How to set up ACS WalletMate II reader on a Windows device

In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up the ACS WalletMate II Reader on a Windows device so you can start reading NFC passes from Apple Wallet. We’ll walk through installing the necessary tool from ACS, configuring the settings, and making sure we get a successful response when you tap an AccessGrid issued NFC pass.

To set up the ACS WalletMate II Reader on a Windows device, you will need specific hardware, software, and supporting materials. Make sure you have everything ready before starting the installation process.

Some enterprise environments may have additional requirements or restrictions, such as group policies or antivirus software that could block app installation so try to notify the necessary parties to ensure you are not blocked with this. 

You can use AccessGrid to configure the WalletMate Reader. Let's get started.

Creating a Reader config with AccessGrid

Login to AccessGrid.com, and navigate to Reader config section. Next, on the top right hand side, click Create reader config+ which will open the Generate a reader config page.

In this page you are going to type and insert the following options.

Below is a screenshot of how it should look like:

Download WalletMate II Config from AccessGrid

Don't forget to click "Save & download config" on the bottom right. Next, this will re-route you to the configs page on the AccessGrid platform and you will have to scroll and find the WalletMate II config. Then you need to click "Download" on the right hand side and it will download the AccessGrid.json file inside a zip folder labelled "config.zip".

Send an email to [email protected] asking them for a custom build and attaching the AccessGrid.json file to get the WalletMate II zip file with the ACS VAS Test Tool.

After you have coordinated with the ACS support team and have received a custom build from them, go ahead and proceed with the following steps. 

Download the zip file they sent you and extract the content of the zip. Locate the folder in your Downloads folder. When you open the folder, you will see a folder named "Release" folder. Finally, inside this folder, go ahead and navigate to the VASTestToolUsbSerial application inside the Release folder and open it.
 
Next, to connect and configure the ACS WalletMate II Reader on a Windows device, begin by ensuring the reader is physically connected to your computer using the supplied USB cable. Click "Connect" on the top right where it says readers. 

Once connected, Windows should recognize the device and, if you have followed the previous steps, the reader will appear as "ACS WalletMate II 25 Reader PICC". If you are wondering, PICC is an abbreviation for Proximity Integrated Circuit Card, and it is typically an NFC reader with an antenna that uses radio frequency for contactless communication.

Save ECP 2.0 parameters successful

The "Start" button should now be visible. Click "Start".

Now you tap a contactless card or NFC-enabled device and observe if the application registers the card.

Successful NFC Pass scan with WalletMate II Reader

On the left side, you will see several logs on the Get VAS Data section and the last one shows a "Select application 200002 succeeded" response. On the right hand side, you will see a Log of the APDU commands, and hopefully the last one is 9100. Here is a video demonstrating how to run the demo:

Congrats! You did it! By following this guide, you’ve successfully set up the ACS WalletMate II Reader on your Windows device and learned how to test and troubleshoot your setup. Hopefully you’ve used AccessGrid.com for a smoother experience—our platform can handle all these steps for you, saving you time and hassle. Now, take a moment to test your configuration and ensure everything works as expected. If you need any help or have questions, just use the chat or email [email protected].