Inside Track

Why we say “Please do not share track numbers”

Why we say “Please do not share track numbers”

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We know the commute is stressful…and it’s tempting to post (and ask for) track numbers via the free app. But it just doesn’t work for large audiences such as ours.
Why not? You’d get messages about trains you don’t ride and You’d get lots of duplicate messages

Read on…

Between Hoboken and NY Penn (NJT) or Atlantic, NY Penn, and Hunterspoint (LIRR) ….there are many trains leaving the terminal each night. Therefore, if people started posting track numbers for every train, three things would happen

  1. you would get messages about all trains…all night long
  2. you would get multiple messages about each train
  3. you would get messages about trains at stations you don’t use

It quickly becomes untenable. 

I don’t mean to be sales-y…but we do indeed offer an automated track-number delivery service (text, e-mail or both)…for only the trains you ride.
Remember: Once the track number has been delivered to your phone, you have that info even after it’s been removed from the departure board.
We also have technology which predicts your track number. See it all here: clevercommute.com/premium.

 

Getaway Day Advice: Thanksgiving, 2015

Getaway Day Advice: Thanksgiving, 2015

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As a service to commuters, we provide this getaway advice for those who are exiting NYC (via public transit) for the Thanksgiving holiday. Read on for: 

  1. A look back at 2014: “What happened on the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving last year?“
  2. Clever Commute’s “FIVE T’s” – the key to a stress-free commute on get-away day.

(1) What happened on the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving last year?

Commuter Trains Summary 

  • As usual, train riders from Grand Central had an easier “go” of things versus NY Penn Station riders
  • NY Penn Station riders reported crowds as early as 12:25 PM
  • Trains were most crowded between 3:00 and 4:00 PM 

Bus Summary – A few PABT departure delays in the 4:00 hour…but overall, a surprisingly good commute. 

——

(2) Clever Commute’s “FIVE T’s” – the key to a stress-free commute on get-away Wednesday for Thanksgiving, 2015:

1. Tickets – tickets..Tickets…TICKETS. Get them early!
If you or your traveling companion will need a ticket, get it BEFORE Wednesday afternoon. Lines are loooooong on get-away days.
HINT: NJ Transit now has an app for tickets. So does NY Waterway! See your app store for details. 

2. Timing is crucial
We expect this year’s commuting pattern to be similar last. So please see the re-cap above. 

3. Timetables and Schedule changes 
Visit your transit provider’s web site for up-to-date schedule schedules….including information about (extra) getaway day service

4. Terminal – Choose wisely
If it is at all within your control, avoid NY Penn Station.

  • NJT riders should consider Hoboken and/or Newark Penn
  • LIRR riders:  try Atlantic Terminal

5. Other Tips: 

  • Dress in layers – the terminal or the trains can be warm
  • Bring water/snacks – save time…save money. Plan ahead.
  • “Baggage strategy” matters – There is going to be lots of luggage around on Wednesday. Pick/Pack your bad early and lightly! 
  • Make your plan now…Do NOT wait until Wednesday  morning to start thinking about this.

Have a great holiday!

Correcting Payment Problems for non-PayPal users

Correcting Payment Problems for non-PayPal users

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If you are reading this post, then it’s likely that you signed up for Clever Commute using a credit card (and you do not have a PayPal account)
(see https://clevercommute.com/payments for more info)

Clever Commute uses PayPal to process all transactions (even if you do not have a PayPal account). In these situations, PayPal internally creates a Guest account to process your subscription. It all works well…unless there is a problem with your credit card (e.g., lost/stolen or expired).

When that happens, PayPal does not have a mechanism for you to update your credit card details. The good news is that by simply following the Clever Commute sign-up instructions, you can let PayPal know what card they should use going forward. When you use Clever Commute, we (and PayPal) will prompt you to pay for your subscription…and your new payment information will be linked to your existing Clever Commute account.

Correcting Payment Problems for PayPal users (business accounts)

Correcting Payment Problems for PayPal users (business accounts)

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If you are reading this post, then there is likely a problem with the funding source used by your business PayPal account.
(see https://clevercommute.com/payments for more info)

In order to get your Clever Commute account up-and-running, there are 1 or 2 steps.

(1) Ensure that you have a valid funding source for your PayPal account

  1. Go to PayPal and click on My Account
  2. Click on Profile
  3. On the ensuing page, click on My money
  4. Update Bank accounts and/or  Debit and credit cards to ensure you have suitable payment source

(2) Let PayPal know what funding source should be used for your Clever Commute account

  1. Follow steps 1-3 above to see My Money
  2. Click Update beside My preapproved payments
  3. Select the merchant whose agreement you want to change under Merchant
  4. Click on Clever Communicator, LLC
  5. Update the Funding Source to a valid payment method

Correcting Payment Problems for PayPal users (personal accounts)

Correcting Payment Problems for PayPal users (personal accounts)

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If you are reading this post, then there is likely a problem with the funding source used by your personal PayPal account.
(see https://clevercommute.com/payments for more info)

In order to get your Clever Commute account up-and-running, there are 1 or 2 steps.

(1) Ensure that you have a valid funding source for your PayPal account

  1. Go to PayPal and click on the Wallet option at the top of the page.
  2. Ensure that PayPal balance, Bank accounts and Credit and debit cards are sufficient /valid to cover the cost of your subscription

(2) Let PayPal know what funding source should be used for your Clever Commute account

  1. Click on the settings (gears) icon at the top right corner of the PayPal home page
  2. Look for Payment settings on the lower right side of the page
  3. Click on Preapproved payments
  4. Click on Clever Communicator, LLC
  5. Update the Funding Source to a valid payment method

 

 

 

 

 

 

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