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