Support FAQs for Vircarda

Getting Started

To activate your virtual smartcard, follow the steps below: 

  1. Download and open the Vircarda app

  2. Enter the Registration Code and PIN Number provided by your card issuing organisation 

    • Please contact your card issuing organisation if you are unable to find the relevant email or SMS​

  3. Check the details displayed on your card are correct

    • You can report any issues with the card by selecting the 'Report issue with card' link directly underneath the displayed card​

  4. Enter a valid email and password to register your account

    • Note: It is highly recommended, for account recovery purposes, that you enter your personal mobile number​

  5. Click 'Create Account'

If you are unable to download Vircarda, then your device may not be compatible. An error message will be displayed, and an alternative device will need to be used. Note: iOS devices running iOS 10 or later and Android devices running 4.4 and later are compatible with Vircarda.

​If the storage on your device is full, more storage needs to be added or unused apps removed. Once this is done try downloading Vircarda again.

Check the email is not in your spam/junk folder.

​Please contact your card issuing organisation to request your registration details are present. You may wish to provide a different email address or mobile number.

Please contact your card issuing organisation to request they re-issue your registration details.

Try deleting the app from your device and reinstalling it from the relevant app store.

You can 'Remove a Card' from your Vircarda app. You can also reload a card back into Vircarda using the 'Load A Card' feature within the app and selecting the appropriate card from the list. Once a card has been reloaded, the data and information relating to that specific card will become accessible.

Vircarda is designed to store multiple virtual smartcards from schemes that are using our platform.

Once you have successfully registered your Vircarda account, the card-issuing organisation's contact details are available within the app. To view contact details:

  • Click on the relevant virtual smartcard image and the telephone support number will be displayed

  • On iOS, click the ellipsis menu (more options icon) at the top right of the app, screen select 'Manage Account' from the drop-down menu and click on 'Memberships', the telephone support number(s) will then be shown

  • On Android, the 'Manage Account' screen is accessed via the account icon

Issues with your cards

Only your card issuing organisation can amend the details on your card. Please contact them directly to arrange for your details to be updated.

A notification will have been sent informing you that a card has been cancelled. Cancelled cards are automatically removed from your Vircarda app. If you are unsure why a card has been cancelled or to request a replacement card, please contact your card issuing organisation.

You may have removed a card in error - you can reload it using the 'Load A Card' feature. Select the ellipsis menu (more options icon) at the top right within Vircarda and click 'Load A Card' from the drop-down menu. Click on the relevant card you wish to reload. Once a card has been reloaded, the data and information relating to that specific card will become accessible. 

Another reason a card may have disappeared from your view is if it has been cancelled. A notification should have been sent to inform you if this is the case. Please check with your card issuing organisation.

​When cards have expired, they remain within the app (identified and marked as 'Expired') for a period of time determined by the card issuing organisation. Please contact your card issuing organisation if your card should not have expired or to arrange for your card to be renewed.

Vircarda generates a secure, short life QR code that can only be read with compatible QR readers (Checarda and Go Smart). Generic QR readers cannot read the QR codes generated by Vircarda. 

The QR code can only be read once, should you need to refresh the code, either swipe down or click on the QR code.

Managing your cards

As a cardholder you are not able to delete a card. However, cards can be removed from Vircarda by clicking the ellipsis menu (more options icon) at the top right of the app and selecting 'Remove Card' from the menu. This option means you can reload the card back into Vircarda at any time.

If you want to permanently delete a card, please contact your card issuing organisation to request that the card is cancelled and therefore removed from your wallet.

Cards can be securely checked/read using either Checarda or Go Smart (Android and iOS), cards can also be read using a Windows PC application. For further information, please visit:​

​Please contact your card issuing organisation to confirm which application should be used to check/read your card.

To enable your card to be checked/read, a QR code needs to be generated by selecting the 'Read Card' function within the app and presenting the card to the card reader. Once your virtual smartcard has been successfully read, the information stored on your smartcard will become visible to the card reader. You will also receive a card read notification.

All historic 'Card Read' activity is accessible within the app. Card read history details the time and date (in descending order) and is available via the home screen within the app by clicking the tile 'Card Read Activity'.

​The card read list includes (where available):

  • Card scheme icon

  • Date and time of card read (in descending order)

  • The name of the device that completed the read

  • A link to a map detailing the location of where the card read was completed (this will only be displayed if GPS was enabled on the device reading your card)

Notifications are handled differently on individual devices. On most Android and iOS devices, you can decide whether to receive notifications on an app-by-app basis. If you are not receiving notifications from Vircarda, go to the  'Settings' on your device and ensure 'Notifications' are switched to 'Allow'.

Note: As notifications are not 100% reliable across all platforms, it is recommended to regularly view the activity within your Vircarda app.

Using Vircarda

Notifications are short messages that ‘pop up’ on your device. Notifications are sent instantly and can be displayed even if the Vircarda app is not running or the screen lock is on. Notifications can either be system or scheme generated. 

Alerts to new (unread) notifications are indicated by the status bar icon (at the top of your device), a vibration of your device (if set), the blinking device LED and a badge indicator on the Vircarda app icon.

System generated notifications include:

  • Card reads

  • Card updates including qualifications, accreditations and competencies

  • New cards issued

  • Transfer of a card to another device

  • Revoke of a scheme

  • Card cancellation

  • System admin messages.

 
Scheme notifications can be used to engage directly with cardholders and can include:

  • Updates on the information held within the Vircarda app

  • Information and updates about a scheme/membership/community

  • Promotional offers including QR codes and links to URLs

  • Scheme relevant content including attachments and links

  • Two-way interaction between card issuing organisations and its users/community/members

  • E-ticket solutions for issuing electronic tickets to users 

  • Action buttons to capture responses. 

Notifications, except for ‘card reads’ and ‘transfer of card to another device’ are stored as in-app messages within the ‘Message List’ function and can be viewed by either:

  • Selecting the horizontal ellipsis (more options icon) at the top right of the app and clicking ‘Messages’ from the drop-down menu

  • Clicking the ‘Message List’ tile on the home screen within the app.

In-app messages are displayed in a list format; descending by date and time (most recent first). Messages can be viewed directly from the message tile on the Vircarda app home screen or by clicking the ellipsis menu (more options icon) on the top right of the app and selecting ‘Messages’ from the drop-down menu.

​A thumbnail scheme icon or hero image is shown against each message, which can help to identify the scheme that sent the message.  

​If you are unable to see any of the message content, check your connection status is online and try to open the message again. If you still experience problems viewing the message, close the application, uninstall from your device, reinstall and log back in.

Notifications can be turned on or off from your device settings. If you have chosen to turn off the ‘Notification’ functionality, you will not receive any further notifications.

This feature can be re-enabled via the device settings – the Vircarda app will then need to be launched to update the settings within the app. 

To delete one or multiple in-app Messages select the ellipsis menu (more options icon) in the top right of the app and click on ‘Messages’ from the drop-down menu or select the ‘Message List’ tile on the Vircarda app home screen. ​

  • Android: Once the message list is displayed, select the message thumbnail image or long press. The message will be highlighted, then select the bin image in the right-hand corner of the App to delete it. Should a message be deleted in error, select ‘Undo’ to restore the message.​ Android also supports swiping left or right to delete a single message from the list

  • iOS: Once the message list is displayed, select edit, check the message(s) you wish to delete (this feature allows multiple message selection) and click Delete'. To delete a single message, swipe left on the message – a gesture swipe will display a delete option and a full swipe will delete the message automatically. Should a message be deleted in error, the undo feature is available by selecting edit. Note: the undo feature is not available if you swipe left to delete a message.

Card read history, detailing the time and date in descending order, is available on the home screen within the app by clicking the tile ‘Card Read Activity’. 

​The card read list includes (where available): 

  • Card scheme icon

  • Date and time of card read

  • The name of the device that completed the read 

  • A link to a map detailing the location of where the card read was completed (this will only be displayed if GPS is enabled on the device reading your card)

Transferring your virtual smartcard(s) to a new device is a straightforward process. You may wish to do this if your device was lost/stolen or if you have a new device.

Download Vircarda from the relevant app store and install it onto your new device.

When you first launch Vircarda on your new device, the login button is shown in the middle of the registration screen, click the ‘Login' button and enter your email address and password credentials that were used when you first registered with Vircarda. Click on the 'Add Card' button and select the relevant card from the list. When the card has downloaded to the new device, it will automatically be removed from the old one (provided the old one is still online). 

The Vircarda app can be installed on multiple devices, however, the virtual cards within the app can only be stored on one device at any one time. This is a security feature designed to ensure your card is not compromised.

To transfer your card from one device to another click on the 'Add Card' button and select the relevant card from the list. When the card has downloaded to the device, it will automatically be removed from the other one. 

Login credentials

If you have forgotten your email address, please select the ‘Forgotten Password or Email Address’ option on the login screen within the Vircarda app. On the next screen you will have the option to select 'Forgotten Email Address'. You will be prompted to provide the mobile number that you used when you first created your Vircarda account. An SMS will be sent to your device, detailing the email address associated with your account. You will now be able to log back into Vircarda and view your cards. 

​Note: If you opted not to provide a mobile number when you created your account, your account details may not be recoverable. You will need to create a new Vircarda account and contact your card issuing organisation for more assistance. 

If you forget your password, please select the 'Forgotten Password or Email Address' option on the login screen within the Vircarda App. You will be prompted to provide the email address that you used when you first created your Vircarda account. Vircarda will then ask you to select the email address or mobile number (if one was provided), which will enable you to have the reset password PIN sent to you.

​Once you have received your PIN, enter the number as instructed within the Vircarda App (note: this must be entered within 10 mins or the PIN will expire). Enter a new password and re-enter to confirm. You will now be able to log back into Vircarda and view your cards.

​Note: It is highly recommended that you add your personal mobile number for account recovery purposes (if you have not already done so) under 'Account Management'. If you opted not to provide a mobile number when you created your account, your account details may not be recoverable. You will need to create a new Vircarda account and contact your card issuing organisation for more assistance.