TERMS_OF_SERVICE
Last Updated: April 21, 2026. By creating an account or using SM Expense, you agree to these Terms of Service. Please read them carefully.
CONTINUOUS_EVOLUTION_PROTOCOL
SM EXPENSE OPERATES ON A CONTINUOUS DEPLOYMENT INFRASTRUCTURE. AS AN INSTITUTIONAL-GRADE SECURITY PLATFORM, WE REGULARLY PUSH HIGH-FIDELITY UPDATES, AI ENHANCEMENTS, AND SECURITY PATCHES. THE INTERFACE AND FEATURE SUITE MAY EVOLVE RAPIDLY TO MAINTAIN MAXIMUM OPERATIONAL SUPREMACY. WHILE CORE FEATURES REMAIN FULLY OPERATIONAL, OCCASIONAL UPDATES MAY TEMPORARILY AFFECT FEATURE AVAILABILITY. WE ARE COMMITTED TO NOTIFYING USERS OF ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE PLATFORM.
Quick Summary
• You must be 13+ to use SM Expense. Under-18 users need a linked parent account.
• We are not a bank. We don't touch your money. We just help you analyze it.
• Your data is yours. We never sell it. You can delete it anytime.
• 30-day money-back guarantee for first-time subscribers.
ELIGIBILITY & ACCOUNTS
Age Requirement
You must be at least 13 years old to create an SM Expense account. Users between 13 and 17 are strongly encouraged to have a parent or legal guardian link to their account for full oversight and collaborative features. By creating an account, you represent that you meet the minimum age requirement of 13.
Account Responsibility
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.
Accurate Information
You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to keep your information updated.
Parent-Student Linking
When a parent links to a student account, the student controls their own privacy settings and determines which expense categories are visible to the parent. Both parties consent to this data-sharing arrangement upon linking.
USE OF SERVICE
What SM Expense Is
SM Expense is a personal financial analysis and budgeting application. It helps users log expenses, set budgets, and optionally share financial summaries with linked parents.
What SM Expense Is NOT
SM Expense is not a bank, financial institution, or financial advisor. We do not hold, transfer, or manage money. We do not connect to bank accounts. We do not provide legal, tax, or investment advice. All financial decisions are your own responsibility.
The Final Auditor Rule (AI)
SM Expense utilizes high-performance AI for optional data extraction. However, OCR is subject to technical limitations and potential inaccuracies. You agree that SM Expense is not responsible for data errors. You remain the sole and final auditor of all data before it is used for financial, legal, or institutional reporting.
Analysis Utility Disclaimer
SM Expense is an analysis utility, not a certified tax or accounting record. You are solely responsible for ensuring your use of the service complies with applicable tax laws. We are not liable for any discrepancies resulting from your use of reports generated by the service.
Tax Information Disclaimer
SM Expense provides expense categorization based on IRS Publication 970 for organizational purposes only. SM Expense is not a registered tax advisor, CPA, or financial institution. Reports generated by SM Expense do not constitute tax advice. Users are solely responsible for verifying deductibility with a licensed tax professional before filing. SM Expense makes no guarantee of tax savings, credit eligibility, or deductibility of any categorized expense.
Availability & Liability
We strive for 24/7 uptime but do not guarantee uninterrupted service. We are not liable for any loss resulting from service downtime, maintenance, or technical failures.
PROHIBITED USE
Restricted Activities
You may NOT: Use the service for any illegal purpose; upload malicious code or viruses; attempt unauthorized system access; scrape, reverse-engineer, or copy any part of the application; or use the service to harass or misrepresent your identity or age.
Enforcement Power
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts suspected of fraud, money laundering, or illegal activity without prior notice. We may also report suspected violations to relevant authorities.
SUBSCRIPTIONS & BILLING
Free vs Paid Plans
We offer a free tier (RECON) and paid plans (COMMAND/SOVEREIGN). Prices are in USD and may be subject to location-based taxes. Paid plans offer additional features as described on our pricing page.
Auto-Renewal & Cancellation
Paid subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled before the renewal date. You can cancel at any time through your dashboard; access remains active until the end of the paid period.
Refund Policy (30-Day Guarantee)
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for first-time subscribers. This period begins immediately after your 14-day free trial concludes. Refund requests after this 30-day window are non-refundable and handled on a case-by-case basis.
Merchant of Record
All payments are processed by Lemon Squeezy (our Merchant of Record). By subscribing, you agree to their Terms of Service. SM Expense never stores or views your full credit card information.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Our Ownership
SM Expense, its design, source code, and branding are owned exclusively by SM Expense and protected by global intellectual property laws.
Your Content
You retain full ownership of the data you input. We only access this data to provide the service according to our Privacy Policy. You grant us a limited license to process your data for the sole purpose of operating the service.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
No Warranties ('As Is')
SM Expense is provided 'as is' without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee the results obtained from the use of the service will be accurate or reliable.
Liability Cap
To the maximum extent permitted by law, SM Expense's total liability for any claim shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $50, whichever is higher.
Consequential Damages Waiver
IN NO EVENT SHALL SM EXPENSE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Third-Party Service Shield
We are not liable for the failures of third-party vendors, including hosting, payment (Lemon Squeezy), or AI providers. Any vendor breach or failure does not constitute a breach by SM Expense.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Governing Law (Delaware)
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, USA. Any dispute not subject to arbitration shall be resolved exclusively in Delaware state and federal courts.
Binding Arbitration
Any dispute arising from these terms shall be resolved by final and binding individual arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
Class Action Waiver
YOU AND SM EXPENSE EXPRESSLY WAIVE THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION. CLAIMS MUST BE BROUGHT IN YOUR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY ONLY.
INDEMNITY & FORCE MAJEURE
User Indemnification
You agree to defend and hold harmless SM Expense from any claims, losses, or legal fees arising from your misuse of the service, violation of these terms, or violation of third-party rights.
Force Majeure
We are not liable for failures caused by events beyond our control, including natural disasters, cyberattacks, power outages, VPS failures, or government actions.
Changes to Terms
We may update these terms at any time. Continued use of the service after updates constitutes your acceptance of the new framework.
USER FEEDBACK PROTOCOL
Licensing of Feedback
SM Expense actively collects user feedback through our community Discord channel, accessible directly from your dashboard. By submitting feedback, bug reports, or feature requests, you grant SM Expense a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license to use, implement, and incorporate that feedback into the service without compensation.
No Implementation Obligation
Feedback does not create any obligation on our part to implement requested changes. We review all submissions and prioritize updates based on community impact, technical feasibility, and strategic roadmap alignment.
Operational Amendment Protocol
Questions about these terms? Transmit a signal to our legal division for immediate clarification.
TRANSMIT_LEGAL_SIGNAL