FareShield

FareShield is a mobile app that warns riders when their transit fare card is likely to fail at the turnstile due to low balance, expired passes, or recent taps not yet posted. Users scan their physical card (NFC where supported, barcode/serial entry otherwise) and connect to supported agency accounts when available. The app tracks typical commute patterns, estimates remaining trips, and sends alerts like “You’ll likely be short by 1 ride tomorrow morning.” It also stores receipts/screenshots, helps dispute double-charges, and provides a simple “top-up checklist” for the agencies that still require clunky portals. Brutal truth: you cannot reliably read/update every fare card—many agencies lock data down—so the MVP focuses on a handful of agencies with accessible APIs/account portals and uses predictive estimates elsewhere. The value is avoiding missed trains and embarrassing gate declines.