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Payments – Landing Page for All Supported Payment Platforms

Payments – Landing Page for All Supported Payment Platforms

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We love all of our customers. Maybe you have a PayPal account…maybe you don’t. That’s OK. But we just want you to know that (for your safety) PayPal handles all of our transactions.

  • People who DO have a PayPal account likely have one or more funding sources (e.g., credit card, bank account, PayPal balance) set up at PayPal.
  • People who DO NOT have a PayPal account – PayPal charges your card on Clever Commute’s behalf.

In both cases, PayPal will make the recurring payment…yet Clever Commute has no knowledge of the details of the underlying payment source. (we don’t know if you are a PayPal user…and we certainly do not know details such as “card used” or “card number”)

If there is a problem with your funding source (e.g. credit card is expired or otherwise invalid), PayPal makes a few attempts to collect…over several days. If PayPal ultimately fails at collecting the money, then the recurring payment goes into a “suspended” state…and the commuter loses access to The Inside Track. Needless to say , that is not good for any of us. So…how to fix it?

If you set up your payment as yourself (e.g. NOT using a PayPal business account)

If you set up your payment via a PayPal business account, then follow these steps

Our datasources (it’s more than crowdsourced)

Our datasources (it’s more than crowdsourced)

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This page explains one or more of the dozens of amazing features found in Clever Commute Premium.

The beauty of Clever Commute is that we offer riders the full 360 degree view of their commute...with control over how/when the information is delivered to them.

Clever Commute originally started as a crowdsoucing company...but we have gone well beyond that. Here is a closer look:

  1. User-generated content - We have tens of thousands of commuters who give you a first-hand look at what is happening on your commute. Our technology cleanses, curates, and removes duplicate messages in order to be sure that you get the most benefit from the wisdom of the crowds.
  2. Official Information from the Transit Providers - Our technology talks to theirs...and you benefit.  Through a variety of interfaces, we make it simple for you to access the data from your carrier. You no longer need to sign up with them.
  3. Social Media - We scour the web for the best info for you. Sometimes it comes directly from your carrier. Sometimes it comes from others who share our passion for actionable commuter info. But it's always information about your commute. So it doesn't matter if (for example) you are on Twitter or not. We fetch it and deliver it to you per your preferences.
  4. Historical - No one has more data than we do. Clever Commute was founded in 2008. That gives us years of context and history about every commute in the areas we serve. We use that data to provide you with the best information
  5. Algorithms - Data is interesting...but it's fascinating when you do things with it. We have deep knowledge of the issues on each of the carriers we serve, so we know what triggers the events / alerts / tips which help you. You won't find this anywhere else.

The best part: you are in control!

Every person and commuting pattern is different. Users of our premium service can generally opt-in/out of the above as they'd like. You can also select the time-of-day and  day-of-week that you want to receive notifications.  You can pause your notifications when you are on vacation. You can even hit snooze and let us know when you'd like to resume.

Watch this space (and be amazed)

Watch this space (and be amazed)

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In the Summer of 2012, as a member of NJ Transit’s Developer program, Clever Commute built an app which gave commuters track number information in advance of being announced by NJT.

The information Clever Commute shared came directly from a NJT datafeed…and was delivered to the commuters in compliance with the NJT/Clever Commute partnership agreement.  Both sides openly acknowledged that the advance-track-number information was not 100% accurate/complete. However, Clever Commuters raved about this service.

NJT expressed displeasure with the fact that we were indeed using one of the data fields that they included in the field provided to us (and to all developers). Details of NJT/Clever Commute story can be found in this Wall Street Journal story.
To make a long story short: NJT stopped sharing that particular data feed with all developers.

However, Clever  Commute used this series of events as a catalyst to build an amazing suite of premium services which meets the needs to today’s commuters. We spent two years working / building / designing. After putting in over 1,200 enhancements, we are announcing the next version of The Inside Track – a portfolio of amazing features which empowers the commuters and gives them control over the data they need.

Today’s big news: Early-notice track numbers are coming back. In many ways our new approach makes “Round 2” better than before. 

Please follow this link to see all the details.

 

 

 

Now, anyone can share a transit alert with fellow commuters! [beta]

Now, anyone can share a transit alert with fellow commuters! [beta]

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The link:  https://clevercommute.com/alert

Previously, in order for commuters to share info on Clever Commute, they needed to be a registered member (of our free service…or our premium service – The Inside Track).

Now, any commuter can use any connected device to create an alert for any line we cover!

This expansion is especially helpful beca!use commuters can now enrich their alerts in two new ways:

  1. Category – Pick from a list of known problems
  2. Geo-location – It’s always important to know what the issue is…but now we capture where.

Clever Commute uses 1 and 2 above to improve the overall experience.
We also allow users of  The Inside Track to see and leverage this data (e.g., show/hide various categories, and see the alerts on a map).

Cool: Regardless of whether you use an iPhone, iPad, Andriod or other, you can use this neat trick to launch this new feature from your device’s desktop (just as you’d do with an app).

User guide to creating an alert:

4 fields

  1. E-mail address – We use that to check if you are a Clever Commuter. It will NOT be shared with the commuters (or anyone else).
  2. Select the commuters you want to reach. 99% of the time, this is your train/bus line
  3. Select a category – Self-explanatory
  4. Share your message – You can find a link to our best practices on that page…or right here

Finally:

  • As you can imagine, messages with location info are generally more helpful than those without.
  • Check the box for T&C…and you are all set!

 

Engage and promote on Clever Commute

Engage and promote on Clever Commute

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Clever Commute advertising example

Summary: if you are a brand (ad agency, PR firm, media specialist) interested in building awareness within an engaged and affluent demographic, then please include Clever Commute in your plans.

Our offering: Clever Commute is the leader in real-time suburban transit information for riders on the country’s largest transit systems. The commuter content is enriched with a message from our sponsor partners…and delivered via e-mail, text messaging, and our mobile solutions (see more examples here). Our users have an extremely favorable view of our offering…and deeply value the content.

Audience: Peak earners, affluent, white-collar, tech-savvy. $175K HHI. (see amazing demographic details here)

Why Clever Commute is special: Traditional transit advertising does not do enough to stand out in today’s marketplace. Certainly station domination can create a somewhat immersive experience for the traveler (CBS Outdoor example, Titan example, JC Decaux example)…but we take it to the next level.
Clever Commute is the natural extension…which connects the brand to the commuter (not just to the station)

We provide a trusted, focused, intimate platform where the commuter actually embraces and seeks out the message.

Easy and Powerful…with You in control: The Clever Commute technology platform is a robust and cost-effective solution. Our proprietary digital production approach gives you options and flexibility.

Learn more: We’d love to help you build a campaign to promote your brand. Learn more here….and then contact us via our site. You can be up-and-running very quickly.

“Inside Track” NEW Feature: Dynamic, color-coded commuter alerts