Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, absolutely. GoodShare's core features are completely free:

• AI Receipt Scanner (5 scans/month)
• Full settlements - split costs and settle up with roommates
• Real-time sync - share budget books with family
• Budget tracking - set limits and get alerts
• Statistics - see where your money goes
• Offline mode - works without internet

See our Features page for the complete list. Pro unlocks additional features like unlimited AI scans, PDF import, and advanced analytics.

Yes. Every new user receives 14 days of Pro access at no cost.

• No credit card required
• Full access to all Pro features
• Automatic transition to the free plan after 14 days
• All your data remains intact

This gives you plenty of time to explore all features and decide if Pro is right for you.

Your account transitions smoothly to the free plan. No data is lost.

The following adjustments apply:

• Additional cloud books become read-only (you can still view all data)
• Recurring transactions beyond the free limit are paused
• Extra categories are hidden from the category picker but not deleted - transactions already assigned to them remain visible

You can continue using all free features indefinitely, and upgrading to Pro will instantly restore full access to everything.

Tip: Joining shared books is always free. If your partner has Pro, you benefit from all Pro features in shared books automatically.

Creating a budget book is simple:

1. Open the GoodShare app
2. Tap the "+" floating action button (bottom-right)
3. Choose "Quick Start" for a pre-configured book, or "Create" for manual setup
4. Enter a name (e.g., "Household", "Vacation", "Shared Apartment")
5. Tap "Create"

Your budget book is now ready to use! You can adjust categories, currency, and members anytime in the book settings.

To share your budget book with others:

1. Open your budget book
2. Tap the menu icon (three dots) in the top-right corner
3. Select "Manage Members"
4. Tap the "+" button to add a new member
5. Share the invitation link

The invited person can join by accepting the invitation in their GoodShare app or through the link.

GoodShare uses Firebase to sync your data instantly across all devices:

• Automatic sync: Changes appear immediately for all members
• Offline mode: You can add transactions offline, and they'll sync when you're back online
• Cloud backup: Your data is securely stored and accessible from any device

No manual refresh needed - everything happens automatically!

Local Books:

• Stored only on your device
• No account required
• Works completely offline
• Cannot be shared with others
• Lost if you uninstall or lose phone
• Unlimited in free plan

Cloud Books:

• Synced to Firebase (Google Cloud)
• Requires account + email verification
• Real-time sync across devices
• Can be shared with unlimited members
• Backed up automatically
• Free: 1 cloud book, Pro: unlimited

Which should I choose?

• Local: Personal tracking, privacy-focused, no internet needed
• Cloud: Shared budgets with partner/roommates, multi-device access

Yes! You can upload any local book to the cloud:

1. Open your local budget book
2. Tap menu (three dots) → "Upload to Cloud"
3. Confirm the upload

Requirements:

• A GoodShare account (sign up is free)
• Verified email address
• Active internet connection

What happens:

• All transactions and categories are transferred to the cloud
• Real-time sync is enabled across all your devices
• You can now share the book and invite members

Note: Free users can have 1 cloud book. Pro users have unlimited cloud books.

The AI Receipt Scanner uses Google Gemini AI to automatically extract data from your receipts:

1. Open the transaction form and tap the camera icon
2. Take a photo of your receipt or choose from gallery
3. Tap "Scan & Fill" to start the AI analysis
4. The AI extracts: amount, date, merchant name, and suggests a category
5. Review the data and save the transaction

Important: Always verify the extracted data - AI is not 100% accurate.

You have full control:

• AI Processing: Images sent to Google Gemini are processed in real-time and NOT permanently stored by Google
• Attachment Storage: If you choose to attach the receipt to a transaction, it's stored in Firebase Storage (your cloud storage)
• Your Choice: You can use AI scanning without saving the image, or save the image without AI scanning

Receipt images attached to transactions are deleted when you delete the transaction or your account.

Free users: 5 AI scans per month

Pro users: Unlimited AI scans

Note: You can always add transactions manually or attach receipts without using AI scanning - this doesn't count against your limit.

The AI attempts to extract:

• Total amount - The final price on the receipt
• Date - When the purchase was made
• Merchant name - The store or service provider
• Category suggestion - Based on the merchant (e.g., supermarket → Groceries)

Tips for best results:

• Good lighting and clear photo
• Capture the entire receipt
• Avoid blurry or crumpled receipts

Yes. We prioritize your privacy:

• Consent required: You must explicitly tap "Scan & Fill" - no automatic scanning
• No permanent storage: Google processes images in real-time without storing them
• Encrypted transfer: All data is sent via HTTPS
• GDPR compliant: Processing is based on your explicit consent

See our Privacy Policy for full details on data handling.

Yes! You can attach images to transactions independently of the AI scanner:

• Take a photo: Use the camera to snap a receipt
• Choose from gallery: Select an existing image from your device

Attached images are stored:

• Local books: On your device only
• Cloud books: In Firebase Storage (secure cloud storage)

Attaching images without AI scanning does not count against your AI scan limit.

With AI PDF import, you can import transactions directly from bank statements:

1. Open your budget book
2. Tap Menu → "Import PDF"
3. Select a PDF file from your device
4. The AI analyzes the document and extracts all transactions
5. Review the detected transactions in the preview
6. Adjust categories or amounts if needed
7. Tap "Import" to add the transactions

Note: PDF import is a Pro feature and requires an active internet connection for AI analysis.

All banks are supported!

Unlike other apps that only support specific banks, our AI-based import works with any bank statement PDF:

• Major banks (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, etc.)
• European banks (Sparkasse, ING, N26, Revolut)
• All other international banks
• Credit card statements
• PayPal statements

The AI automatically recognizes the format and extracts relevant data - regardless of the bank's layout.

Yes, your data is protected:

• Encrypted transfer: Your PDF is transmitted via a secure HTTPS connection
• No permanent storage: Google Gemini processes the document in real-time and doesn't store it
• Text extraction only: Only transaction data is extracted, not personal account information
• Local preview: You see all detected data before import and decide what gets added

Important: Before your first import, you'll be asked for consent to data processing. You stay in full control.

Yes! The preview screen gives you full control over every import:

• Change category: Tap a transaction to assign a different category
• Correct amount: If the AI misread an amount
• Edit note: Modify the extracted description
• Exclude transactions: Deselect individual entries you don't want to import
• Select/deselect all: Quick selection for large lists

Only when you tap "Import" are the selected transactions added to your budget book.

The AI is highly accurate, but not perfect. Here's how to handle errors:

Common recognition issues:

• Wrong category: The AI suggests categories based on keywords. Tap the transaction to manually change the category.
• Amount not detected: With unusual PDF formats, amounts may be missing. Enter them manually.
• Wrong date: Correct the date in the detail view.
• Duplicates: If you import the same PDF twice, duplicates are detected and marked.

Tips for better recognition:

• Use original PDFs from your bank (not scans)
• Make sure the PDF is not password-protected
• Multi-page statements work too

Repeat Transactions are recurring payments that automatically create transactions on a schedule.

Perfect for: Monthly rent, weekly groceries, annual subscriptions

How to create one:

1. Start creating a new transaction
2. Enter amount, note, and category
3. Tap the "Repeat" button
4. Choose frequency (weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.)
5. Set end date (optional)
6. Save

Note: Free users can create up to 3 repeat transactions. Pro users have unlimited.

Settlements help balance expenses between members when one person has paid more than their fair share.

How is it calculated who owes whom?

GoodShare calculates for each member: (What was paid) minus (Fair share)

• Positive balance: You paid more than your share - you're owed money
• Negative balance: You paid less - you owe others money

Example:

• Alice and Bob share 50/50
• Alice pays 100 EUR for groceries, Bob pays nothing
• Alice's share: 50 EUR, Bob's share: 50 EUR
• Result: Bob owes Alice 50 EUR

To settle up:

1. Go to the "Statistics" tab
2. Switch to the "Settlement" tab
3. See who owes whom
4. Tap "Record Settlement"
5. Enter amount and recipient

What happens when you record a settlement?

Two transactions are created:

• A transfer-out for the payer (e.g., Bob sends 50 EUR to Alice)
• A transfer-in for the receiver (e.g., Alice receives 50 EUR from Bob)

This is expected - settlements are money transfers between members, not actual spending. They do NOT appear in your regular category statistics.

What does "All Settled" mean?

This appears when all balances are below 0.01 EUR (rounding tolerance) and no one owes anyone significant amounts.

Undo a settlement:

Find the settlement transaction in the list and delete both linked transactions (expense and income). Balances will be automatically recalculated.

GoodShare supports multiple export formats:

• Basic CSV (Free): Export last 30 days
• Advanced CSV (Pro): Full transaction history
• PDF Reports (Pro): Professional reports with charts

How to export:

1. Open your budget book
2. Tap menu → "Export"
3. Choose format and date range
4. Tap "Export"

To edit a transaction:

1. Tap on the transaction in your list
2. Make your changes (amount, category, note, date, who paid)
3. Tap "Save"

To delete a transaction:

1. Swipe left on the transaction
2. Tap the delete/trash icon
3. Confirm deletion

Or: Tap the transaction to open it, then tap menu → "Delete"

Note: In shared books, all members can see edits and deletions. Deleted transactions cannot be recovered.

Default behavior: All expenses are automatically split equally between all book members.

Custom split:

1. Go to Menu → "Manage Members"
2. Find the "Expense Split" settings
3. Adjust the percentage for each member
4. Example: Set a 70%/30% split if one person earns more

When adding a transaction, you can specify which member paid. GoodShare then automatically calculates the balances!

Budgets help you set spending limits for categories:

Setting up a budget:

1. Open your book settings (menu → Edit Book → Budget tab)
2. Set a budget amount for each category
3. Save

How it works:

• GoodShare tracks spending against your budget
• Visual progress bar shows how much you've spent
• Color changes: Green → Yellow → Red as you approach limit

Budget types: Per category (e.g., €200 for Groceries). All budgets reset monthly.

Tip: Start with your biggest expense categories and adjust over time! Learn about popular methods like the 50/30/20 rule or zero-based budgeting.

Savings Goals help you save towards specific targets:

1. Open your budget book
2. Go to Statistics → Savings tab
3. Tap "Add Savings Goal"
4. Set a name (e.g., "Vacation Fund"), target amount, and deadline

How it works:

• Track progress towards your savings target with a visual progress bar
• Add contributions manually whenever you save money
• See how much you still need and whether you're on track

Tip: Combine savings goals with budget tracking to identify categories where you can cut spending and save more! Also read our guide on building an emergency fund.

GoodShare uses two types of categories:

• System categories: Pre-defined categories like Groceries, Rent, Transportation (cannot be deleted)
• Custom categories: Your own categories for specific needs

Each type exists for both expenses and income.

To create or edit categories:

1. Open your budget book
2. Tap menu (three dots) → "Book Settings"
3. Select "Categories"
4. Tap "+" to add a new category, or tap an existing one to edit

Limits: Free users can create up to 5 custom categories per type (expense/income). Pro users have unlimited categories.

The Sankey cash flow diagram visualizes your money flow. Free users get 1 Sankey per month, Pro users have unlimited access.

How it works:

• Income sources are shown on the left
• Expense categories are shown on the right
• Flow width represents the amount of money

This gives you an instant overview of where your money comes from and where it goes.

How to access:

1. Open your budget book
2. Go to Statistics
3. Find the "Cash Flow" or "Sankey" section

Features:

• Configurable time periods (month, quarter, year)
• Export as image for sharing or reports
• Interactive - tap on flows for details

Learn more about Sankey cash flow diagrams or try the free online tool.

Only book owners can remove members:

1. Open your budget book
2. Tap menu (three dots) → "Manage Members"
3. Find the member you want to remove
4. Tap the remove icon next to the member
5. Confirm the removal

What happens:

• The member loses access immediately
• Their transactions remain in the book
• Outstanding balances are preserved

Can't remove someone? You may not be the book owner, or you cannot remove yourself as owner.

When a member leaves a budget book:

Their transactions stay:

• All transactions they created remain in the book
• Historical data is preserved for accurate records

Balances are calculated:

• Outstanding balances at time of leaving are recorded
• Other members can still see what was owed

To leave a book:

1. Open the budget book
2. Tap menu → "Manage Members"
3. Tap "Leave Book"
4. Confirm your decision

Note: Book owners cannot leave - they must transfer ownership or delete the book.

Default: Equal split (50/50 for 2 people, 33/33/33 for 3, etc.)

• Applies automatically to all transactions
• Can be customized for the entire book

How it works:

1. You add an expense (e.g., 100 EUR groceries)
2. GoodShare calculates each member's share
3. Balances are updated automatically

No manual calculation needed! Read our complete guide on fair expense splitting.

Yes! With Pro: Individual percentages per member

Example: Partner A earns more → 70%/30% split

How to set up:

1. Open your budget book
2. Menu > "Manage Members"
3. Find "Expense Split" settings
4. Adjust percentages

How 70/30 works:

• 100 EUR purchase
• Partner A (70%): owes 70 EUR
• Partner B (30%): owes 30 EUR
• Whoever paid, the difference is balanced

These are two different concepts:

• "Paid by": Who actually paid the bill (e.g., Alice)
• "Split": How costs are divided (e.g., 50/50)

Example:

• 100 EUR dinner, paid by Alice, 50/50 split
• Alice paid 100 EUR, her share is 50 EUR
• Bob paid 0 EUR, his share is 50 EUR
• Result: Bob owes Alice 50 EUR

Together they determine: Who owes whom how much.

No! Income is NOT split.

• Income goes 100% to the person who records it
• Only expenses are shared between members

Why? Typically only shared costs (rent, groceries, utilities) are split, not personal income like salaries or gifts.

Tip: For shared income (e.g., deposit refund), add it as income for one person, then use a settlement to share it.

Book Owner:

• Can remove members
• Can delete the book
• Can change book settings
• Cannot leave (must delete or transfer)

Member:

• Can create/edit/delete transactions
• Can view all data and statistics
• Can leave the book anytime
• Cannot remove other members

Equal access: Both see all transactions, statistics, and balances!

GoodShare supports both light and dark themes:

1. Open the app and tap the gear icon (Settings)
2. Scroll to "Appearance" or "Theme"
3. Choose your preferred option:
   • Light: Classic light design
   • Dark: Eye-friendly dark design
   • System: Automatically follows your device settings

The change takes effect immediately - no restart required.

Push notifications keep you informed about important events in your budget books:

1. Open Settings in the app
2. Tap "Notifications"
3. Enable the push notifications toggle

Important: Make sure GoodShare is also allowed to send notifications in your device's system settings (Android Settings → Apps → GoodShare → Notifications).

GoodShare sends notifications for these events:

• New transactions: When a member adds a new expense or income
• Member joined: When someone joins your budget book
• Member left: When someone leaves the budget book
• New settlement: When a settlement payment is recorded
• Budget warnings: When you reach 80% of a category budget

You can enable or disable individual notification types in Settings.

With biometric login, you can quickly and securely sign in using fingerprint or face recognition:

1. Open Settings in the app
2. Tap "Security" or "Login"
3. Enable "Biometric Login"
4. Confirm with your fingerprint or face

Requirements:

• Your device must have a fingerprint sensor or face recognition
• Biometrics must be set up in Android settings
• You must already be logged into GoodShare

After enabling, you can unlock the app without entering a password.

Yes! The currency is set per budget book:

1. Open your budget book
2. Tap menu (three dots) → "Edit Book"
3. Find the "Currency" setting
4. Select your preferred currency
5. Save

Note: Changing the currency only affects how amounts are displayed. It does not convert existing transaction amounts.

Tip: You can set different currencies for different books - useful if you manage finances in multiple countries.

GoodShare works even without an internet connection:

What works offline:

• Adding, editing, and deleting transactions
• Managing categories
• Viewing statistics (based on local data)
• Full access to all local books

What requires a connection:

• Initial login
• Syncing with other members
• AI receipt scanner and PDF import
• Sending or accepting invitations

Automatic sync: As soon as you're back online, all offline changes are automatically synchronized. No data is lost.

If transactions aren't syncing, check these common causes:

1. Email not verified:

• Cloud sync requires email verification
• Go to Profile/Settings to verify your email

2. Not in the same book:

• Make sure you both joined the same budget book

3. Offline mode:

• Check your internet connection
• Transactions added offline will sync when back online

4. App not up to date:

• Update to the latest version from Google Play Store

Email verification unlocks key features:

• Cloud sync: Access your budget books from any device
• Unlimited invitations: Share books with anyone
• Account recovery: Reset your password if forgotten
• Real-time collaboration: See changes instantly

Verification is instant and free!

Free plan limitations:

• Create 1 cloud-synced budget book
• Join unlimited books via invitation (always free!)

Solutions:

Option 1: Have your partner create the book and invite you - joining is always free!

Option 2: Upgrade to Pro for unlimited books, plus advanced analytics, PDF export, and more.

Tip: Only one person needs Pro - benefits are shared with all book members!

If an invitation to a budget book isn't working, check these points:

Common causes:

• Link expired: Invitation links have an expiration date. Ask the book owner to create a new link.
• Already a member: You may already be in the book. Check your book list.
• Email not verified: To join books, your email address must be verified.
• Wrong account: Make sure you're signed in with the correct Google account.
• App not installed: The invitation link opens the Play Store if GoodShare isn't installed.

Solution: Ask the book owner to create a fresh invitation link via "Manage Members" → "Invite".

If you're not receiving push notifications, check these settings:

1. In the GoodShare app:

• Open Settings → Notifications
• Make sure the toggle is enabled

2. In Android system settings:

• Go to Settings → Apps → GoodShare → Notifications
• Enable "Show notifications"
• Check that GoodShare isn't blocked in "Do Not Disturb" mode

3. Battery optimization:

• Settings → Apps → GoodShare → Battery
• Select "Unrestricted" or disable battery optimization

4. Internet connection:

• Push notifications require an active internet connection

If you forgot your password, you can reset it easily:

1. Open GoodShare and go to the login screen
2. Tap "Forgot Password?"
3. Enter the email address linked to your account
4. Check your inbox for a password reset email
5. Click the reset link and set a new password

Tips:

• Check your spam/junk folder if you don't see the email
• The reset link expires after a short time - request a new one if needed
• If you signed up with Google Sign-In, you don't have a GoodShare password - use Google Sign-In instead

If signing in with Google isn't working, try these steps:

1. Update Google Play Services:

• Open the Google Play Store
• Search for "Google Play Services"
• Install any available updates

2. Check your Google account:

• Open the Google app and make sure you're signed in
• Try signing into another Google service

3. Clear app cache:

• Settings → Apps → GoodShare → Storage
• Tap "Clear cache" (NOT "Clear data"!)

4. Internet connection:

• Google Sign-In requires a stable internet connection
• Try switching between WiFi and mobile data

5. Restart:

• Restart your device and try again

If the issue persists, contact us at support@goodshare.app

To permanently delete your account:

1. Open GoodShare
2. Go to Settings (gear icon)
3. Scroll to "Account & Data Management"
4. Tap "Delete Account"
5. Send the pre-filled email request

We process deletion requests within 7 days. This action cannot be undone.

Before deleting: Export your data and settle outstanding balances!

Yes. Security and privacy are fundamental to GoodShare:

• Infrastructure: Hosted on Firebase (Google Cloud) with enterprise-grade security
• Encryption: All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest
• GDPR compliance: We fully respect European privacy regulations
• No data monetization: Your financial information is never sold or shared with third parties

Your data can be stored in two ways:

Local storage (on your device):

• Budget books without cloud sync are stored only on your phone
• Data stays private and works offline
• Lost if you uninstall the app or lose your phone

Cloud storage (Firebase):

• Cloud-synced books are stored on Firebase (Google Cloud)
• Servers located in the EU (GDPR compliant)
• Encrypted in transit and at rest
• Accessible from any device with your account
• Backed up automatically

Tip: We recommend cloud sync for shared budget books so all members can access the data.

Yes! With cloud-synced books on unlimited Android devices.

How it works:

1. Install GoodShare on your new device
2. Log in with your existing account
3. All cloud books are automatically loaded

Changes sync instantly between all devices!

The outcome depends on your storage type:

Local books: Data is permanently deleted when you uninstall the app, as it exists only on your device and cannot be recovered.

Cloud-synced books: Data remains safely stored in the cloud. Simply reinstall the app, log in with your account, and all your data will be restored automatically.

For this reason, we recommend using cloud sync for any data you want to keep long-term.

Pricing:

• Monthly: 4.99 EUR/month
• Yearly: 39.99 EUR/year (save 33%!)

Family Sharing: Pro benefits are shared with all members in your budget books - only one person needs to subscribe!

Cancel anytime through Google Play:

1. Open Google Play Store
2. Tap profile → "Payments & subscriptions"
3. Select "Subscriptions"
4. Find GoodShare Pro
5. Tap "Cancel subscription"

You'll retain Pro access until the end of your billing period.

Don't worry - you won't lose your data!

When your Pro subscription ends:

Your data is safe:

• All transactions, categories, and history remain
• Nothing is deleted

Cloud books (if you have more than 1):

• Books 2+ become read-only
• You can still view all data
• You can export before downgrading
• Book 1 remains fully functional

Features affected:

• Advanced analytics → Basic statistics
• Unlimited repeat transactions → Limited to 3
• Custom categories → Existing ones stay, can't add new
• PDF export → CSV export (30 days)

Tip: Export your data before canceling if you need full history!

Yes. Pro benefits extend to all members of your shared budget books through our Family Sharing feature:

• Only one person needs to subscribe
• All members in shared books receive full Pro access
• This includes advanced analytics, PDF exports, and custom split percentages

Example: If you subscribe to Pro and your partner joins your book, both of you have access to all Pro features within that book.

This makes Pro particularly cost-effective for couples, families, and roommates.

GoodShare is currently available exclusively for Android devices:

• Available on the Google Play Store
• Compatible with phones and tablets
• Requires Android 9.0 or higher

An iOS version is planned for the future, though no release date has been announced yet. Follow our blog or subscribe to our newsletter for updates.

GoodShare is designed for ongoing household budget management:

• Long-term financial tracking for couples, roommates, and families
• Comprehensive budget tracking with categories
• Recurring transactions for regular bills
• Detailed statistics, trends, and spending insights

Splitwise and Tricount are optimized for temporary group expenses:

• One-time events like trips, parties, or group dinners
• Quick expense splitting without long-term tracking

Summary: Choose GoodShare for a complete household budget book; choose Splitwise or Tricount for splitting expenses during a single event or trip.

Read our detailed GoodShare vs Splitwise comparison.