Walletap and Dot Origin: from wallet pass to open door in one tap

The pass is only half the story

A wallet pass on a phone is only as good as it is easy to use. If the customer still has to open the pass, find the QR code and wait for someone to scan it, the digital pass is just a nicer version of the plastic card.

The other half of the story is the reader: a device the customer holds their phone to, and that's it. That's why Walletap has entered into an official partnership with the British company Dot Origin, maker of VTAP readers. We issue and manage passes in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, and VTAP reads them in one tap, at the counter or at the door.

Who is Dot Origin, and what is VTAP?

Dot Origin is a UK company specializing in NFC and RFID hardware and smart card readers. Its main product for mobile wallets is VTAP, a family of NFC readers built specifically for wallet passes.

VTAP is certified for the Apple VAS and Google Smart Tap protocols. When a customer taps their phone, the reader recognizes the right pass, extracts and decrypts the data, and sends it to the system it's connected to. According to Dot Origin's documentation, VTAP is used for loyalty programs, memberships, entrance turnstiles and electronic tickets.

Three things are key for us:

• It works with both platforms. One reader for iPhone and Android, with no special setup for each customer.
• It's managed remotely. The Wi-Fi version of the VTAP100 PRO connects to VTAP Cloud, where readers are configured remotely and grouped, for example by location.
• It can open doors. With an I/O expansion board, the reader directly controls a lock or a door strike.

How Walletap and VTAP work together

The split is simple. Walletap handles everything that happens before the customer arrives: sign-up, payment and the pass in the wallet. The VTAP reader takes over at the door or the counter.

The customer doesn't see the seams between the two systems. To them, it's a single move: sign up once, then just hold the phone to the reader.

In practice: Pro-Gym

Pro-Gym is the largest gym chain in Istria, with five locations. It's the first gym chain in Croatia with fully contactless access through Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Today, every member uses the digital card.

At three locations, in Pula, Vodnjan and Pazin, the gym is fully automated. A member signs up online, pays the membership fee, gets the card in their wallet and, at the door, just holds their phone to the VTAP reader. No front desk is needed for entry anymore.

The reader immediately shows the member what's happening. A green light means the door is unlocked, red with a beep means entry isn't approved, for example because the membership isn't valid, and orange means the gym is currently closed.

What the client gets

The goal: the client shouldn't have to think about hardware. Walletap delivers the passes and the reader as a single solution.

• The equipment arrives preconfigured. On site, the only work is mounting and wiring, with no setup in the field.
• A reader and a lock board. The Wi-Fi version of the VTAP100 PRO goes next to the door or on the counter. The I/O expansion board is mounted inside and controls the lock, and an exit button can be connected too.
• Your choice of lock. Both common types are supported: a lock that opens when powered (fail-secure: the door stays locked if the power fails) and an electromagnetic lock that holds when powered (fail-safe: the door unlocks if the power fails).
• Centralized management. You manage passes, members and locations in Walletap. The reader doesn't keep a member list: Walletap decides on every tap, so a change to a membership or to opening hours takes effect from the very next tap, without touching the reader.
• Instructions in Croatian. For contractors, we've prepared a Croatian-language installation guide with a wiring diagram and the installation sequence.

Where Walletap and VTAP are used

• Gyms and fitness centers. Entry without a front desk, 24 hours a day, with automatic membership checks.
• Clubs and member communities. Members-only entry, without plastic cards that get lent out and lost.
• Café and shop counters. A reader on the counter recognizes the loyalty card in one tap, with no code to scan.
• Coworking spaces and offices. Controlled entry for members and employees.
• Events. Fast entry with a ticket that can't be copied with a screenshot.

One important thing to know: VTAP reads passes that are already in the wallet, but it isn't a sign-up tool. New customers get their pass through a QR code, a link by email or SMS, an NFC sticker or a web form. Walletap covers that part, and VTAP covers the rest.

The bottom line

Together, a wallet pass and an NFC reader deliver what customers expect: tap your phone and walk in. Through our partnership with Dot Origin, we offer clients both as a single solution. Walletap takes care of the passes, from design and issuing to payments and notifications, and the VTAP reader turns a tap into an open door or points earned.

Want to see how it works at your entrance? Get in touch for a demo, and we'll show you the whole flow, from member sign-up to the first tap on the reader.