Now that iOS 9 is downloaded and running on your iPhone, you are probably trying to figure out all of the new features that it has to offer. The new spotlight search and Siri are awesome. Along with Apple news and the new notes app. But as cool as those new features are, there is one other update that could be a real game changer. And that is the update to Passbook.
With iOS 9, Passbook will be undergoing a rebranding in order to commemorate the addition of Apple Pay within Passbook. So now, you will see your Passbook app change to Wallet. The good news is, Apple Wallet is more than just a rebrand.
What’s new in Apple Wallet?
Besides the rebrand, Wallet has some changes to it that will enhance mobile payments and the way we use the mobile wallet.
Apple Wallet integrates with Apple Pay
With Apple Wallet’s integration with Apple Pay, passes and Apple Pay will work together to provide a more convenient system for digital loyalty cards and coupons. Customers will no longer need to remember to pull their coupon or loyalty card out at the register because Apple Pay will do it for them.
As of now the retailers supporting this new Apple Pay feature include Walgreens Balance Rewards, Kohl’s Yes2You Rewards, Dunkin’ Donuts Perks as well as programs from Coca-Cola, Panera Bread, and Wegmans Food Markets. But any business can join this list by creating their own mobile wallet content here.
Update: Walgreens now has their NFC enabled loyalty card implemented.
Along with loyalty and rewards cards, store credit cards will also be available in Apple Wallet. These credit cards can get you discounted purchases, access to exclusive offers or events, and other perks. BJ’s Wholesale Club, Kohl’s Department Stores, and JCPenney are the participating retailers as of now, but we will definitely see more to follow.
Apple Wallet integrates with iAd
Apple does in fact have some great news for marketers amidst all of the Apple ad blocking controversy. Apple is now letting marketers send out mobile wallet content through iAd.
This new feature is being called Offers.
“Offers is a suite of services for marketers who want to develop customized, dynamic messages that consumers can save to Passbook(Wallet),” Apple wrote on their blog. But then they followed that good news with even better news.
“People can find Offers on marketer websites, emails, social media or via iAd or other paid ad campaigns. They can then choose to save the Offer into Passbook. Once saved, the Offer can be dynamically updated or presented with new messages specific to a store or other physical location via iBeacon. Aside from being promoted by marketers, Offers can be shared with friends through Messages, Mail, Facebook, or Twitter.”
In other words, marketers can push their mobile wallet content out directly through their ad campaigns. Consumers can then add this right into Wallet with just the click of a button. And if the offer is a good one, consumers can share it with their friends across multiple mediums.
Offers makes mobile wallet marketing that much better. If the mobile wallet is truly about convenience, then this is perfect. Because nothing is more convenient than when a customer sees an ad with an offer and they can instantly place that offer in their wallet. No more having to download or print coupons. Now they’re just a click of a button away. Offers will also play a big role in bringing your customers from online to offline. Consumers will receive these offers while online on their mobile devices, but they will need to come to your store in order to use it. That is why having an O2O strategy will be critical.
The other great thing about iAd and Offers, is the distribution of your advertisements. “Offers can be targeted by demographic, geography, device and iTunes Store preferences.” This means that your advertising dollars can go even further because you won’t be wasting time going after the wrong demographics.
P.S. Offers will also be compatible with Passbook and any device running iOS 8 or higher.
One Last Thing…
The last game changer for Apple Pay and the release of Apple Wallet is that the amount of retailers that are integrating the mobile wallet is rising. Apple Pay now has more than 500 banks on board. Credit card provider Discover has also announced their partnership with Apple Pay. And discover is even showing their appreciation by offering a 10% cash back offer for customers who use Apple Pay.
As more banks, credit cards, and retailers begin to accept mobile payments, the more widespread they will become. Now that Apple Wallet is integrating with Apple Pay and iAd, it will be able to provide the experience of a true mobile wallet. On top of that, Android Pay and Samsung Pay are beginning their rollouts meaning that more devices will be able capable of contactless payments than ever before.
The year of the mobile wallet could be upon us.
Learn more about how you can have mobile wallet content for your business and how to build an O2O strategy here.
