What Is a Digital Wallet Pass? The Complete Guide
A digital wallet pass is a card, ticket or voucher that people keep in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet instead of a separate app, a PDF or a plastic card. Companies use passes for insurance cards, loyalty programmes, event tickets, employee IDs and benefit balances. This guide explains what a wallet pass is, how it works behind the scenes, what it can show, how updates and notifications work, and how to launch your first pass.
Key Takeaways
Definition: A digital wallet pass is a branded digital card stored in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. The holder does not need to install an app.
How it works: A template sets the design, data fills the fields, and the issuer signs the pass and keeps it up to date on the device.
Live content: Field values, barcodes and expiry dates can change after the pass is saved, with or without a lock-screen notification.
Distribution: Passes reach people by email, link or QR code, one by one or in bulk.
Use cases: Insurance, loyalty, events, travel, health and fitness, HR and benefit programmes.
Measurable: Issuers can see how many passes were issued, are still active and were saved to a wallet.
Table of Contents:
What is a digital wallet pass?
A digital wallet pass is a digital version of a card or document that people keep in the wallet app built into their phone: Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch, and Google Wallet on Android. It can be a loyalty card, an insurance policy card, a ticket, a voucher, a membership card or an employee ID.
Unlike a PDF or an email, a pass is not a static file. It carries the issuer's logo and colours, shows the most important information on the front, can hold a barcode or QR code for scanning, and can be updated by the issuer after it has been saved. A saved pass can also be opened without an internet connection.
A wallet pass does not move money. A payment card added to Apple Pay or Google Pay is a different thing, explained later in this guide.
How does a digital wallet pass work?
Every pass is the result of two things: a template and data.
Template: the design shared by every pass
The template (in SmartPass it is called a campaign) defines the layout, colours, logo, images and the list of fields. Some fields are the same for every holder, for example a support phone number. Others are filled in for each person, for example a name or a policy number.
Data: what makes each pass personal
When you issue a pass, you supply the values for the personal fields. The result is one pass for one person, with its own ID and its own link.
Signing and hosting
Apple and Google accept passes only from verified issuers. In Apple Wallet, a pass is a signed .pkpass file. In Google Wallet, the pass is created through the Google Wallet API and saved to the user's Google account. Apple describes the requirements in its Wallet developer documentation. A pass platform handles the certificates, signing and the web services that keep passes up to date, so the issuer only decides who gets a pass and what it shows.
Saving and updating
The holder taps a link or scans a QR code and adds the pass to their wallet in one step. The wallet then stays connected to the issuer's pass service. When the issuer changes a value, the wallet downloads the new version of the pass, also for passes saved weeks earlier.
What does a wallet pass show?
Apple Wallet and Google Wallet arrange information in fixed zones. Knowing them helps you decide what goes where.
Header: a short value that stays visible when passes are stacked in the wallet, for example a points balance or a date.
Primary field: the most important information, such as the holder's name or the type of policy.
Secondary and auxiliary fields: supporting details, such as a policy number, validity dates or a membership level.
Barcode: QR, PDF417, Aztec or Code 128, for scanning at a gate, a counter or a reception desk. A pass can also have no barcode.
Back of the pass: longer text and links, for example to a customer portal, a claim form, terms and conditions or a support phone number.
Images: an icon, a logo and an optional strip image across the front of the pass.
Space on the front is limited, and long values can be cut off. Long content, such as full terms and contact details, works best on the back of the pass, which holds much longer text.
What types of wallet passes are there?
Apple Wallet defines five pass styles. Google Wallet has its own pass types, such as generic, loyalty, offer, event ticket and boarding pass. The style decides how the front of the pass is laid out.
Pass style | Typical use |
Generic | Insurance cards, membership cards, employee IDs |
Store card | Loyalty cards, store credit, gift and benefit balances |
Event ticket | Concerts, conferences, trade fairs, guest passes |
Coupon | Discounts, vouchers, special offers |
Boarding pass | Flights, trains, buses, transfers |
SmartPass by Sparados supports these five layouts through its API.
Apple Wallet vs Google Wallet: what is different?
Most companies issue each pass for both wallets at the same time. The content is the same, but each platform shows it a little differently.
Feature | Apple Wallet | Google Wallet |
Devices | iPhone and Apple Watch | Android phones |
How the pass is saved | Signed .pkpass file or an Add to Apple Wallet link | Add to Google Wallet link, saved to the Google account |
Colours | Background, label and text colours | Background colour |
Title | Organisation name at the top of the pass | Separate pass title |
Wide logo | Top left corner of the pass | Header banner |
Icon | Shown in notifications | Round logo on the pass |
Because the two wallets crop and arrange text differently, check every new template on both an iPhone and an Android phone before you send it to customers.
How do updates and push notifications work?
The biggest difference between a wallet pass and a PDF is that the issuer can change a pass after it is saved. You can update field values, the barcode and the expiry date. A new balance, a new policy end date or a changed gate number reaches the device without the holder doing anything.
Each update can be visible or silent:
With a notification: if a field is set to notify on change, the holder sees a lock-screen alert with your text, for example "Your policy has been renewed". The text can be set for each language.
Silent: the pass changes in the wallet without an alert, which suits small corrections.
Use notifications for changes the holder cares about: a new balance, a claim status, a renewal or an offer. Too many alerts can make people remove the pass.
A pass also has an end. It can expire automatically on a set date or be voided at once, for example when an employee leaves the company or a policy is cancelled. In SmartPass a voided pass cannot be restored, so the holder gets a new pass if needed.
How do people get a wallet pass?
A pass is useful only once it is saved. The common ways to deliver it are:
Email: a message with an Add to Wallet button, for example together with policy documents or an order confirmation.
Link: each pass has its own link that you can place in a text message, a customer portal, a chat or an app.
QR code: printed on a letter or a poster, or shown at a counter, it opens the pass on the customer's phone.
Bulk issuing: a CSV file or an API call creates passes for many people at once, for example for all holders of one insurance product.
In SmartPass, one universal link and QR code works on any phone: it shows a preview of the pass and the right button for Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
Wallet pass vs mobile app vs PDF: which should you choose?
Wallet pass | Mobile app | PDF or email | |
Installation | None, the wallet is built into the phone | Download and log in | None |
Updates after delivery | Yes, in place | Yes | No, a new file is needed |
Lock-screen notifications | Yes, when a field changes | Yes, if the user allows them | No |
Offline access | Yes | Depends on the app | Yes, if the file was saved |
What it takes to build | A template in a pass platform | Design, development and maintenance for iOS and Android | A document template |
Best for | Cards, tickets, balances and reminders | Complex self-service | One-off documents |
A wallet pass does not replace a full app. It works best for the part of the customer relationship that should always be one tap away. Many companies use the links on the back of the pass to send people to their app or portal.
Is a wallet pass the same as a payment card in Apple Pay or Google Pay?
No. A payment card in Apple Pay or Google Pay is used to pay in shops and online. Card issuers add it to the wallet through push provisioning.
A wallet pass shows information and can be scanned, but it cannot pay. The two work well together. For example, a benefit platform can give employees a virtual card for payments and a pass that shows the remaining lunch budget, both in the same wallet. Sparados offers both.
Which industries use digital wallet passes?
Insurance: policy cards with the emergency number, claim status updates and renewal reminders. Read more about digital passes in insurance.
Retail and loyalty: loyalty and stamp cards that update after each purchase.
Events and ticketing: tickets that are harder to forge or lose.
Travel and hospitality: boarding passes, guest cards and live updates about gates, delays and rooms.
Health and fitness: gym and clinic membership cards with appointment reminders.
HR and corporate: employee cards and visitor passes that can be voided at any time. See how companies use digital wallet passes for employees.
Benefit platforms: live balances, top-up alerts and partner offers.
For more examples by sector, read which businesses need digital wallet passes.
How do you measure wallet pass results?
Start with three numbers:
Issued passes: how many passes you created and sent.
Saved passes (adoption): how many people actually added the pass to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
Active passes: passes that are still valid, not expired or voided.
Adoption shows whether your delivery channel works. If many passes are issued but few are saved, test a different message, send the link closer to the moment the customer needs it (for example right after a purchase), or add a QR code to printed letters.
Business results, such as renewals or repeat purchases, come from your own data. Compare customers who saved the pass with customers who did not.
How to launch your first wallet pass
Pick one use case with a clear benefit for the holder, for example a travel insurance card with the assistance phone number.
List the fields: what must be on the front, what goes on the back and which values change over time.
Prepare brand assets: an icon, a logo, an optional strip image and your colours.
Create the template in a pass platform and preview it on an iPhone and an Android phone.
Choose which fields notify the holder when they change, and write the notification texts.
Issue a test pass to your team, then send passes to customers one by one, from a CSV file or through the API.
Track adoption and adjust the message and the channel.
In SmartPass you can do all of this in the Sparados admin panel without developers. The API is optional and lets you issue and update passes from a CRM or back-office system. Follow the step-by-step guide on how to create a campaign and issue a SmartPass, or read the SmartPass launch article for a product overview.
FAQ
What is a digital wallet pass?
A digital wallet pass is a branded card, ticket or voucher stored in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. It shows key information, can carry a barcode and can be updated by the issuer after it is saved.
Do customers need an app to use a wallet pass?
No. Apple Wallet and Google Wallet are built into iPhones and Android phones. The customer taps a link or scans a QR code and adds the pass in one step.
Can a wallet pass be updated after it is saved?
Yes. The issuer can change field values, the barcode and the expiry date. The new version appears on the device, with or without a lock-screen notification.
Does a wallet pass work offline?
Yes. A saved pass is stored on the phone, so it can be shown and scanned without an internet connection.
What is the difference between a wallet pass and a payment card in the wallet?
A payment card in Apple Pay or Google Pay is used to pay. A wallet pass shows information and can be scanned, but it cannot pay. Both can sit side by side in the same wallet.
How quickly can a company launch a wallet pass?
With a pass platform such as SmartPass, the first pass can be sent the same day: create a template, add the data and send the link.
Ready to issue your first wallet pass?
SmartPass by Sparados lets you design, issue and update branded passes for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet from one admin panel. The API, updates and push notifications are included at no extra cost. Book a demo or see SmartPass pricing.
