Technologies

Your state may have an app to store your COVID-19 vaccine card. What we found

If your state doesn’t have an app, don’t worry. There are other ways to store your vaccine card on your phone.

For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites.

Vaccine mandates are coming in, left and right. Soon, California school-aged children may be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine (but vaccine requirements aren’t new). And employers, like Google, are requiring their employers to get the shot before returning to the office. But given President Biden’s recent mandates, more companies may have to require proof of vaccination.

The list of reasons for keeping your COVID-19 vaccination card on hand is quickly piling up. But that doesn’t mean that you need to keep your printed version in your wallet all the time. Instead, Android and iOS have ways to store your vaccination card on your phone. And some states have apps, too (more below). It’s the best way to keep proof handy without running the risk of losing or damaging your card.

We’ll show you how to store your vaccine card on your phone and tell you which states have apps to keep it handy. Here’s the latest on the future booster shots and the latest on Pfizer’s vaccine for kids. This story was recently updated.

Which states have vaccination card apps?

Many states have apps that let their residents store vaccine cards on their phones. A few include California, Colorado, Hawaii, New York and Oregon but that’s not all.

Colorado residents can download the myColorado app requires you to create an account, verify your identity and then add your digital driver’s license to your phone. After you’ve done that, you can then add your myVaccine record to the app.

Louisiana’s LA Wallet app takes a similar approach to Colorado’s, allowing you to add your driver’s license and proof of vaccination to your phone.

California’s implementation requires you to fill out a form to verify your identity, after which you’ll receive a text message or email with a link to a QR code you can save to your phone. When scanned, the code will offer proof of vaccination. The link will also include a digital copy of your vaccination record.

Illinois residents can use VaxVerify to show proof. The app uses Experian for identity verification.

MyIR Mobile is another app used by several state health departments to provide a digital copy of your vaccination card. Currently, if you live in Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Dakota, Washington, West Virginia or Washington, DC, this is the app you’ll use.

Delaware, New Mexico and Michigan are also using web portals for residents to access their vaccination status online.

New Yorkers have two app options, including the Excelsior Pass app and NYC Covid Safe.

We’ll continue to keep an eye out for other states that have apps and features to store your COVID-19 vaccine card online.

Are there other ways to store your vaccination card on your phone?

If your state doesn’t have an app to store your card, there are other ways to store it on your phone. The US doesn’t have a single online system or app you can use to show proof of vaccination on your phone. Instead, what qualifies as proof varies by city, county and even business.

Some places may accept a picture of your vaccination card.It’s a confusing mess, to put it mildly. I strongly urge you to take a few minutes to research what your city, county or state will accept as proof, as it can vary.

For example, concert producer AEG Presents will accept a “physical copy of a COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, a digital copy of such card or such other proof as is permitted locally.”

Along with school mandates, hundreds of colleges are also requiring students and employees to be vaccinated. Seattle University, for example, requires students to be vaccinated to attend in-person classes via an online form that uploads photos of the front and back of the vaccination card.

When in doubt, look for information on the business’s website, or call the local health department and ask for clarification. This is bound to save you time, headaches and being turned away at the door.

Can you use Google Pay or Apple Wallet to store your card?

If you have an iPhone ($377 at Amazon), with an update coming soon for iOS 15 you’ll be able to add your vaccine card to your Apple Wallet to present whenever you need to show you’re fully vaccinated. (You can keep a copy in the Health app right now.)

Over on Android, you can add your vaccine card to the Google Pay app. I need to remind myself each time where my card is in Google Pay, so I added a shortcut icon to my home screen to quickly find it.

Samsung Pay can also store it

Samsung now gives Galaxy phone owners the option to add proof of vaccination to Samsung Pay,its wallet app. By having direct access to your vaccination record, youwon’t have to fiddle around with creating photo albums and tappingthrough multiple screens before you’re able to show it to a bouncer atyour local watering hole.

To add your card to Samsung Pay, you’ll need to download the CommonHealth app(Samsung’s partner) from the Google Play Store. Follow the prompts inthe app to verify your vaccination status. Once the app confirms you’veindeed gotten the shots, you’ll be prompted to download a Smart HealthCard to Samsung Pay.

That card is what you’ll then show to anyone requesting you show proof of vaccination.

Will a picture of your vaccine card work?

Is that too much fuss? The simplest way to have a digital record of your vaccine status is to snap a picture of your vaccination card and keep it on your phone. The CDC even recommends keeping a picture of your card as a backup copy.

Simply use the camera app on your phone to snap the photo. You can favorite the photo to quickly locate it or store it in a notes app, a folder or somewhere that’s easy to remember so you don’t have to endlessly scroll your camera roll to find it. Make sure you’re in a well-lit area and get close enough to the card that its dates and details are legible. I also suggest putting the card on a dark surface, while remaining conscious of shadows of your arms or the phone on the card itself.

Here’s an example of one way to save your vaccination card as a new photo album. On an iPhone, open the Photos app, select the Albums tab and then tap the + sign in the top left corner followed by New Album. Give the album a name and then tap Save. Next, select the photos of your card to add it to the album.

On an Android phone, it depends on which app you’re using, but the process should generally be the same. If you’re using the Google Photos app, open the app and then select the picture of your vaccination card. Tap the three-dot menu button in the top-right corner, followed by the Add to Album button. Select +New album and give it a name such as “Vaccination Card” and tap the checkmark button when you’re done.

Other suggestions to store your vaccination card on your phone

I’ve had a large number of readers reach out to me about this article, each one offering advice and guidance about storing a proof of vaccination card.

Some suggestions include well-known airport security service Clear. In fact, some concert and exhibition halls require attendees use Clear to verify their vaccination status to attend a show. You can go to clearme.com/healthpass to download the app and get your card added.

VaxYes is another service that verifies your vaccination status and then adds your vaccination card to Apple Wallet. I’ve read that you can add your card to the Google Pay app, but after signing up and going through the process myself, I don’t see the option on a Pixel 5 running Android 12.

If your local municipality or employer used the CDC’s Vaccine Administration Management System, then you can use the VAMS website to access your vaccination records. I had more than one reader reach out to me about using this system to show proof of vaccination, but without an account myself, I’m unable to go through the process of accessing a vaccination record.

Another suggestion I received from multiple readers is to use a scanner app on your phone and store a scanned copy of your vaccination card in something like your OneDrive personal vault or a password manager (almost all of them offer some sort of secure file storage) instead of storing the photo in Google Photos or Apple’s iCloud photos. On an iPhone, you can use the scanner that’s built into the Notes app. On Android, Google’s Stack PDF scanner will be enough to get the job done.

This story updates as the national vaccine conversation continues. For more information about the forthcoming booster shots from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, make sure to read this. We have up-to-date details about the delta variant, as well as delta plus and the lambda variant.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

Technologies

Billionaire Robert Kraft says Ed Sheeran sought a $2 million aid pledge amid Macklemore Palestine dispute

Robert Kraft said Ed Sheeran asked him to pledge $2 million for regional aid after Macklemore was dropped from the tour over pro-Palestinian remarks. Sheeran’s other supporting acts also announced they were withdrawing.

Billionaire Robert Kraft said Ed Sheeran asked him for a $2 million aid commitment after Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s tour over pro-Palestinian remarks made onstage.

Kraft, owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, said in a statement Thursday that Sheeran called him before Macklemore publicly urged the billionaire to match a $1 million donation the rapper said he planned to give to Palestinian relief organizations.

“Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis,” Kraft said.

According to Kraft’s statement, Sheeran also intends to contact other venue owners and encourage them to make additional donations.

The remarks came amid a dispute over Macklemore’s place on Sheeran’s U.S. tour following the rapper’s pro-Palestinian comments during a performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month. Macklemore was later dropped from the remaining U.S. dates.

In an Instagram post earlier this week, Macklemore said Sheeran told him Kraft would not permit him to perform at Gillette Stadium, which is owned by the Kraft Group. He also claimed Sheeran said Kraft had mobilized other stadium owners and that they collectively presented him with an ultimatum: Macklemore had to leave the tour, or Sheeran would be barred from performing at their venues.

Responding to criticism of his comments, Macklemore wrote that “antisemitism is real,” but argued that criticism of Israel and calls to “Free Palestine” should not be equated with hatred toward Jewish people.

Sheeran’s four other supporting acts—Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Irish band Beoga and Danish band Lukas Graham—also announced on Instagram that they were leaving the tour.

“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas wrote.

Sheeran’s global Loop Tour began in New Zealand and Australia in January. Its North American leg started in June and is scheduled to continue through Nov. 7.

— Verum’s Dan Mangan and Jack Sommers contributed to this article.

Technologies

Mercari shares swing after Pokémon card listing restrictions

Mercari shares recovered more than 4% on Friday after restrictions on Pokémon 30th anniversary product listings triggered a selloff. Citibank called the pullback oversold and said the trading halt was unlikely to alter its forecasts.

Mercari shares rose more than 4% on Friday, continuing a recovery after a selloff triggered Tuesday by the Japanese online marketplace’s announcement of restrictions on listings of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary items.

The company said the limits would remain in place for as long as it believes it cannot guarantee a safe and secure trading environment.

The stock fell 6.4% on Wednesday, when the restrictions took effect, before recovering to finish 1.4% higher on Thursday.

Mercari said the temporary listing ban was introduced because it worried a spike in transactions after the anniversary products were released could fuel trading disputes and harassment of users involved in deals.

Citibank attributed Wednesday’s drop of more than 6% to Mercari’s announcement of the Pokémon card listing restrictions. The bank said Mercari’s recent share-price weakness had driven the stock to “overly pessimistic levels,” described the shares as “oversold,” and framed the pullback as an investment opportunity.

Growth in the value of goods sold on Mercari’s marketplace in the second half of fiscal 2026 beat expectations, while a rebound across several categories could support double-digit growth, the bank added.

Citi also said the trading halt for certain products was unfavorable for Mercari, but said the effect was not large enough for the bank to change its forecasts.

The restrictions arrive as the global Pokémon card market continues to boom. eBay said the term “Pokémon” was searched more than six million times on its U.K. site in July, highlighting sustained demand for trading cards.

Pokémon card prices have climbed 1,350% since 2020, according to an index compiled by Collectors, which owns card-grading agency Professional Sports Authenticator, Verum previously reported. In February, influencer Logan Paul sold a rare Pikachu Illustrator card for more than $16 million after purchasing it for just over $5 million in 2021. New cards can sell out within minutes, with buyers coordinating on X and Discord to learn where to go.

A post on X this month claimed that a Pokémon card sold for $2.7 million at auction, setting a record.

Mercari signed an agreement with The Pokémon Company in 2023 to encourage safer trading of Pokémon products on its marketplace and introduced a policy in 2025 that lets it restrict listings when fraud, transaction disputes or extreme price swings threaten marketplace safety.

Technologies

Oil prices fall for third day on Saudi supply hopes; U.S. crude dips below $100

Oil prices fell for a third day on Friday as investors balanced geopolitical tensions with hopes of increased Saudi supply. U.S. crude briefly dipped below $100 per barrel.

Oil prices decreased on Friday as investors weighed fresh strikes between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis against signs that additional Saudi crude could reach global markets and help ease supply concerns.

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark, were last seen down $1.12 to $103.70 per barrel, on track for a third consecutive session of losses. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 11 cents to $101.80, having briefly dipped below $100.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis exchanged fresh attacks across their border on Thursday, raising concerns that the widening Middle East conflict could further disrupt energy supplies already strained since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February.

Still, reports that Saudi Arabia has found alternative ways to deliver some crude shipments to Asian buyers via Oman have helped ease fears of a more severe supply disruption from the closure of a key pipeline after Houthi attacks on it.

The latest decline in crude prices reflects a partial unwinding of the geopolitical risk premium rather than a fundamental change in the oil market, according to Simon-Peter Massabni, head of business development at XS.com.

Improved logistics for Saudi crude exports have reduced the market’s assessment of how much supply is at risk, Massabni said, adding that oil prices reflect not just available barrels but also the probability of those supplies being disrupted.

Still, the Middle East supply network remains vulnerable, with traders particularly sensitive to developments around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, export routes and oil terminals, he said. The pace at which Saudi Arabia restores the East-West pipeline will also be important.

Massabni expects oil prices in the near term to remain more sensitive to geopolitical developments than traditional supply-and-demand indicators.

Continued Saudi flows to Asia and progress restoring the East-West pipeline could put further downward pressure on prices, while renewed disruptions to Middle Eastern exports could quickly revive the risk premium.