Rippl FAQs | PaperKite

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Rippl cost?

Rippl is free for both businesses and not-for-profits.

For customers downloading the Rippl app, it has always been absolutely free!

How do I give Rippl permission to access my camera?

Once you’ve downloaded the Rippl app from the Google Play Store or iTunes store, all you need to do is scan the QR code on the outside of your favourite business to check in and remember to check out too. The app keeps a log of all the places you’ve visited too! Rippl scans both Rippl QR codes and the MOH NZ COVID Tracer QR codes.

If you don’t give Rippl permission to access your camera accidentally, don’t worry, just head to your Settings, find the Rippl app, and enable your camera there!

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/rippl-privacy-first-check in/id1509578015

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.paperkite.ripplapp

What does ‘Privacy by Design' really mean?

Rippl puts privacy first. At no point is any personal data collected by Rippl. No name, email address or phone number- nothing.

Under the Privacy Act, there is no justification for collecting personal information from individuals if it is not necessary. See:

https://privacy.org.nz/further-resources/knowledge-base/view/567

The only information stored in the app is a list of venues visited and the timings of those visits. This information is stored on the customer’s device and not sent to any remote server.

How will I know if there has been a case of COVID at a business or venue?

Rippl is a privacy-focused solution.

We believe the way that the Wellington City Council Privacy Review’s section on Personal Information does a fantastic job of explaining how the process works:
Rippl works by a user scanning a QR code which creates a record of a time and place in a person’s phone. When the person leaves the place they check out giving the duration. These three pieces of data are assembled into a record which is kept on the person’s phone.

Should that person test positive for COVID 19 they can then provide this record of places, times and duration to Contact Tracing in Public Health. If this data is of interest to the public health tracer they then send a push notification with a key which will notify all those who were in the same place at the time of interest. These people then provide their contact details to contact tracers assisting them to do their work. This creates a data relationship directly between the user and the contact tracer, with the place as common entry allowing registers to be made by place, without those facility owners having to develop systems and training for sensitive information during a time of pressure.

During day to day operation there is no personal contact data stored in Rippl. The location times, and durations could be used to identify someone if combined with other data that might be present on the phone. The protection of this data relies on the cyber and physical security of the phone to protect it.

During Contact Tracing the user gives public health their name, contact phone number, email address and any other data the contact tracer might request. This is transmitted with encryption and with the explicit consent of the person. This data is not stored in the app, but is stored in a receiving database for use by contact tracers. The protection of this data relies on transmission encryption. By collecting the data at the time it is required it mitigates the security risk of storing data, and ensures it is up to date, and the reason for collection is clear to users.

If a premises of interest is identified by the Ministry of Health, a notification is sent to the checked in customers and for the business/facility/venue concerned to assist them in gathering manual and other records for assisting contact tracing. All contact details are held securely by PaperKite and are not stored in the user app, or held by the Ministry of Health.

Does Rippl give me a list of people who checked-in at my business? How do I keep track of guests coming and going?

Businesses registered with Rippl will not receive or be able to access a list of customers who visited their location. Rather, the visits will be stored individually in customers’ phones. Each customer will have a log of every business venue they visited.

Once Ministry of Health receive a notice that a venue has a possible infection, they will contact the venue/business and advise them of their next steps – which could be to close their doors and clean for example. The business will tell them they use Rippl and then Ministry of Health will contact PaperKite. PaperKite searches for an ID match of the venue searching all customer apps (with a date and time range). This broadcast is checking each log for whether that device was checked-in at that venue. If there is a match, an alert is sent via the app to the customer, then it’s up to the customer to get in touch with Ministry of Health.

If I register with Rippl will my business meet the guidelines?

Rippl has been designed to help businesses meet their obligations under Alert Level 2 in New Zealand, but it is up to you as a business to determine whether you are fully compliant or not.

However, Rippl can complement your existing WorkSafe Safety Plan. You can be assured that visits are recorded in the individual Rippl app logs on your customers’ phones as part of your responses to the following questions:

“What will be done to manage risks from restarting business after lock-down?”
“How will you operate your business in a way that keeps workers and others safe from exposure to COVID-19?”
“How will you manage an exposure or suspected exposure to COVID-19?”

If you need to find out about what your business or service needs to do to meet public health requirements under Alert Level 2, find more info out here: http://www.worksafe.govt.nz

As a customer, does Rippl give Ministry of Health my information?

No. The server only sees the list of venues and times of a possible infection.

Here is a typical example:

If there was a customer at Cafe PaperKite who was reported to Ministry of Health to have a possible infection, and they visited the Cafe today at 6pm, the server sends that information to all the Rippl apps on customers’ phones. The apps then cross-check the local logs to see if the customer was there within a date and time range that includes today at 6pm. If determined by the app that the customer was there, the app will alert the user with instructions on how to notify Ministry of Health.

If you receive an alert, it is up to you to get in touch with Ministry of Health.

How does checking in and out of a business work?

As a business owner when you register, you can set the likely duration that visitors to your business or venue are likely to spend there. That way, if your visitor or customer forgets to check out, the time you set will be the default check out time and the app will check them out for you.

If you are a visitor, you can check in and manage your check out with the free Rippl app.

I have multiple businesses/venues, can I do this with one registration?

Yes. You can create more than one business/venue with a single account. Each business/venue can have a different contact name and email.

I’m not a hospitality business, can I register my organisation with Rippl?

Yes! You can use Rippl for any venue that requires visitors to check in and check out.

I registered my business with Rippl but can’t find my QR code!

Once you have registered your business with Rippl and have downloaded and printed your QR code, you’re all set. Put that up outside your business and encourage visitors to download the free Rippl app and check in!

If you can’t find your QR code any longer and require a reprint, currently there is no functionality for a business portal or login to retrieve it. You will need to contact PaperKite and we will regenerate it and send it to you.

I don’t have a printer to print my QR code

Your business could display your unique QR code on a digital screen so that customers can scan it from there. However, we strongly recommend that you locate a printer or find a printing service in your local community and print out your unique QR code for the most reliable way your customers can scan, and check in to your business.

I want to check in to my favourite business but I can’t find the Rippl app!

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/rippl-privacy-first-check in/id1509578015

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.paperkite.ripplapp

Right now, the apps are only available on NZ Google Play and Apple App stores. The request to make it available in international app stores has been passed on to our team – we know there are people eager to get on board with Rippl but currently can’t.

What type of smartphones accept Rippl?

The Rippl app can be used on smartphones running on the Apple or Android operating systems. Rippl runs on Android 5.0 and iOS 11.4 or later

What happens if I delete my Rippl app?

As a customer, you can delete the log of all the places you’ve checked in using the Rippl app or the app itself, anytime you like. However, if there was a possible infection at a venue you visited and you’ve deleted your history or deleted the app, Ministry of Health will not be able to alert you of that instance.

So if you’ve downloaded Rippl for free and are using it to check in at your favourite businesses, it is in your best interest to keep the app and logs for three months.

As a business, should I ask my staff and our suppliers to check in?

Your staff and suppliers are part of the ecosystem of your business, and they should be encouraged to check in and out just like your customers. Ensure that your QR code is prominently displayed where your suppliers enter and leave your venue, and train your staff to confirm that suppliers have checked in.

What is a QR code and how does it work? Does my phone need anything special to scan QR codes?

A QR code is similar to a barcode that’s used in stores, but barcodes work best with barcode scanners whereas QR codes work better with phone cameras.

To use Rippl, customers need a smartphone that has a working camera and download the Rippl app. As long as your customer’s phone has a camera and can download the Rippl app, they’re all set. There’s a QR scanner built into the app.