Privacy Policy — Gratus Accounting

Welcome to Gratus Accounting ("we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our accounting management platform. Please read this policy carefully. By using Gratus Accounting, you agree to the terms described herein.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

Account Information: Full name, email address, company name, and password when you register.
Financial Data: Journal entries, chart of accounts, invoices, bills, customer and vendor records, and bank account details you enter into the system.
Communications: Any messages or support requests you send us.

1.2 Shared Company Workspace Data

Gratus Accounting organizes users into shared company workspaces. If you are added to the same company workspace as other users, the financial data you and your teammates enter — including journal entries, invoices, bills, customer/vendor records, and account activity — is visible to and editable by everyone in that workspace, along with a record of who created or last modified each entry. Company workspace assignment is always confirmed by an administrator before access is granted; it is never inferred automatically from a typed company name alone.

1.3 Information Collected Automatically

Session Data: Login sessions and authentication tokens stored securely in server-side sessions.
Log Data: Server logs including IP address, browser type, pages visited, and timestamps for security and debugging purposes.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide, operate, and maintain the Gratus Accounting platform.
Process your financial data and generate reports as requested.
Authenticate your identity and protect your account.
Respond to support requests and communicate service updates.
Monitor and improve system performance and security.
Comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

3. Sharing of Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information or financial data to third parties. We may share data only in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers: Trusted hosting and infrastructure providers (e.g., Hostinger) who process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality agreements.
Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or governmental authority.
Business Transfer: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred with prior notice.

4. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

Passwords are hashed using PHP's password_hash() with bcrypt — never stored in plain text.
Sessions use HTTP-only and secure cookies with strict mode enabled.
All sensitive directories (config/, database/) are blocked from public access.
CSRF protection on all state-changing operations.
HTTPS enforced in production environments.

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

5. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Correction: Update or correct inaccurate data via your account settings.
Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data.
Portability: Export your financial data in CSV format using the built-in export features.

6. Cookies & Sessions

Gratus Accounting uses server-side PHP sessions to maintain your authenticated state. We do not use third-party tracking cookies or advertising cookies. Session cookies are deleted when you log out or when the session expires (after 1 hour of inactivity).

7. Children's Privacy

Gratus Accounting is intended for use by businesses and individuals aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child has provided us with personal information, we will delete it promptly.

8. Third-Party Links

Our platform may reference third-party services (e.g., CDN providers for CSS/JS libraries). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those external services. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us at:

Gratus Accounting

accounting.gratusinc.org

support@gratusinc.org

Welcome to Gratus Accounting ("we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our accounting management platform. By using Gratus Accounting, you agree to the terms described herein.

1. Information We Collect

Account Information — Full name, email address, company name, and password (stored as a bcrypt hash) when you register.
Financial Data — Journal entries, chart of accounts, invoices, bills, customer and vendor records, and bank account details you enter into the system.
Session Data — Login sessions and authentication tokens stored securely server-side.
Log Data — IP address, browser type, pages visited, and timestamps for security and debugging purposes.

2. How We Use Your Information

Provide, operate, and maintain the Gratus Accounting platform.
Process your financial data and generate reports as requested.
Authenticate your identity and protect your account.
Respond to support requests and communicate service updates.
Monitor and improve system performance and security.
Comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information or financial data to third parties.

3. Data Security

Passwords are hashed using bcrypt — never stored in plain text.
Sessions use HTTP-only and secure cookies with strict mode enabled.
All sensitive directories (config/, database/) are blocked from public access.
CSRF protection on all state-changing operations.
HTTPS enforced in production environments.

4. Your Rights

Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Correction — Update or correct inaccurate data via your account settings.
Deletion — Request deletion of your account and associated data.
Portability — Export your financial data using the built-in export features.

5. Cookies & Sessions

We use server-side PHP sessions to maintain your authenticated state. No third-party tracking or advertising cookies are used. Session cookies are deleted when you log out or after 1 hour of inactivity.

6. Children's Privacy

Gratus Accounting is intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

7. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

8. Contact

Questions? Contact us at support@gratusinc.org or through the in-app support channels.

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Gratus Accounting ("the Service"), operated by Gratus Inc. By registering for or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

1. Eligibility & Account Registration

You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service.
You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.
You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to your account.

2. Acceptable Use

You agree to use Gratus Accounting only for lawful business accounting purposes. You must not:

Use the Service for fraudulent, illegal, or misleading financial activities.
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other users' accounts or our systems.
Upload malicious code or software intended to disrupt the Service.
Reverse engineer or attempt to extract the platform's source code.
Resell or commercially exploit the Service without our written consent.

3. Your Data & Content

You retain full ownership of all financial data and content you enter. By using the Service, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to store and process your data solely to provide the Service. You are solely responsible for the accuracy and legality of your financial data.

4. Intellectual Property

All software, design, code, graphics, and content that make up Gratus Accounting are owned by Gratus Inc. and protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

5. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or attempt to compromise the platform's security. You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us.

6. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. Gratus Accounting is a general-purpose accounting tool and does not replace the advice of a qualified accountant, auditor, or tax professional.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Gratus Inc. shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service, including loss of data, errors in financial reporting, or business losses.

8. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. Any disputes shall be resolved in the appropriate courts of the Philippines.

9. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. Continued use after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

10. Contact

Questions? Contact us at support@gratusinc.org or through the in-app support channels.