Analytics for
Fintech Apps
Data minimization architecture for banking, trading, payment, and neobank apps. Only 5 fields stored. No device IDs. IP never retained in analytics.
The Fintech Analytics Challenge
Financial apps face unique challenges with standard analytics tools that weren't designed for sensitive financial data
Device Identifiers + Financial Behavior
Standard tools store IDFA/GAID alongside events like "loan_applied" or "investment_made"—creating linkable financial profiles that persist across sessions.
Transaction Data Leakage
Tools accepting unlimited custom properties risk developers accidentally sending account balances, transaction amounts, or account numbers in analytics events.
IP Addresses + Financial Events
IP addresses combined with financial activity patterns become personal data under GDPR—and nonpublic personal information under GLBA.
Persistent User Tracking
User IDs that persist across sessions create a complete financial behavior history—every investment viewed, every loan considered, every payment made.
Third-Party Data Sharing
Many analytics tools share data with parent companies or ad networks. For financial data, this creates complex disclosure requirements under multiple regulations.
Vendor Risk & DORA
DORA requires EU financial entities to conduct due diligence on ICT vendors. The more data your analytics vendor stores, the more complex your vendor assessment becomes.
Our Approach: Data Minimization by Design
Return of Avoidance (ROA) — the best way to protect sensitive financial data is to never collect it
What We Store (5 Fields)
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1.
event_name
What happened (e.g., "payment_completed", "account_opened")
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2.
session_id
RAM-only, hashed with daily rotating salt, resets every 2 hours
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3.
timestamp
When the event occurred
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4.
platform
iOS, Android, or Web
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5.
country
Approximate location (country-level only)
What We Never Store
- ✗ Device identifiers (IDFA, IDFV, GAID)
- ✗ IP addresses (processed transiently, then discarded)
- ✗ Persistent user IDs
- ✗ Custom properties (API rejects them)
- ✗ Transaction amounts or account balances
- ✗ Account numbers or financial identifiers
- ✗ Device fingerprints or hardware IDs
- ✗ Browser cookies or local storage tokens
⚙️ Technical Architecture
RAM-Only Storage
Session identifiers stored only in device memory—never written to disk, NSUserDefaults, or SharedPreferences
2-Hour Rotation
Session IDs automatically rotate every 2 hours and reset on app restart—cross-session tracking is impossible
Server-Side Hashing
Session IDs are hashed with a daily rotating salt server-side before storage—even we can't link sessions
What Fintech Apps Can Measure
Session-based analytics provide actionable insights without tracking individual users across sessions
Onboarding Conversion
Track KYC completion rates, document upload success, and account opening funnels without storing personal data
Payment Flow Success
Measure payment initiation → confirmation rates and identify drop-off points in transaction flows
Feature Adoption
See which banking features drive engagement—budgeting tools, card controls, savings goals, investment options
Drop-Off Detection
Automatically identify where users abandon loan applications, account setup, or card activation flows
Platform Distribution
Compare iOS vs Android performance, inform platform investment decisions and QA priorities
Geographic Trends
Country-level engagement patterns for international expansion and market-specific feature planning
⚠️ Honest Limitations
Session-based analytics mean you trade some metrics for privacy. Here's what you can't measure:
- ✗ Cross-session user identification
- ✗ Traditional DAU/MAU requiring persistent IDs
- ✗ Multi-week retention cohorts
- ✗ Individual customer lifetime value
- ✗ A/B tests targeting returning users
- ✗ User-level behavioral sequences
If your fintech app requires these metrics, Respectlytics may not be the right fit. We believe in transparent trade-offs.
Fintech App Types We Serve
Data minimization architecture works across the financial services spectrum
Neobanks & Digital Banks
Challenger banks need to understand feature adoption and onboarding funnels without creating detailed financial behavior profiles.
Trading & Investment Apps
Track onboarding and feature adoption without linking device IDs to investment behavior or portfolio activity.
Payment & Transfer Apps
Measure payment flow success rates and drop-offs without storing transaction amounts, recipients, or payment patterns.
Crypto Wallets & Exchanges
Analytics without linking device IDs to wallet addresses or trading activity—critical as MiCA enforcement increases.
Lending & Credit Apps
Track loan application funnels without storing credit-related behavior that could inform underwriting decisions.
Insurance & Insurtech
Measure quote-to-bind conversion without collecting data that could be used for risk assessment or pricing.
Regulatory Landscape Context
Fintech apps may face multiple overlapping regulations. Here's how data minimization relates to each.
GDPR
Article 5 requires data to be "limited to what is necessary." Storing only 5 fields with no device IDs aligns with data minimization principles. However, consult your legal team about your specific lawful basis.
PSD2
The Payment Services Directive focuses on payment data and strong authentication. Analytics data that doesn't contain transaction details or account information falls outside PSD2's primary scope.
DORA
Digital Operational Resilience Act requires vendor due diligence. A minimal data footprint (5 fields, no PII) simplifies ICT third-party risk assessment and vendor register documentation.
GLBA
Gramm-Leach-Bliley protects "nonpublic personal information." Session-based analytics without device IDs or persistent user tracking minimizes what qualifies as NPI under GLBA definitions.
Important: This is educational information, not legal advice. We do not claim our product satisfies any specific regulatory requirement. Consult your legal team to determine what applies to your app.
Frequently Asked Questions
What data does Respectlytics store for fintech apps?
Exactly 5 fields: event_name, session_id, timestamp, platform, and country. No device identifiers (IDFA, IDFV, GAID), no user IDs, no custom properties. IP addresses are processed transiently for country-level geolocation and immediately discarded—never stored in analytics. This prevents accidental financial data leakage.
Can developers accidentally send financial data through analytics?
No. Unlike Firebase or Mixpanel, Respectlytics enforces a strict 5-field schema at the API level. Any extra properties—including account numbers, transaction amounts, or balance information—are silently rejected. This prevents accidental sensitive financial data leakage by design.
How does Respectlytics handle session identification?
Session IDs are generated in device RAM only (never written to disk), rotate automatically every 2 hours, and reset on app restart. Server-side, they're hashed with a daily rotating salt. This makes cross-session tracking technically impossible—you cannot link a user's Monday banking session to their Tuesday session.
What fintech analytics can you get without collecting personal data?
You can track onboarding completion rates, feature adoption (which banking features users engage with), payment flow conversion, drop-off points in loan applications, platform distribution (iOS vs Android), and geographic trends—all without tracking individuals across sessions.
How does data minimization help with fintech regulations?
Data minimization means collecting only what you need. By storing just 5 fields with no identifiers, you significantly reduce your data surface area. Less data means less risk of regulatory scrutiny across GDPR, PSD2, DORA, and GLBA. Consult your legal team to determine how this applies to your specific situation.
What are the limitations of session-based fintech analytics?
With session-based analytics, you cannot track individual users across sessions, calculate traditional DAU/MAU metrics requiring persistent IDs, measure multi-week user retention, or calculate individual customer lifetime value. You trade cross-session tracking for a minimal data footprint.
⚖️ Legal Disclaimer
This page provides educational information about fintech analytics and regulatory context. It does not constitute legal advice. Respectlytics does not claim compliance with any specific regulation including GDPR, PSD2, DORA, GLBA, PCI-DSS, or any other financial services regulation. Financial regulations vary by jurisdiction, app functionality, and change over time. Consult your legal team to determine the requirements that apply to your specific situation.
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