EXCLUSIVE: Proof of Vaccination now available in Service NSW check-in app

After a short trial in regional NSW, the COVID-19 vaccination certificate is now available to be stored within the Service NSW app for NSW residents.

While it may seem like a small thing, anyone who has been to stores in recent days knows you’re needing to show that you are both checked-in to the venue, and show proof of vaccination.

Until now, that required two apps, your Service NSW app, and the Medicare (Express Plus) app (or the Certificate from it in your digital wallet).

Tonight, we can reveal that both the Federal Medicare app and the Service NSW apps are updated to allow the sharing of your vaccination status and digital certificate within the Service NSW app.

To do this, you need to ensure both apps have been updated in the App Store.

Once updated, you should launch the Express Plus Medicare app and view your Vaccination history. On this page, choose the “Share with Check in app” option.

Here you will choose either Service Victoria as we reported earlier this week, or now Service NSW.

Doing this prompts a warning, essentially that you’re leaving the Medicare app.

From here, it’s a process of reading the how and what of the changes within the Service NSW app.

Next you’ll get a simple how-to guide on two pages:

Once you’ve done this, you’ll have a new option at the top of the app, alongside your Digital Drivers Licence to view your Covid-19 digital certificate within this app

The actual certificate within the Service NSW app is similar but also a bit more fancy than the Medicare app. The same moving Coat of Arms and timestamp as the Medicare app – but an additional security measure of a holographic NSW logo, and a QR code which EFTM understands will be used as part of the vaccination checks at places like international borders.

How does this change how I check into a venue?

Most importantly, you do not need to load up your certificate and show it every time you check in now.

Instead, check in as you have been on the Service NSW app:

The difference is the next page

This too has a new holographic logo behind the checkin notification but also a new PROOF OF VACCINATION section

This is hidden by default, because you are not always required to show that (Woolies and Coles etc). But where you are, you can simply click SHOW MORE, and your Vaccination status is shown:

It’s a brilliant integration of State and Federal systems to make things easier for us.

How do venues trust the screen?

This is the genius of the NSW app. There has always been an option in the app to “Check a licence or credential”

For when people present a licence as ID, your Service NSW app can check its really valid.

In this case, you as a venue operator, can scan the QR code on the screen shown to you and check it is valid.

Can the system be faked?

No.

Sure, people can take a screenshot, yes they could show that and some venues may fall for it.

But for places doing regular or spot checks, using the “Check Credential” option in the Service NSW app – can scan a code and see that it is valid.

And, no, you can’t take a screenshot of your certificate and hand it around to your mates. The QR code refreshes regularly and expires after a short period of time.