03-13-2018, 01:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-13-2018, 01:38 PM by danbrotherston.)
(03-13-2018, 01:31 PM)tomh009 Wrote:(03-13-2018, 12:42 PM)KevinL Wrote: I've seen Apple technology used for fare payment; you can use an iPhone or Apple Watch instead of an Oyster in London, for example. (Oyster also accepts credit and debit tap cards.)
Same for Suica/PASMO in Japan. It's only iPhone 8 and X, though, not the earlier models.
As KevinT provided in a great explanation, the fundamental payment technology is different. Oyster terminals also accept Visa cards, which means, so far as I understand, that every single payment terminal must have a continuous internet connection. Offline payments are not possible.
Offline payment is possible with Presto, and I believe GRT has gone with the same underlying technology. Moreover, they are unlikely to ever allow Android phones (or any non-GRT secured hardware) to communicate with the payment terminal. Because your card stores the account value, if you can access the hardware (and by hardware, I mean the chip that is embedded in the card), you could program in a balance which doesn't exist. Moreover, you certainly cannot transfer a card to your phone, because in doing so you'd be able to rewrite the balance.