Here’s how Ontario’s new vaccine passport app works — and why businesses are concerned

As phase one of Ontario's vaccine certification system ramps up, the Doug Ford government has released new details of the digital app that will roll out on Oct. 22 - and concerns about the system are already being raised by the business community.

For starters, unlike the app developed in Quebec, the Ontario app being developed is for businesses only.

Consumers will not have access to the app but will instead be able to download a new version of their vaccine certificate that will include a QR code, which must be presented on paper or via smartphone for entry into specified non-essential businesses including gyms and restaurants.

Businesses can load the app onto a smartphone and use it to scan the QR code, said Amanda Brodhagen, director of communications for the associate minister of digital government.

Like in Quebec and Manitoba, after scanning the QR code Ontario businesses will have to check the patron's ID.

The QR-code vaccine certificate is optional; customers can continue to use the vaccine certificate they are using now if they wish, though it may take a little longer to verify.

The app differs from Quebec's system, which has an application for customers to use, accompanied by a verification app for businesses.

Quebec's VaxiCode app allows people to download and read the entire contents of their individual QR code found on their proof of vaccination, keep the code in a digital wallet, and show it to gain admittance where needed," according to the government's website. Manitoba also has apps for both customers and businesses.

Brodhagen said the app will only display enough information for the business owner or employee to know that the person's vaccine status has been verified, and no information about the individual or their vaccination status will be stored on the app or the smartphone.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said it is working on a way to include valid medical exemptions in the QR code, so that businesses have to check fewer doctors' notes.

Ryan Mallough of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said he was surprised to hear that Ontario is not developing an app for consumers.

Considering consumers will still need a PDF or paper version of their certificate, businesses must check IDs, and the older certificates will still be valid, Mallough said a lot of businesses will be asking why" once they hear how the system works.

They are going to need to justify its use," he said.

Mallough said the fact the app still requires checking IDs isn't necessarily a problem, but said users need to be made aware so they're not surprised when the system rolls out.

Not all businesses will have the technology to use the app, said Mallough, such as small businesses or those that don't have access to reliable internet. He called on the government to provide financial support for those businesses facing roadblocks to using the app.

Brodhagen said the app will work offline as well, but will need to be connected to the internet for updates.

For James Rilett of Restaurants Canada, the biggest surprise with the app is how long it has taken to roll out given the fact other jurisdictions have already developed similar systems.

There's no reason they couldn't just adopt those," he said.

Rilett said he wasn't surprised to hear about businesses still having to check ID after scanning the QR code, since that's how it works in other jurisdictions.

That's unfortunately just the way it is ... it's a labour-intensive process," he said.

All those things add time to the process, and time is money."

Rilett said the only real benefit of the app - though it's an important one - is that businesses don't have to interpret and try to verify the QR-code vaccine certificates. He hopes the same will be true of exemptions. (However, Ontarians can still use the older vaccine certificates with no QR codes, so businesses won't be fully off the hook come Oct. 22.)

Andy Drake, owner of Legacy Indoor Cycling in the Danforth area, said vaccine certification is added labour, time and inconvenience. But he said it sounds like the app will help businesses streamline that process.

Joshua S. Gans, a digital strategist and professor of strategic management at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, said in an email that the key to success with Ontario's app will be making it as easy to use as possible.

Easy to set up. Easy to pull out at a location. And then easy for people to read it there," he said.

Rosa Saba is a Toronto-based business reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @rosajsaba