Hi,

We were talking recently about this in thread "Save tickets in an emmail?".

I chanced into a link that explains all this, while talking about a new
feature in Google Wallet. It is in Spanish, but perhaps someone can find
it in English. Or use Google Translate:

Original:

https://www.xatakandroid.com/aplicaciones-android/puedes-abrir-archivos-pkpass-google-wallet

Translated:

https://www-xatakandroid-com.translate.goog/aplicaciones-android/puedes-abrir-archivos-pkpass-google-wallet?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

You can now open PKPASS files with Google Wallet

Google agrees to one of the main requests of Google Wallet users:
to be able to import PKPASS passes from Apple

I'll summarize.

Apparently there is a (proprietary?) file format from Apple, called
"PKPASS". There are apps to open them in Android (I use "PassWallet").
The file can come simply attached to an email. It is used for all kind
of tickets, boarding passes, covid passports...

«A PKPASS file is nothing more than a ZIP with everything
necessary to generate the ticket or loyalty card (images,
JSON files and so on). It is a standard created by Apple
and not an open standard, although over time it has become
a de facto standard, as there simply were not many other
ways to do the same thing.»

The equivalent in the Android world is Google wallet, and it is not a
file but an API. You have to click on a link somewhere.

«Google chose a different route with Google Wallet .
Google Wallet Passes are not files, but developers
must use the appropriate API and are offered to users
as a link (usually with the Add to Google Wallet button)
that can be embedded in a website, application, email,
SMS or similar. It's just more complicated than necessary,
so many services still offer to create a PKPASS file
with our loyalty/boarding/other card, but not a link
to add to Google Wallet.»

And Google is now adding to Wallet the ability to read .pkpass files.

I seem to understand that Wallet stores them in "the cloud" somewhere.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote

|
| We were talking recently about this in thread "Save tickets in an
emmail?".
|

That was my friend. Several days later she still can't get the
tickets to entirely load in the email and logging into Ticketmaster
hangs. She tried chat. No luck. She finally got hold of a human
at Ticketmaster. They tried to walk her through it. No luck. They
explicitly told her that printing out the tickets (if she ever manages
to load them again) is not an option. She must go to the circus
using her cellphone as ticket. She could save the tickets in
Google Wallet/Pay (it's not clear what the difference is) but that
hurdle has to wait for actually getting the tickets loaded.

At one point she was able to load the tickets. By that I mean
she clicked the link in their email and got images of seat numbers
and a barcode. But saving to Wallet failed. Now she can't get the
barcode to show up.

The fact that Ticketmaster requires a phone, undoubtedly for
their own convenience and personal data collection, is outrageous.
The tickets were bought online. It should have been feasible to
download and print them. That works for airline tickets.

My friend is planning to take her daughter, son-in-law and
granddaughter to the circus. It's still not clear whether it's
actually going to be possible.

| I seem to understand that Wallet stores them in "the cloud" somewhere.
|

Makes sense. So you need your cellphone and a Google Wallet
account just to possess your tickets. And even then you don't possess
them. You only have a (hopeful) means of access to what you paid for.

I'm just glad that I'm not
itching to see a concert or spsorting event. Yesterday I went to
the theater again... slipped 'em a tenspot and went in to see
Dune 2. I was alone in the theater, which was built about 90
years ago. Kids today generally don't know this direct human
relationship to their world. But there's hope:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/03/teen-childhood-smartphone-use-mental-health-effects/677722/

Newyana2 <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> wrote:
> "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote
>
> | We were talking recently about this in thread "Save tickets in an
> emmail?".
>
> That was my friend. Several days later she still can't get the
> tickets to entirely load in the email and logging into Ticketmaster
> hangs. She tried chat. No luck. She finally got hold of a human
> at Ticketmaster. They tried to walk her through it. No luck. They
> explicitly told her that printing out the tickets (if she ever manages
> to load them again) is not an option. She must go to the circus
> using her cellphone as ticket. She could save the tickets in
> Google Wallet/Pay (it's not clear what the difference is) but that
> hurdle has to wait for actually getting the tickets loaded.
>
> At one point she was able to load the tickets. By that I mean
> she clicked the link in their email and got images of seat numbers
> and a barcode. But saving to Wallet failed. Now she can't get the
> barcode to show up.

Isn't that - not being able to 'load'/display the tickets in the
e-mail - not a problem with her computer, browser, <whatever)?

Have you tried to let her forward the e-mail to you and let you try?

If you can display the ticket/barcode, then - as I said - make a
screenshot and either directly send the screenshot to her, or - probably
better - print the screenshot to a PDF and send the PDF to her.

That - PDF of screenshot - *must* be an acceptable form to present the
ticket at the 'check-in'. If not these Ticketmaster people are a bunch
of idiots.

> The fact that Ticketmaster requires a phone, undoubtedly for
> their own convenience and personal data collection, is outrageous.
> The tickets were bought online. It should have been feasible to
> download and print them. That works for airline tickets.

Exactly.

> My friend is planning to take her daughter, son-in-law and
> granddaughter to the circus. It's still not clear whether it's
> actually going to be possible.

To be on the safe side, *also* print the tickets and let them raise
hell if they're not accepted.

[...]

On 2024-03-19 18:25, Newyana2 wrote:
> "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote
>
> |
> | We were talking recently about this in thread "Save tickets in an
> emmail?".
> |
>
> That was my friend. Several days later she still can't get the
> tickets to entirely load in the email and logging into Ticketmaster
> hangs. She tried chat. No luck. She finally got hold of a human
> at Ticketmaster. They tried to walk her through it. No luck. They
> explicitly told her that printing out the tickets (if she ever manages
> to load them again) is not an option. She must go to the circus
> using her cellphone as ticket. She could save the tickets in
> Google Wallet/Pay (it's not clear what the difference is) but that
> hurdle has to wait for actually getting the tickets loaded.
>
> At one point she was able to load the tickets. By that I mean
> she clicked the link in their email and got images of seat numbers
> and a barcode. But saving to Wallet failed. Now she can't get the
> barcode to show up.
>
> The fact that Ticketmaster requires a phone, undoubtedly for
> their own convenience and personal data collection, is outrageous.
> The tickets were bought online. It should have been feasible to
> download and print them. That works for airline tickets.

There is no data collection involved.

>
> My friend is planning to take her daughter, son-in-law and
> granddaughter to the circus. It's still not clear whether it's
> actually going to be possible.
>
> | I seem to understand that Wallet stores them in "the cloud" somewhere.
> |
>
> Makes sense. So you need your cellphone and a Google Wallet
> account just to possess your tickets. And even then you don't possess
> them. You only have a (hopeful) means of access to what you paid for.

Just a google account which she already has, because she has an Android
phone.

>
> I'm just glad that I'm not
> itching to see a concert or spsorting event. Yesterday I went to
> the theater again... slipped 'em a tenspot and went in to see
> Dune 2. I was alone in the theater, which was built about 90
> years ago. Kids today generally don't know this direct human
> relationship to their world. But there's hope:
>
> https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/03/teen-childhood-smartphone-use-mental-health-effects/677722/
>
>

--
Cheers, Carlos.

On 2024-03-19 19:30, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> Newyana2 <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> wrote:
>> "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote
>>
>> | We were talking recently about this in thread "Save tickets in an
>> emmail?".
>>
>> That was my friend. Several days later she still can't get the
>> tickets to entirely load in the email and logging into Ticketmaster
>> hangs. She tried chat. No luck. She finally got hold of a human
>> at Ticketmaster. They tried to walk her through it. No luck. They
>> explicitly told her that printing out the tickets (if she ever manages
>> to load them again) is not an option. She must go to the circus
>> using her cellphone as ticket. She could save the tickets in
>> Google Wallet/Pay (it's not clear what the difference is) but that
>> hurdle has to wait for actually getting the tickets loaded.
>>
>> At one point she was able to load the tickets. By that I mean
>> she clicked the link in their email and got images of seat numbers
>> and a barcode. But saving to Wallet failed. Now she can't get the
>> barcode to show up.
>
> Isn't that - not being able to 'load'/display the tickets in the
> e-mail - not a problem with her computer, browser, <whatever)?
>
> Have you tried to let her forward the e-mail to you and let you try?
>
> If you can display the ticket/barcode, then - as I said - make a
> screenshot and either directly send the screenshot to her, or - probably
> better - print the screenshot to a PDF and send the PDF to her.

They absolutely must contemplate a method of having the tickets for
those people without a mobile phone.

Or those without Google Wallet, because they use iphones.

Anyway, all this is off-topic in this thread, which aim is solely to
explain the two methods, Wallet or Pkpass.

The ticketmaster problem has its own thread.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote

| There is no data collection involved.
|

So innocent.

| > Makes sense. So you need your cellphone and a Google Wallet
| > account just to possess your tickets. And even then you don't possess
| > them. You only have a (hopeful) means of access to what you paid for.
| | Just a google account which she already has, because she has an Android
| phone.

I have an Android. No Google account. I have all Google
functions blocked or removed. Welcome to the free world. :)

"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote

| They absolutely must contemplate a method of having the tickets for
| those people without a mobile phone.
| | Or those without Google Wallet, because they use iphones.
|

No. People with iPhones are in the same boat. They have
to use their cellphone and may use the Apple version of
a "wallet". The people at Ticketmaster told her this. It may
be more functional in Spain. You're EU. Here they get away
with whatever they like.