PadMates Privacy Policy
Last Updated: July 11th, 2026
PadMates ("PadMates," "we," "us," or "our") is operated by PadMates LLC, a Georgia limited liability company. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through the PadMates mobile application and related services (the "App" or "Service"), how we use and share it, and the choices you have.
We built PadMates to make shared living simpler — splitting expenses, tracking chores, agreeing on house rules, and keeping a reputation score across your time in a household. This policy is written to be as clear as we can make it. If anything here is unclear, email us at support@padmates.io.
By creating an account or using PadMates, you agree to this Privacy Policy.
1. Who this policy applies to
PadMates is intended for users 13 years of age or older. We verify age during onboarding and do not permit accounts for anyone under 13. See Section 10 (Children's Privacy) for details.
PadMates is a mobile app currently distributed through the Apple App Store. It is not a roommate-matching service — it is a management tool for people who already share (or plan to share) a household.
2. Information we collect
2.1 Information you provide to us
Account and profile information. When you create an account, we collect your email address, display name, and date of birth (used to confirm you meet our minimum age requirement). You may also add a profile photo. We sign you in using one-time codes sent to your email; we do not store account passwords.
Household information. When you create or join a household, we collect information such as the household name, address, rent amount, lease or move-in dates, invite codes, and household membership.
Expenses and settle-up activity. We collect the expense details you enter — descriptions, amounts, categories, dates, who paid, how the expense is split among housemates, and whether an amount has been marked as settled.
Receipt scanning. If you use the optional receipt-scanning feature to auto-fill an expense, PadMates sends the receipt photo you capture to a third-party AI provider that reads the image and returns the details (such as merchant, total, and date). The image is processed to extract those details and is not stored by PadMates. Our AI provider may retain the image for a limited period (up to 30 days) for security and abuse-monitoring purposes and does not use it to train AI models. You are shown a consent notice before your first scan, and you can always enter expenses manually instead.
Payment handles. If you choose to add a payment handle (such as a Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, or Zelle username), we store it so housemates can pay you. Important: PadMates does not process payments and never collects or stores your bank account numbers, card numbers, or other financial credentials. When you pay someone, PadMates opens the third-party payment app you selected, and you complete the payment there. See Section 4.3.
Chores, house rules, and votes. We collect the chores you create or complete (including completion streaks), the house rules you propose, and the votes you cast on rules and household decisions.
PadMates Score. We calculate a reputation score for you based on your in-app activity, such as chore completion, settle-up reliability, and rule participation.
Move-in photos. If you use the Move-in Photos feature, we store the images you upload in private, household-scoped storage.
Support communications. If you contact us at support@padmates.io or through the App, we collect the content of your message and any attachments you include.
2.2 Information collected automatically
When you use PadMates, our infrastructure providers collect limited technical information necessary to operate and secure the Service, which may include your device type and operating system, app version, IP address, and diagnostic or log data (for example, error and performance logs).
If you enable push notifications, we collect a device push token so we can deliver notifications to your device.
We do not use third-party advertising networks, and we do not track you across other companies' apps or websites for advertising.
3. How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
Provide, operate, and maintain the Service, including creating your account and household;
Authenticate you and keep your account secure;
Calculate balances, splits, chore streaks, and your PadMates Score;
Enable you to deep-link to third-party payment apps to settle up;
Send you transactional and service emails (such as sign-in codes and account notices) through our email provider;
Respond to your support requests;
Detect, prevent, and address abuse, fraud, security incidents, and technical issues;
Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms.
4. How we share your information
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We share information only in the following ways.
4.1 With your household
PadMates is a shared tool. Information you enter into a household — such as your display name, profile photo, expenses, splits, chore activity, house rules, votes, PadMates Score, payment handles, and move-in photos — is visible to other members of that household as part of how the Service works. Please keep this in mind when deciding what to enter.
4.2 With service providers
We rely on a small number of trusted third-party providers to run PadMates. These providers process your information only as necessary to perform services on our behalf, and they are contractually required to keep it confidential and use it only for those purposes. The categories of providers we use include:
Cloud infrastructure providers that host our database, storage, and authentication
An AI provider that reads receipt images to auto-fill expenses, when you use the receipt-scanning feature
Email delivery providers that send transactional and support messages
Application distribution and push-notification providers
If you would like the specific identities of the providers we currently use, contact us at support@padmates.io and we will provide them.
4.3 With payment apps you choose
When you initiate a payment, PadMates opens the third-party payment app you selected (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, or Zelle). PadMates does not transmit your financial account details to these apps on your behalf — you complete the payment directly within that app, subject to its own terms and privacy policy.
4.4 For legal and safety reasons
We may disclose information if we believe in good faith it is necessary to comply with a law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request; to enforce our terms; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of PadMates, our users, or the public.
4.5 In a business transfer
If PadMates is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will require the recipient to honor this Privacy Policy or notify you of any material changes.
5. How we store and protect your information
Your information is hosted by our infrastructure providers and may be processed and stored in the United States.
We use technical and organizational measures designed to protect your information, including:
Encryption of data in transit (TLS);
Encryption of data at rest;
Row-level security that isolates each household's data;
Private storage buckets with scoped access for images and attachments;
One-time-code (OTP) authentication rather than stored passwords.
No method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While we work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
6. Data retention
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. When you delete your account (see Section 7.1), we delete your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it to comply with a legal obligation, resolve disputes, or enforce our agreements.
Because PadMates is a shared tool, some content you contributed to a household (for example, an expense that affects other members' balances) may remain part of that household's records after you leave or delete your account. Residual copies may persist in routine encrypted backups for a limited period before those backups are rotated.
7. Your choices and rights
7.1 Deleting your account
You can delete your account at any time from within the App under Settings → FAQs → Advanced Features → Delete Account. Deleting your account removes your personal profile and associated personal data, subject to the retention exceptions in Section 6. If deletion takes additional time to complete, we will inform you and confirm when it is done.
7.2 Accessing and updating your information
You can view and edit much of your profile and household information directly in the App. To request a copy of your personal information, email support@padmates.io.
7.3 Leaving a household
You can leave a household from within the App. Leaving a household removes your access to that household's data going forward.
7.4 California residents (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request access to or deletion of it, to request correction of inaccurate information, and to be free from discrimination for exercising these rights. We do not sell your personal information and do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. To exercise these rights, use the in-app tools or email support@padmates.io.
7.5 EU, UK, and other regions (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or a similar jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the processing of your personal information, and to data portability. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. Our legal bases for processing are performance of our contract with you, our legitimate interests in operating and securing the Service, compliance with legal obligations, and, where applicable, your consent.
To exercise any of these rights, email support@padmates.io. We may need to verify your identity before responding.
7.6 Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
Because we do not sell or share personal information or track you for advertising across other services, browser-level signals such as Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control do not change how we handle your information.
8. Third-party services
PadMates links out to third-party payment apps and may reference third-party services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before using them.
9. International users
PadMates is operated from the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be transferred to, processed, and stored in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.
10. Children's privacy
PadMates is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We verify age at onboarding and do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@padmates.io, and we will promptly delete it.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you within the App or by email. Your continued use of PadMates after an update means you accept the revised policy.
12. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, contact us:
PadMates LLC
Email: support@padmates.io
Mailing address: PadMates LLC, 1915 E. Victory Drive Suite E #1113, Savannah, GA, 31404
