Latest news with #Railcards
Scottish Sun
30-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Brits to get virtual IDs ‘soon' with promise of buying booze using nothing but their phone – exactly how it works
Digital ID app from the Government is also set to launch later this year with driving licences and more DRINK APP Brits to get virtual IDs 'soon' with promise of buying booze using nothing but their phone – exactly how it works BRITS will soon be able to keep a virtual version of their ID on a phone which could eventually allow people to buy booze. Google has revealed that it is in talks with the Government about a way to store a digital copy of your passport on Android devices for alcohol purchases and other products requiring age verification. 2 Google is adding support for railcards in the UK first Credit: Google Technology Secretary Peter Kyle announced in December that digital IDs will finally be available in the UK this year meaning pub-goers no longer need to carry a wallet. In the first step toward digital ID, Google has announced that Brits will "soon" have the ability to verify their age for train railcards. Train travellers will be able to confirm they're the right age for passes such as the 15-25 railcard or 26-30 railcard. It will work by using a UK passport within the Google Wallet app. "Residents of the United Kingdom will soon be able to create digital ID passes with their U.K. passports and securely and conveniently store them in Google Wallet," the company said. "At launch, we're partnering with Rail Delivery Group, which will offer train travellers the opportunity to use their digital ID to verify that they meet the eligibility criteria for select Railcards on its Railcard retailing platform "We're also exploring certification within the digital identity trust framework of the U.K.'s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which could allow residents to use their Google Wallet ID passes for alcohol purchases and more." The Government is also working on an app of its own that will include a digital wallet to store documents, beginning with a veteran card and then a pilot of driving licences by the end of the year. It will include a picture, licence number, name and whether or not the owner is over 18. The Government's digital wallet will be able to hold multiple documents - including Blue Badges, PIP letters, and DBS by 2027. Digital driving licences to be introduced this year on a new smartphone app that will store government-issued virtual documents Digital IDs from Google and Apple have been available in some states of the US for sometime now. Google said it is preparing to add Arkansas, Montana, Puerto Rico and West Virginia to the list next. 2 What the Government's digital ID app is set to look like Credit: @SciTechgovuk / X
The Irish Sun
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Brits to get virtual IDs ‘soon' with promise of buying booze using nothing but their phone – exactly how it works
BRITS will soon be able to keep a virtual version of their ID on a phone which could eventually allow people to buy booze. Google has revealed that it is in talks with the Government about a way to store a digital copy of your passport on Android devices for alcohol purchases and other products requiring age verification. Advertisement 2 Google is adding support for railcards in the UK first Credit: Google Technology Secretary Peter Kyle announced in December that digital IDs will finally be available in the UK this year meaning pub-goers no longer need to carry a wallet. In the first step toward digital ID, Google has announced that Brits will "soon" have the ability to verify their age for train railcards. Train travellers will be able to confirm they're the right age for passes such as the 15-25 railcard or 26-30 railcard. It will work by using a UK passport within the Google Wallet app. Advertisement Read more about Google " Residents of the United Kingdom will soon be able to create digital ID passes with their U.K. passports and securely and conveniently store them in Google Wallet," the company said. "At launch, we're partnering with Rail Delivery Group, which will offer train travellers the opportunity to use their digital ID to verify that they meet the eligibility criteria for select Railcards on its Railcard retailing platform . " We're also exploring certification within the digital identity trust framework of the U.K.'s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology , which could allow residents to use their Google Wallet ID passes for alcohol purchases and more. " The Government is also Advertisement Most read in Tech Breaking Exclusive It will include a picture, licence number, name and whether or not the owner is over 18. The Government's digital wallet will be able to hold multiple documents - including Digital driving licences to be introduced this year on a new smartphone app that will store government-issued virtual documents Digital IDs from Google and Apple have been available in some states of the US for sometime now. Google said it is preparing to add to the list next. Advertisement 2 What the Government's digital ID app is set to look like Credit: @SciTechgovuk / X How the Google Wallet digital ID works With Google Wallet, government-issued ID appears alongside your bank cards. When adding it to the app, you have to scan the front and the back of your ID so Google can check it's valid. You need to take a brief video to confirm it belongs to you. Google then needs to prepare and send your application to the ID issuer which can take a few minutes to be approved. You receive a notification when the ID card has been approved and is ready to use. Steps may vary slightly for Brits as Google will have to comply with UK rules. The Government here has set up a digital identity trust framework that companies like Google will have to get a certificate for to be allowed to facilitate digital IDs. Image credit: Getty
The Sun
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Brits to get virtual IDs ‘soon' with promise of buying booze using nothing but their phone – exactly how it works
BRITS will soon be able to keep a virtual version of their ID on a phone which could eventually allow people to buy booze. Google has revealed that it is in talks with the Government about a way to store a digital copy of your passport on Android devices for alcohol purchases and other products requiring age verification. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle announced in December that digital IDs will finally be available in the UK this year meaning pub-goers no longer need to carry a wallet. In the first step toward digital ID, Google has announced that Brits will "soon" have the ability to verify their age for train railcards. Train travellers will be able to confirm they're the right age for passes such as the 15-25 railcard or 26-30 railcard. It will work by using a UK passport within the Google Wallet app. "Residents of the United Kingdom will soon be able to create digital ID passes with their U.K. passports and securely and conveniently store them in Google Wallet," the company said. "At launch, we're partnering with Rail Delivery Group, which will offer train travellers the opportunity to use their digital ID to verify that they meet the eligibility criteria for select Railcards on its Railcard retailing platform "We're also exploring certification within the digital identity trust framework of the U.K.'s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which could allow residents to use their Google Wallet ID passes for alcohol purchases and more." The Government is also working on an app of its own that will include a digital wallet to store documents, beginning with a veteran card and then a pilot of driving licences by the end of the year. It will include a picture, licence number, name and whether or not the owner is over 18. The Government's digital wallet will be able to hold multiple documents - including Blue Badges, PIP letters, and DBS by 2027. Digital driving licences to be introduced this year on a new smartphone app that will store government-issued virtual documents Digital IDs from Google and Apple have been available in some states of the US for sometime now. Google said it is preparing to add Arkansas, Montana, Puerto Rico and West Virginia to the list next. 2 How the Google Wallet digital ID works With Google Wallet, government-issued ID appears alongside your bank cards. When adding it to the app, you have to scan the front and the back of your ID so Google can check it's valid. You need to take a brief video to confirm it belongs to you. Google then needs to prepare and send your application to the ID issuer which can take a few minutes to be approved. You receive a notification when the ID card has been approved and is ready to use. Steps may vary slightly for Brits as Google will have to comply with UK rules. The Government here has set up a digital identity trust framework that companies like Google will have to get a certificate for to be allowed to facilitate digital IDs. Image credit: Getty
Telegraph
19-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
TfL passengers lose out on Oyster railcard discounts after union order
A trade union has ordered frontline staff not to load railcard discounts onto London Overground passengers' Oyster cards. The RMT union said the move was because 'errors' by members had led to 'disciplinary action'. The move by the RMT – seen as one of the more militant unions – will see passengers forced to pay higher off-peak fares unless they travel to stations not on the London Overground. It comes after warnings that the UK faces a 'summer of discontent' from unions following the long-running bin strike in Birmingham that has left rubbish piled high on the city's streets. Labour offered billions of pounds worth of pay rises to unionised public sector workers last year, forcing Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, to raise taxes in the Autumn Budget. A copy of the RMT London Overground branch members' magazine, called Orange Is The New Black, revealed how the ban on loading discounts came about. 'We are aware that some members, including agency colleagues, have been performing this task in isolation. Unfortunately, some have faced disciplinary action for errors made while carrying out a duty strongly advised against by the union,' it said. 'Our stance remains clear: this is not part of the roles we do.' It went on to claim that Arriva Rail London, the Overground operator, had told staff to 'apologise and inform [passengers] that you are unable to do that activity' if asked to add discounts to Oyster cards. This, the newsletter said, only came about following pressure from RMT shop stewards who said it was not part of unionised staff's jobs to help passengers obtain discounts, although a company spokesman denied that such an instruction had been given. Rail union militancy has soared Adding Railcard discounts to an Oyster card is only possible if a staff member does it for you, according to the Transport for London (TfL) website. Railcards, such as Two Together or the Network Railcard, typically offer a one-third discount that applies to off-peak train travel. They can be loaded onto an Oyster card so the discount is applied to pay-as-you-go daily fare caps as well as Oyster Travelcard fares. A spokesman for Arriva Rail London said: 'London Overground employees have not been instructed to avoid applying discounts to Oyster cards. It has been acknowledged that this is not part of their job description, therefore we do not expect or request that colleagues undertake this task. 'We know that several colleagues are willing to perform this task for the benefit of our customers. We are therefore making training available for colleagues who wish to undertake this task at certain locations.' Rail union militancy has soared in the past few years, with the Government handing train workers 15 per cent pay rises last summer in an effort to quell ongoing strikes. That move backfired after train drivers, typically the highest paid staff in the industry, banked the backdated pay increases and stopped accepting overtime shifts, triggering cancellations over the winter. Hull Trains has been beset by strikes organised by Aslef, the drivers' union, after one of its members was sacked for falling asleep while driving 125mph long distance services. Internal letters seen by The Telegraph revealed that the individual had a history of doing so, and had been supported by bosses previously. Although a 56-day strike was called by Aslef over the sacking, the effect has been confined to minor disruption to the company's timetables.
