The Digital Wallet Pass as a Sales Channel for Insurers
Most insurers talk to a policyholder twice a year: when the policy is sold and when it is about to end. In between, the policy sits in an email inbox, and every renewal reminder or new offer has to compete with dozens of other messages. A digital wallet pass changes that. It stays on the customer's phone for the whole policy period, and every update can carry an offer the customer sees on the lock screen. This article shows how insurers can use the pass as a sales channel, which campaigns fit the policy year and how to measure the results.
Key Takeaways
Always on the phone: the pass stays in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet for the whole policy period, with no app to install.
Offers on the lock screen: any pass update can carry an offer with a purchase link, and a notification makes sure it gets seen.
No send cost: with SmartPass, updates and push notifications don't use your pass limit.
A sales calendar: renewals, seasonal cross-sell and returning-customer offers can all run on the same pass.
Measurable: track pass adoption in the platform and sales through the purchase links on the pass.
Table of Contents:
Why do insurers need a new sales channel?
Insurance is bought rarely and used rarely. Between purchase and renewal, many policyholders have no reason to contact their insurer, so email, SMS and letters remain the main way to reach them. Those channels cost money per message and compete for attention with everything else in the inbox.
A mobile app could be an always-on channel, but most customers don't keep insurance apps. The average smartphone has about 80 apps, around 62% of installed apps go unused in a given month and about 46% of installs are removed within 30 days, as we describe in our article on which businesses need digital wallet passes. A digital wallet pass avoids that problem, because Apple Wallet and Google Wallet are already on the phone.
How does a digital wallet pass become a sales channel?
A pass is not a one-off message. It is a card the policyholder keeps and opens whenever they need their policy number or the assistance hotline. That makes it a natural place for a well-timed offer. In SmartPass, three elements work together:
An offer field on the pass: a short text such as a renewal reminder or a seasonal offer, updated in the Sparados platform or from your CRM.
A purchase link on the back of the pass: a link to the renewal form, a product page or a quote, which you can change at any time.
A lock-screen notification: if the offer field is set to notify holders, every change appears on the lock screen, without the customer opening an app.
How updates and notifications work step by step, including when to update a pass quietly, is explained in our guide on how to update digital wallet passes and send push notifications.
Which sales campaigns can an insurer run on one pass?
The same pass can carry different offers through the policy year. Here is an example calendar for a travel or household insurer:
Moment | Offer on the pass | The purchase link leads to |
After purchase | Welcome message and a discount on a second product | A product page with the discount code |
Before the summer holidays | "Travelling this summer? Add travel cover." | A travel insurance quote |
Mid-policy | Higher coverage or an add-on, such as theft cover | The add-on page |
Before the ski season | "Going skiing? Add travel cover." | A winter sports add-on |
Before the policy ends | A one-tap renewal link | The renewal form |
Each row is one update of the same pass. You don't issue new passes for campaigns, and the customer keeps a single card on their phone.
How do renewals work through the pass?
Renewal is the most valuable moment in the policy year, and it is predictable. A few weeks before the policy ends, update the pass with a renewal message and a link to the renewal form. If the offer field notifies holders, the reminder appears on the lock screen. After the customer renews, update the validity date and replace the renewal link with your usual self-service link.
If the customer doesn't renew, the pass can expire on the policy end date. A pass with an expiry date is voided automatically when that date passes, so customers don't keep an outdated policy card.
How can insurers cross-sell without annoying policyholders?
Match the offer to the policy: a travel add-on for a household customer before the holidays, higher coverage for a motor customer. Offers that fit the customer's situation feel like a service.
Limit the frequency: a few well-timed offers a year work better than a monthly newsletter on the lock screen.
Keep service and sales apart: leave the policy number, coverage and assistance contacts unchanged and put offers in their own field, so the pass stays useful first.
Respect consent: offers sent as notifications can count as marketing communication. Agree with your compliance team which customers can receive them.
Write short messages: one offer, one benefit, one link.
What does a pass campaign cost compared with SMS or mail?
With SMS and paper mail, you pay for every message you send. With SmartPass, you buy a pass limit, and only sent passes count toward it. Updating a pass and sending a push notification never use the limit, so a renewal campaign or a seasonal offer to policyholders who already have the pass has no send cost. There is no platform fee and no API fee. See SmartPass pricing for the pass packages.
Market data from the insurance sector points the same way: +20-26% higher policy renewal rates, about two thirds lower communication costs than mail and SMS, about 25% more self-service and around 60% pass adoption. This is market data, not Sparados client results. We describe it in our article on how Google Wallet and Apple Wallet are reshaping insurance.
How do you measure sales from the pass?
Pass adoption: the Sparados platform shows how many passes were issued, saved in wallets and are still active.
Clicks and sales: add campaign parameters to the purchase links on the pass, so your web analytics shows which visits and purchases came from it.
Renewal rate: compare renewals among policyholders who saved the pass with those who didn't.
Service load: check whether calls about policy numbers and assistance contacts go down after launch.
How does the pass work with instant claim payouts?
The pass is the information layer and Sparados virtual cards are the payment layer. An assistance company can show the case status on the pass and pay the costs with an instant virtual card that sits in the same wallet. Allianz Partners Poland and Czech Republic already use our instant virtual cards for insurance payouts. Read how Allianz Partners Polska sped up emergency payouts.
How can an insurer start?
Pick one product and one campaign: for example, a travel insurance pass with a renewal or add-on offer.
Design the template: your logo, colours, policy fields and a separate offer field set to notify holders. Our guide on how to create a campaign and issue a SmartPass walks you through it.
Issue passes to existing customers: by email, SMS, QR code or a link, one by one or in bulk from a CSV file.
Connect your CRM: when you're ready, update offers and policy data through the Sparados API, included at no extra cost.
You can create and send your first pass the same day. A full rollout with CRM integration typically takes weeks, not quarters.
FAQ: Digital wallet passes as a sales channel for insurers
Can an insurer send offers through a digital wallet pass?
Yes. Any update of the pass can carry an offer with a purchase link on the back of the pass. If the field is set to notify holders, the customer sees the offer on the lock screen.
Do policyholders need an app?
No. The pass is saved to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet with one tap, and offers reach it without any app.
Do offer campaigns cost extra in SmartPass?
No. Updates and push notifications don't use your pass limit. Only sent passes count toward it.
Can SmartPass send offers based on the customer's location?
No. Notifications are triggered when you change a field value, in the platform or from your CRM. Location-based and scheduled notifications are not available.
How do we know which sales came from the pass?
Add campaign parameters to the purchase links on the pass and track them in your web analytics. The Sparados platform shows how many passes were saved and are active.
Which insurance products work best?
Products with a clear policy period and recurring needs, such as travel, motor, household and health insurance, where renewals and add-ons come up every year.
Turn your policy card into a sales channel
Want to see how a renewal reminder or a seasonal offer would look on your own policy pass? Book a demo and we'll walk you through a campaign for your product.
