

Pro adds higher-cost features: receipt scanning (coming soon), payment processing for splits, advanced analytics (merchant frequency, rolling 30-day, day-of-week heatmap), Vacation Tracking, and early access to new features. Core budgets, categories, savings goals, Squads, CSV import/export, and splitting without payment processing stay free.

Question 30

Is there an annual discount?

Accepted Answer

Yes — annual billing saves approximately 20% compared to month-to-month. Both billing options are available at checkout. See the pricing page for current rates.

Question 31

Can I cancel my subscription at any time?

Accepted Answer

Yes — subscriptions can be cancelled at any time via iOS Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Your Pro access continues until the end of the current billing period. No cancellation fees.

Question 32

Are there student or non-profit discounts?

Accepted Answer

Discount programs for students, educators, and registered non-profits are planned post-launch. Contact support@spendsenseapp.io to express interest and be notified when these programs launch.

Frequently asked questions

Questions by topic

Tips & recommendations

Set budgets at the start of the month

Match categories to your bank statements

Export a CSV backup regularly

Use Vacation Tracking for trips

Enable budget alerts

Common problems & solutions

App feels slow or unresponsive

I forgot to log transactions for a few days

Category total doesn’t match what I expect

Squad balance not updating after a split