Many countries, regions, PTA’s or ticketing solution vendors have defined mobile ticketing specifications where security measures using cryptographic models are used to achieve protection against ticket duplication. One example is the Swedish BoB standard, that has been in existence for several years and is now implemented by most PTAs in Sweden.  

To maintain the security against ticket duplication, tickets are often displayed in an app as an Aztec code, which can be optically read and automatically validated by a device. Tickets can also be represented as paper tickets using the same standard but then lack copy protection. 

When there is a need to digitally distribute secure, non-copyable tickets, the customer therefore needs to have an app installed. This is too high of a threshold for some passenger groups to achieve sufficient simplicity and accessibility. WebTickets is a concept that removes the requirement for the traveler to have an app installed to obtain and use a secure, non-copyable ticket.

WebTickets is a solution where unique links are distributed to recipients via SMS or e-mail, and where secure digital public transport tickets can be used by the traveller without the requirement of an installed app. The solution integrates with the ticketing system by using the ticketing systems APIs. In Sweden the solution uses APIs based on the national BoB standard and the rendering of tickets are based on the same standard that has built-in copy protection.  

As seen in the image below, the solution includes sales channels such as the web application for "Group and Event”, where users can create lists and send out SMS with corresponding tickets to groups of travellers. The solution also offers APIs that can be used by other sales channels, such as websites, ticket vending machines or digital resellers.

WebTickets creates unique links and distributes them to users via SMS with corresponding tickets and it gives the traveller an opportunity to receive and open a link on their phone or computer and access their ticket without having an app installed.  

The tickets contain multiple elements of security, including both an inner and an outer signature, used for validating authenticity and for copy protection respectively.