BC Wallet help

Basics 

What is BC Wallet? 

BC Wallet is a smartphone app. It lets you receive, store and present digital credentials. It is highly secure, tamper-resistant, and helps protect your privacy online. 

What is a digital credential? 

Credentials are things like permits, ID cards, and licenses. Digital credentials are their online equivalents. They're in a special format that prevents tampering and helps keep them secure. 

How does BC Wallet protect my privacy? 

When you use BC Wallet, information from your credentials is only shared over confidential, private connections, and always with your approval. 

The Government of British Columbia is not informed when you use BC Wallet, unless you're specifically receiving a credential from them or sending credential information to them. 

Also, you only need to share the parts of your credentials that are needed for a situation. 

What can I put in my BC Wallet? 

Currently there are very few digital credentials that work in BC Wallet. A gradual approach is being taken to ensure everything works smoothly and provides a good experience. Most of the currently available digital credentials that work in BC Wallet are tests or explorations. 

Note that you cannot add cards to BC Wallet from your physical wallet, nor can you add cards that work in wallets such as Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. 

Where can I read more about BC Wallet? 

You can visit the main BC Wallet page on the Government of British Columbia website. 

There is also technical information on the BC Digital Trust website. 
 

Using BC Wallet 

How do I get digital credentials into my wallet? 

A service may offer you a digital credential for your BC Wallet. They start the process by showing a QR code on their website. (A QR code is square with lots of small black and white squares inside it.) 

You use your BC Wallet app’s scan feature to “scan”—hover the camera over—the QR code. This creates a secure and private connection between the service and your BC Wallet. This starts the process of getting a credential. 

How do I use my digital credentials? 

Any service that implements the digital credential technology can ask you to present something from your wallet. They ask this by first showing a QR code on their website. You use your BC Wallet app’s scan feature to scan the QR code. This starts the process of using your digital credentials. 

How do I see what’s in my wallet? 

On the app’s home screen you will see ‘Credentials’ in the bottom right corner. Selecting this will show you a list of digital credentials in your wallet. 

Can I move my digital credentials to another wallet? 

No. Once a digital credential is in BC Wallet it is “bound” to that wallet and cannot be copied or moved. This is a security feature. 

How is my wallet kept secure? 

BC Wallet uses advanced cryptography to keep your digital credentials tamper-free. Also, when you send information from your credentials, it is only sent over a highly secure and confidential channel. 

I see a revoked credential, what is that? 

A revoked credential is one that has been revoked by the original issuer, usually because it's no longer valid. However, you can still keep and use revoked credentials. (To understand why, as an example, your date of birth is still valid even when your driving license has expired.) 

What happens to deleted credentials? 

Deleted credentials are only removed from the BC Wallet app. No one is notified that you deleted your credential. 
 

Troubleshooting 

The wallet got stuck when receiving or presenting something 

Simply return to the home screen in the BC Wallet app and try the process again. 

I have multiple copies of the same digital credential 

Usually, the most recent digital credential is the only one you need to keep. You can choose to delete the older credentials. (Note that revoked credentials can still be used in some rare situations.) 

You can check the date on a digital credential, and see the option to delete it, by selecting it in your list of credentials. 

I am locked out of my BC Wallet 

If you enter an incorrect PIN too many times, you will be locked out of your BC Wallet for a while. Each time you get locked out without entering the PIN correctly, the lockout time increases. 

Simply wait for the time to count down before entering the correct PIN. Or, you can delete and reinstall BC Wallet, but you will then need to manually add your credentials to the wallet again. 

For your security, it is not possible for the Government of British Columbia or anyone else to reset your PIN. 
 

Contact 

For further help or questions, contact DITrust@gov.bc.ca. 

If you’re a lawyer from the pilot program, please contact CDT@gov.bc.ca for further support.