[HOW-TO][CHICAGO] Ventra using SimplyTapp

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mstofflett

Member
Nov 11, 2009
7
12
This is a how-to guide on using your phone's NFC to get onto the CTA.
Requirements are as follows:
Android 4.4 (KitKat)
SimplyTapp App
SquareLess App
Phone that supports NFC
Ventra Card

First install and setup SimplyTapp. It's free, runs on almost anything with 4.4 and will be the main application used when getting on the CTA.

After you have setup your SimplyTapp account, create your PIN.

Add a card, select swipe yours, you will end up at a webpage telling you that you need a card swiper inorder to continue, this is not the case. click Get The Card Now. Sign in, authorize the new card (blah, blah, blah). stop when you get to Put your swipe data in this box.

goto the home screen (Push home button or however you do it on your phone)

Install SquareLess from PlayStore (Same developer that made SimplyTapp)
Open SquareLess
Hold your Ventra Card upto your phones NFC sensor (most devices are on the back).
You will hear the NFC sound on your phone and if it reads it sucessfully you will get a long string on numbers (possibly letters aswell). Get a piece of paper (If anyone can figure out how to clipboard this PLEASE TELL US HOW), write the entire string including all numbers, letters and special characters.

Now goback to your web browser which will have the swipe data box we saw earlier in it. Type the ENTIRE string into the box, it has to be exact (case sensitive) with no changes. After you have the ENTIRE string entered, click Swipe Complete.

The card will save to your account. ALL DONE!!!

Make sure you select Tapp as your default pay app under settings, otherwise gWallet will transmit cc info.

Now when your at the station or a bus. Open the Application, click on the card, hit Pay. Hold the device over the Ventra scanner and you should get a GO!

I did this using my Ventra Mastercard, after using it I checked my MoneyNetwork prepaid balance and it did not charge under the prepaid. Checked ventrachicago.com and it showed up under my transit balance. SO IT WORKED.

Its just like a second ventra card, you can even interchange the card with the phone. EXAMPLE: get on the redline using the card, transfer to the bus using the phone and still pay transfer price.

Let me know your trials and tribulations. Feedback is welcomed, works or not. LET ME KNOW
 

billups55

Senior Member
Jun 29, 2010
64
9
Test this out with my school ventra card and all is working on my end. Followed the instructions in the op and bam now my phone is my cta pass!!!! Thanks sir.
 

13abarry

New member
Dec 3, 2013
1
0
Chicago, IL
Sets up but doesn't recognize Ventra card reader

Whenever I tap on a Ventra machine with the card up, nothing happens. Nor does anything happen when I tap at the turnstile. I am running 4.4.2 (Paranoid Android 4.3B6)
 

BallCity

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
135
66
Oh wow, this actually works! I did not have high hopes, but it worked flawlessly. I feel sort of weird using my phone for the Ventra now, but whatever, it rocks - this is the future! It also reads a lot better and faster than the physical cards - this is amazing.

FYI, I'm on T-Mobile with a Nexus 5. The instructions in the OP have slightly changed as the website has been redesigned a bit I think, but either way, it's easy to navigate through. The only issue is to manually type out the magnetic stripe information, but I was able to easily do it and get it to work on the first try.
 

lagoboss

Senior Member
Oct 28, 2013
83
16
Chicago
Oh wow, this actually works! I did not have high hopes, but it worked flawlessly. I feel sort of weird using my phone for the Ventra now, but whatever, it rocks - this is the future! It also reads a lot better and faster than the physical cards - this is amazing.

FYI, I'm on T-Mobile with a Nexus 5. The instructions in the OP have slightly changed as the website has been redesigned a bit I think, but either way, it's easy to navigate through. The only issue is to manually type out the magnetic stripe information, but I was able to easily do it and get it to work on the first try.

Encounter any nosey bus drivers yet? I plan to use this in place of my physical ventra card. They said that it is like 50 bucks to replace if lost.
 

BallCity

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
135
66
Encounter any nosey bus drivers yet? I plan to use this in place of my physical ventra card. They said that it is like 50 bucks to replace if lost.
I've only used it for a week but so far no questions. From what I understand with Google wallet or ISIS you can use your phone to pay for the bus with a debit card anyway. The advantage to the method in this thread though is you can use the actually Ventra card and it will hit your ventra credit and/or transit benefits, not a charge on a debit card.

As for lost Ventra cards, I've lost mine a couple of tines. It's only a $5 replacement fee. That being said, the phone is so much better and easier
 

lagoboss

Senior Member
Oct 28, 2013
83
16
Chicago
Thanks for the reply. My card is a ventra upass that defaults to a regular transit card when I'm not in school. It has a hefty replacement fee. I'm going to test it out today on the blue line.

Wish me luck

Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app
 

lagoboss

Senior Member
Oct 28, 2013
83
16
Chicago
Just did it Monroe on the blue line. It was quicker than my regular card

Edit: just tried on the 55th street bus. It had normal ventra processing lag :/

The lady before me tapped her card several times before it worked and then I hovered my phone and it had the processing lag and then my phone said card busy.

I'm starting to think that we are just at the mercy of the load on the Ventra network or windows mobile on the Ventra pad as far as lag occurring :/

Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app
 
Last edited:

lagoboss

Senior Member
Oct 28, 2013
83
16
Chicago
See?! I told you. The phone is so much better at transmitting that signal.

Yep :) I just tried on the 55th street bus. The senior citizen that tapped his card had to touch the pad several times and then it had major processing lag. My phone just vibrated and the pad said go immediately. This is so cool.

Oh and I forgot to add that my phone is in a rather thick holster case.

Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app
 
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BallCity

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
135
66
Yep :) I just tried on the 55th street bus. The senior citizen that tapped his card had to touch the pad several times and then it had major processing lag. My phone just vibrated and the pad said go immediately. This is so cool.

Oh and I forgot to add that my phone is in a rather thick holster case.

Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app

Ah nice about the case! I have a slim case over my Nexus 5, and that also has no issues whatsoever. It almost feels wrong to be using the phone for the transit lines, but it's amazing. Guess we live in the future huh.
 

lagoboss

Senior Member
Oct 28, 2013
83
16
Chicago
It almost feels wrong to be using the phone for the transit lines, but it's amazing. Guess we live in the future huh.

It does feel very odd. 5 years ago, I didn't even picture these implications for a phone. NFC rocks.

I just hope there is no abuse with it. It's one of the reasons I don't carry my chase card debit card with nfc. It's kind of creepy knowing someone could soft-clone your card if they get close enough.

Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app
 

lagoboss

Senior Member
Oct 28, 2013
83
16
Chicago
Hey, these are the questions I'd ask myself.

Is nfc activated on the device?

Does the phone read other NFC tags? (Like nfc tags or a Chase bank blink enabled card)

Does the phone react in any way when you tap the card? My phone has two types of beeps/bloops for successful and unsuccessful taps.

Do most ventra touch pads read your ventra card?

What device are you you using?

Maybe we can start troubleshooting with more information.

Best


Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app
 

macallik

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2013
266
55
Will check this out, thanks.

Just did it Monroe on the blue line. It was quicker than my regular card

Edit: just tried on the 55th street bus. It had normal ventra processing lag :/

The lady before me tapped her card several times before it worked and then I hovered my phone and it had the processing lag and then my phone said card busy.

I'm starting to think that we are just at the mercy of the load on the Ventra network or windows mobile on the Ventra pad as far as lag occurring :/

Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app
Shout out from Hyde Park!

Anyways, based on experiences, Ventra confirmation on the bus takes longer than at the train station and have a lower success rate as is if I remember correctly... that is why the CTA was withholding payments for Ventra for a while. They met their train SLA's but the bus readers were still hit or miss.
 

lagoboss

Senior Member
Oct 28, 2013
83
16
Chicago
Will check this out, thanks.


Shout out from Hyde Park!

Anyways, based on experiences, Ventra confirmation on the bus takes longer than at the train station and have a lower success rate as is if I remember correctly... that is why the CTA was withholding payments for Ventra for a while. They met their train SLA's but the bus readers were still hit or miss.

+1 for Hyde Park too!

My experiences seem to support this too. The turnstiles are way quicker these days. I feel sorry for bus drivers. Especially on 6 when there are like 20 people trying to get on and they are re-tapping over and over.

Still very excited about duplicating my upass though. I don't have to worry about misplacing the card anymore XD.

Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app
 

calebpw

Member
Jul 10, 2010
12
0
military service pass

Does anyone have any experience using with a military service pass. It's an unlimited use pass and am assuming it would work if the Upass worked. I have been out of town but am flying home tomorrow and can't wait to try it. I will post results.

---------- Post added at 02:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:37 PM ----------

Also, when searching for simply tapp app, I don't find one by that name just one named Tapp. However, in the pictures under app description one of the screenshots shows Simply Tapp. Am I correct in assuming this is the correct one? Andrew Stephen is listed as the developer.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
 

BallCity

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
135
66
Does anyone have any experience using with a military service pass. It's an unlimited use pass and am assuming it would work if the Upass worked. I have been out of town but am flying home tomorrow and can't wait to try it. I will post results.

---------- Post added at 02:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:37 PM ----------

Also, when searching for simply tapp app, I don't find one by that name just one named Tapp. However, in the pictures under app description one of the screenshots shows Simply Tapp. Am I correct in assuming this is the correct one? Andrew Stephen is listed as the developer.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
In terms of the app, you are absolutely correct - it is now called just "Tapp" in the Android Market and the developer is "Andrew Stephen". That is the same developer for both of the apps you need to download. The website used to setup Tapp is still called SimplyTapp, though.

As for the military service pass - I have no idea, but I bet it will work. Literally this method just mimics the physical card itself. I have pre-tax transit benefits from work, and this works fine to take the balance from there, works fine with transfer fees, etc -- it is literally the same exact thing as a physical card.
 

calebpw

Member
Jul 10, 2010
12
0
Great! As I left my ventra card in Chicago, I can't set it up until I get home. My flight gets in around 1pm tomorrow and I will post whether it worked for me or not by tomorrow evening.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
 

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  • 10
    This is a how-to guide on using your phone's NFC to get onto the CTA.
    Requirements are as follows:
    Android 4.4 (KitKat)
    SimplyTapp App
    SquareLess App
    Phone that supports NFC
    Ventra Card

    First install and setup SimplyTapp. It's free, runs on almost anything with 4.4 and will be the main application used when getting on the CTA.

    After you have setup your SimplyTapp account, create your PIN.

    Add a card, select swipe yours, you will end up at a webpage telling you that you need a card swiper inorder to continue, this is not the case. click Get The Card Now. Sign in, authorize the new card (blah, blah, blah). stop when you get to Put your swipe data in this box.

    goto the home screen (Push home button or however you do it on your phone)

    Install SquareLess from PlayStore (Same developer that made SimplyTapp)
    Open SquareLess
    Hold your Ventra Card upto your phones NFC sensor (most devices are on the back).
    You will hear the NFC sound on your phone and if it reads it sucessfully you will get a long string on numbers (possibly letters aswell). Get a piece of paper (If anyone can figure out how to clipboard this PLEASE TELL US HOW), write the entire string including all numbers, letters and special characters.

    Now goback to your web browser which will have the swipe data box we saw earlier in it. Type the ENTIRE string into the box, it has to be exact (case sensitive) with no changes. After you have the ENTIRE string entered, click Swipe Complete.

    The card will save to your account. ALL DONE!!!

    Make sure you select Tapp as your default pay app under settings, otherwise gWallet will transmit cc info.

    Now when your at the station or a bus. Open the Application, click on the card, hit Pay. Hold the device over the Ventra scanner and you should get a GO!

    I did this using my Ventra Mastercard, after using it I checked my MoneyNetwork prepaid balance and it did not charge under the prepaid. Checked ventrachicago.com and it showed up under my transit balance. SO IT WORKED.

    Its just like a second ventra card, you can even interchange the card with the phone. EXAMPLE: get on the redline using the card, transfer to the bus using the phone and still pay transfer price.

    Let me know your trials and tribulations. Feedback is welcomed, works or not. LET ME KNOW
    2
    I got it to work again. I pretty much started from scratch. Deleted all cards I had stored. Uninstalled the app and started the whole process over. Also I entered in the full string and not just the second half. Don't know if that made a difference but it just worked for me.

    Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app
    2
    I'm going to talk with Ventra in the next couple days about making an official app. I know this is something they have wanted since the beginning... And know that I've figured it out, it shouldn't be that hard.
    2
    I can confirm that it is working again after reinstalling the app and re-adding the card.

    I let him know about the nicknames and also suggested the ability to select the card's photo.

    Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app