Who sees what

A bill, tab or group is seen only by the people on it, and by anyone holding its link before they join. Someone with a bill's link sees what is on the bill, so they can find their seat, but only the first names of the people on it, and never anyone's contact or payment details. Your payment details are shown only to the people who need them to pay you. Invite links are not listed by search engines, and a link's preview in a chat names no bill and no amount.

How a bill's link looks before taking a seat

1. Who invited them, by first name, such as "Maya invited you to split".
2. The bill's name, its day, and its Total.
3. Every item and its price, and how much is not claimed yet.
4. On this bill: the first names of the seats already taken. Surnames stay with the bill.

They do not see anyone's email, phone number, account or payment details. A tab's link shows its name, what was spent so far and first names, and nothing of anyone's balance. A group's link shows its name, its purpose and first names.

Who sees your payment details

1. Open Me and press Payment methods to see what you have added.
2. "Anyone who owes you on a bill you share sees these so they can pay you, guests with no account included. The people you share a bill, tab or group with can see everything here except your bank account."
3. Your bank account is shown only to someone who owes you on a bill that is Ready for payment, or in a tab.

A bank account's account number and sort code are encrypted before they are stored. Other ways to be paid, such as a PayPal address, are stored as entered, so they can be shown to the people who owe you. TabApp does not take payments, so it never has a card number.

What a guest's browser keeps

Someone who takes a seat with no account is remembered on that browser by a cookie, for 30 days from when they took it. Whoever runs the bill sees which browser and device the seat is held on, such as "Safari on iOS", so they can tell whether it is the right person. Not you?, on the screen that shows what the seat had, gives the seat back.

Worked example: Alex opens Maya's link

Maya Lee sends the link to Luigi's Trattoria to the table. Tom, Priya and she have taken their seats; Alex has not.

Alex opens it and sees "Maya invited you to split", Total 77.66, the six items with their prices, and under On this bill Maya, Tom and Priya. He does not see Maya's surname, or her email. Once the bill is Ready for payment, Alex owes Maya 11.22, so the Pay sheet shows him the bank account Maya added. Tom, on the Lisbon weekend tab with Maya, sees her PayPal but not her bank account.

If something stops you

• "This invite doesn't work anymore". The link was reset, or what it led to was deleted or has no seat left. Ask the person who sent it for a new one.
• Someone has a link they should not. The organiser resets it in the share sheet, and the old link stops working (see Invite links, and resetting one).
• You want everything TabApp holds about you. Download it (see Export your data).