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Apple Wallet and e-tickets (VTWC - maybe others)

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071

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How / where do I buy e-tickets that I can use with Apple Wallet on my phone? This should be simple but it doesn't seem to be and I can't fathom it out for myself.

Compounding my problem, I have bought some, but I don't know how I did it to get them into Wallet on my phone. I'm fairly sure I booked them through the VTWC web site. However, recent online bookings with VTWC insist on showing the ticket using their own app only. I don't want to do this if I don't have to as there is better functionality available in Wallet. Have I missed something, or have VTWC changed something to disallow the use of Wallet?
 
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pedr

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The Cross Country website delivers e-tickets both via the app (which only display after being activated because of how the app is designed) and also as a PDF containing the barcode as an attachment to an email. The email has a button to click which then transfers the ticket to the Apple Wallet. I think that transactions to purchase e-tickets made in the app, rather than the website, also trigger the same email with the same button.
 
gordonthemoron

gordonthemoron

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VTWC sometimes sells me e tickets and sometimes m tickets, you don't get to choose which and I have no idea how they decide which to use
 
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infobleep

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I was on the virgin train app right now and when I go to buy the option, all I get is collect at the station. Where do I find the eticket option?

I'm on the train with a valid ticket but as I'll hit a point where is no longer valid, I wish to buy a ticket to cover that part of my journey. The train has no guard.

If I get off it will delay my journey.
 
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infobleep

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I've found my answer via the Train line Web Site. In London there is limited availability.

Still it's not as if London doesn't have the largest population.

I could get off at my destination; tap out and then say to TfL the tap in wasn't registered. That is dishonested of course but no intention of fraud as it's the same price.

Alternatively I get off and delay my journey, which is probably what I will do.

There is a push for eticketing so maybe next year they will be able to remove the limited availability part and make it just avilable, like most of the country.

Surprise surprise, the problem seems to be Govia Thameslink Railway related. As if I do South Western Railway service no issue.

I'd have thought eticeketing would have been part of GTRs franchise agreement. Maybe it is but only by the end of the franchise and they haven't reached that point yet, so they still have time to implement it.
 
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mirodo

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According to Trainline:

We’re working hard to make etickets available to everyone, but at the moment it’s only selected routes and Train Operating Companies (TOCs) that accept them. When you search for your journey in our app, we’ll always highlight our eticket option to you if it’s available

Here’s a rough guide to help you know if etickets are available to you –

Chiltern Railways - All ticket types on all routes
CrossCountry - Advance tickets on all routes. Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets on most routes
Grand Central Railway - Advance tickets on all routes. Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets for fares that are valid only on Grand Central services
Great Western Railway - All ticket types on all routes
Greater Anglia - Advance tickets on all routes
Hull Trains - Advance tickets on all routes and flexible tickets for fares that are valid only on Hull Trains services
London North Eastern Railway - Advance tickets on all routes. Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets on most fares, except routes within Scottish borders and between Stevenage and Kings Cross
London Northwestern Railway - All ticket types on all routes
Northern - All ticket types on all routes
South Western Railway - All ticket types on all routes
TransPennine Express - All ticket types on all routes
Transport for Wales - Advance tickets on all routes
Virgin Trains West Coast - All ticket types on all routes
West Midlands - All ticket types on all routes

If your TOC isn’t listed, etickets probably aren’t available yet. But, if etickets are available for your route, we’ll let you know when you’re booking
Click to expand...

And of course, no eticketing when crossing London via the Underground even if the two legs of the journey either side are eticket enabled.

Anything purchased as an eticket from Trainline via their app can be added to Apple Wallet.
 
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infobleep

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mirodo said:
According to Trainline:



And of course, no eticketing when crossing London via the Underground even if the two legs of the journey either side are eticket enabled.

Anything purchased as an eticket from Trainline via their app can be added to Apple Wallet.
Click to expand...
I've resolved my 0r9vpdm.by getting out at a stop earlier and using the tube. That will get me to where I need to be roughly on time. Certainly earlier than if I got out and tapped back in and waited for the next service.

It does mean all of the care goes to TfL.

However it took time to reach the tube station and when I did, there was a 5 minute gap between services. At least it said that. Must have just missed one. So whether this is faster is debatable. Unfortunately though my only fault I thought I needed to be at my destination later than I actually did.
 
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071

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Thanks folks. I didn't appreciate the difference between an e-ticket and an m-ticket, which I now know is what I really want, but it seems they are unpredictable, at least on VTWC. At least I know it's not me doing something wrong.
 
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theshillito

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Okay, so this thread isn't very useful on explaining the difference between E-tickets and M-tickets.

M-tickets: These are tickets sold within a ticket seller's mobile app and is only accessible within the app. It won't go into Apple Wallet (previously known as Passbook) or equivalents. These have additional verification methods (like those slidey time and colour bars and stuff), along with activating at a certain time and day, which means they can also be used for open returns rather than just advance tickets.

E-tickets: These are sold mostly on websites but I think some apps can do them as well. As there's limited verification, it's mostly just advance tickets available as e-tickets. You will get a PDF by email, but you will also typically get a button in the email to add to Apple Wallet and equivalents, since these tickets are just a QR code. However, ticket checkers often don't have barcode scanners, so don't just take the QR code out, they'll generally need to see the full ticket. I had this issue on a LondonMidland (at the time) service where I showed the QR code on my Apple Watch, and got asked to scroll up to see the rest of the ticket info since they didn't have a scanner.

You can't add E-tickets to the ticket seller's app, and you can't convert M-tickets to a PDF or add to Wallet.

In short:
M = Mobile = app only
E = Email = PDF and Wallet
 
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WelshBluebird

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theshillito said:
Okay, so this thread isn't very useful on explaining the difference between E-tickets and M-tickets.

M-tickets: These are tickets sold within a ticket seller's mobile app and is only accessible within the app. It won't go into Apple Wallet (previously known as Passbook) or equivalents. These have additional verification methods (like those slidey time and colour bars and stuff), along with activating at a certain time and day, which means they can also be used for open returns rather than just advance tickets.

E-tickets: These are sold mostly on websites but I think some apps can do them as well. As there's limited verification, it's mostly just advance tickets available as e-tickets. You will get a PDF by email, but you will also typically get a button in the email to add to Apple Wallet and equivalents, since these tickets are just a QR code. However, ticket checkers often don't have barcode scanners, so don't just take the QR code out, they'll generally need to see the full ticket. I had this issue on a LondonMidland (at the time) service where I showed the QR code on my Apple Watch, and got asked to scroll up to see the rest of the ticket info since they didn't have a scanner.

You can't add E-tickets to the ticket seller's app, and you can't convert M-tickets to a PDF or add to Wallet.

In short:
M = Mobile = app only
E = Email = PDF and Wallet
Click to expand...

The problem with the way the railway has implemented e and m-tickets, means although the above is a pretty good overall description, there are multiple differences.
The two big ones I am aware of are:
  • Some apps provide what would be e-tickets, except they are locked inside of the app, so essentially become m-tickets (e.g. the GWR app).
  • At least for GWR, tickets are available as e-tickets regardless of if they are advances or open walk up tickets.
 
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Bletchleyite

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theshillito said:
E-tickets: These are sold mostly on websites but I think some apps can do them as well. As there's limited verification, it's mostly just advance tickets available as e-tickets.
Click to expand...

This is not true. Walk-up tickets are also available as e-tickets on the TOCs that sell e-tickets. They finally saw sense that this is actually not substantially less secure than a regular bit of orange card, and saves TOCs costs to make that up.

You can't add E-tickets to the ticket seller's app, and you can't convert M-tickets to a PDF or add to Wallet.
Click to expand...

This isn't true either. GWR's app has a proper implementation to show e-tickets in the app as e-tickets, and LNR's app has a slightly fudged implementation that lets you generate an m-ticket from an e-ticket to use it in their app (but the e-ticket, so far as I know, remains valid).
 
mirodo

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theshillito said:
E-tickets: These are sold mostly on websites but I think some apps can do them as well. As there's limited verification, it's mostly just advance tickets available as e-tickets.
Click to expand...

As I quoted in post #7, Trainline offer a wide range of etickets. I was able to make a test purchase of a day single from Stourbridge Town to Junction - it was available as an eticket which I was then able to add to Apple Wallet.
 
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