[HOW-TO][CHICAGO] Ventra using SimplyTapp
- Thread starter mstofflett
- Start date
This is awesome, but what about security? Seems like pubtrans would be the perfect place to snake stuff via NFC since its close quarters and all. And what about double charging like was happening when ventra first launched if you also carry your ventra card?
Either way, even as a proof of concept this is awesome.
Either way, even as a proof of concept this is awesome.
thank you!
Worked brilliantly on my Nexus 4! Keep in mind that there is a space before and after the forward slash in the card data. Thank you!
BTW this theoretically could be used to sniff card data..I tried on an AMEX card and it read it through my jeans and wallet. Be vigilant!
---------- Post added at 12:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 AM ----------
I will say that my Nexus 4 was very finicky in scanning my Ventra card, but it scanned my AMEX card very easily when I tested that. I believe the Ventra cards to be particular. Try in many configurations - it did eventually work quite well once I found the right spot on the card and phone.
Worked brilliantly on my Nexus 4! Keep in mind that there is a space before and after the forward slash in the card data. Thank you!
BTW this theoretically could be used to sniff card data..I tried on an AMEX card and it read it through my jeans and wallet. Be vigilant!
---------- Post added at 12:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 AM ----------
I will say that my Nexus 4 was very finicky in scanning my Ventra card, but it scanned my AMEX card very easily when I tested that. I believe the Ventra cards to be particular. Try in many configurations - it did eventually work quite well once I found the right spot on the card and phone.
After you select Visa MagstripeYours, that's it? I don't have to do anything else? I've been hitting the modify script button and selecting personalize but not continuing on.
I've been putting in a space before the slash, not after so I'll try this and the post above tomorrow. Thank you all for the suggestions. Hopefully it will work for me this time. I can make a card fine, but the ventra fare machine won't read it and nothing happens.
Also, to avoid any security issues, could we use an app like LLama or Tasker to turn on NFC when we open Tapp and turn it off when we close Tapp? Would that help?
No, you have to continue you on - there are some more detailed instructions on this reddit thread that should help but you keep going until it basically asks if you want to add another card. I can't add the external link but it is in the r/chicago subreddit, the title of the post is "Instructions to add your Android 4.4+ NFC device to an existing Ventra account"
Then you have to sync the Tapp app and authorize the card by hitting on "pay" and then selecting your option.
Re: security, I'm sorry I wasn't clear - the NFC phone app isn't likely a source of being sniffed but you certainly can set a PIN so you have to type your PIN each time you use it. What I was saying is I was unaware phones can be turned into NFC sniffers! This is good advice to everyone to keep your NFC cards (Ventra, AMEX, etc) safe from other people's phones.
---------- Post added at 02:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:54 AM ----------
Yeah I'm using a stock unlocked Nexus 4 running version 4.4.4. It took me a hundred tries to get it to work but just try every possible location on the card and the phone - the NFC chip on the Ventra card is a piece of garbage and needs to be right on the right spot on the phone to get it to work.
Then you have to sync the Tapp app and authorize the card by hitting on "pay" and then selecting your option.
Re: security, I'm sorry I wasn't clear - the NFC phone app isn't likely a source of being sniffed but you certainly can set a PIN so you have to type your PIN each time you use it. What I was saying is I was unaware phones can be turned into NFC sniffers! This is good advice to everyone to keep your NFC cards (Ventra, AMEX, etc) safe from other people's phones.
---------- Post added at 02:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:54 AM ----------
Yeah I'm using a stock unlocked Nexus 4 running version 4.4.4. It took me a hundred tries to get it to work but just try every possible location on the card and the phone - the NFC chip on the Ventra card is a piece of garbage and needs to be right on the right spot on the phone to get it to work.
Work great on Oneplus One
I was unable to read ventra card on my OPO. I ended up using squareless on a Nexus 7 (2012) to read the card and even that was difficult. But once I was able to get the number and transfer it to simplytapp it seems to work even more effectively than the ventra card itself. Thanks for the guide. You should mention that the ventra card will take some patience to get to be read.
I was unable to read ventra card on my OPO. I ended up using squareless on a Nexus 7 (2012) to read the card and even that was difficult. But once I was able to get the number and transfer it to simplytapp it seems to work even more effectively than the ventra card itself. Thanks for the guide. You should mention that the ventra card will take some patience to get to be read.
Does this only work with standard fare transactions? I subscribe to a monthly unlimited pass and as far as I can tell from here (ventrachicago.com/terms/#linkedTo), the reader would only see the NFC information and not the actual transit pass linked to my Ventra card. Can anyone clarify this?
It emulates your physical card. Any pass on your card will be available on the phone.
The ventra pads see the phone as the card; they are even interchangeable meaning: you can tap on the bus (the pad deducts full fare and then you tap the phone on the turnstyle (the pad gives you your transfer).
I use this setup with my UPASS with unlimited rides and there is no issue. It only charges me when my pass isn't active.
I hope this helps.
Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app
The ventra pads see the phone as the card; they are even interchangeable meaning: you can tap on the bus (the pad deducts full fare and then you tap the phone on the turnstyle (the pad gives you your transfer).
I use this setup with my UPASS with unlimited rides and there is no issue. It only charges me when my pass isn't active.
I hope this helps.
Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Free mobile app
Seems like this doesn't work for me. The SimplyTap app keeps crashing when I try opening it. :/ I was really looking forward to using my phone for this. I have the Find 7a running CM11. Is there an alternative app I could use?
After I select SwipeYours it brings me here: http://i.imgur.com/mLnEyKO.png
I can't figure out how to proceed... Maybe they updated the app since your original instructions?
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10This 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 KNOW3https://twitter.com/cta/status/522441661456986114
http://www.transitchicago.com/news/default.aspx?Month=&Year=&Category=2&ArticleId=3354
CTA just announced an official app by 2015 - with NFC support. Nice.
No more of this hacky s hit.2I 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 app2I'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.
