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Here's the mobile wallet comparison chart. Click on the image below to access the full comparison.

Refer to this pass installation guide for iOS and Android

Refer to this pass installation guide for iOS and Android

Android users will need to download a 3rd party wallet app such as myWallet.

The 10 GPS limit and beacon limit is fixed by Apple and Google. It is fixed for two reasons:

• Keep the size of the pass file manageable
• Reduce battery consumption when scanning for beacons / locations.

The solutions to get around these two constraints typically involve updating the pass to show the 10 closest beacons/GPS locations. This could be based on the postcode, location of last use, customer preference, etc. To get this done would require action on the customers' side (i.e. scanning the pass or clicking on a link).

For Customers

Convenience and preference: Passes stored in the customers' preferred wallet application provide ultimate convenience, minimal memory usage and aligns with smartphone owners’ preferences. Similar to how smartphone owners like to store and manage their email in their native mail application, they like to store and manage wallet content in their native wallet application.

As well as the dynamic nature of the pass, links can be placed on the back of the pass, which allows the customer to find you (and your web assets) easily. For example, they can link to your app quickly, or your website, or link to the map application to find the nearest branch, or call your customer support centre. Effectively a pass presents a ‘smart bookmark’ for the smartphone owner to all of your assets. All without having to remember your web address or where they stored your app (if they have installed your app).

For Businesses

Cost: It costs significantly less to implement wallet content with PassKit when compared to designing, developing, distributing and maintaining this functionality with your own application. You can then focus your precious IT resources on making your app (if you have one), or your mobile website, more useful / immersive for customers, and allow them to store wallet content in the wallet application. Note for businesses that do have an app, or considering implementing an app, the wallet application works in collaboration with an application. Companion apps should not duplicate the functionality of the Wallet app, rather they should enrich the user experience by doing things that Wallet can’t do, such as letting the user select a reward, redeem points; and when they do so the Pass is automatically updated. This can happen even if the customer chooses to transact or take some action (e.g. redeem points) online (even if they are not on their smartphone).

Time: PassKit technology is available today as are wallet applications in most smartphones. For any smartphone that does not have a wallet application, PassKit provides a wallet application that can be downloaded, or a browser fall back if a customer still doesn’t want to install an app but wants to view the wallet content. A consumer also has the option to print the wallet content (if they still want a paper version of the pass).

Revenue: Unlike paper and plastic, digital wallet content (Passes) are personalised and dynamic. They represent a new engagement channel to your customer base. Once a customer has added a Pass to their wallet application, you can easily encourage behaviour (without emails or SMS message) as well as subtly remind customers that they own your loyalty card/coupon/ticket etc.. Lock screen messages and Pass updates can be based on customer behaviour (e.g. a customer hasn’t used their credit card for some time, or they’ve just redeemed points), time (e.g. when their card is nearing expiry), location (e.g. when they are in proximity to a your store or the places that are relevant) or other data (like social preferences). By providing convenient links on the bank of the pass, it also helps customers to engage with your other digital assets (e.g. your app, your website, your customer support channel, your social media etc.)

Brand Image: By using digital Passes, as opposed to plastic, paper or emails, your company is seen as progressive and innovative. There is also a corporate social responsibility (CSR) angle you can promote, as you are reducing the consumption of wasteful paper and plastic.

1. Cost of development

Apple and Google have invested, and continue to spend millions of dollars to design, develop, deploy and manage the applications. Because they are ‘built-in’ to the phone they access a lower level of capabilities that third party developer s cannot access.

2. Installation base

Apple Wallet is installed as standard on all iPhones and iPods running iOS6 or above (>99.5% of all iOS devices). It is also a standard application on all Apple Watches. Android Pay is installed as a standard app on many Android devices, and the plan is to make it a native application on all Android devices. PassKit Passes also work with WeChat Wallet and AliPay Wallet for consumers who prefer to store and manage wallet content in these quasi-native applications.

3. Consumer preference

Smartphone owners prefer to store and manage wallet content in their wallet application (as they prefer to store and manage email in their native email application, or browse the web in their native browser application)

Additional Information

Passes are a digital representation of information that might otherwise be printed on pieces of paper or plastic. They let users take actions in the physical world. For example, obtain a discount at a gas station, gain access to an exclusive event, redeem a free item, board a plane, collect points when paying for goods in a department store.

Passes can contain images and a barcode, and you can update passes at any time using PassKit push. Users view and manage their passes using the Wallet app of their choice. (e.g. Apple Wallet, Android Wallet, WeChat Wallet etc.)

The PassKit framework also provides an interface for apps to interact with passes. Companion apps should not duplicate the functionality of the Wallet app, rather they should enrich the user experience by doing things that Wallet can’t do, such as letting the user update their home address, or redeem points and then updating the pass. Passes need to be useful even if the user doesn’t have your app installed.

Even if you’re not creating watch-specific apps, users can add any passes you create to their Apple Watch.

Passes let your users take actions in the real world, so accessing them needs to be easy and fast. Wallet applications makes relevant passes immediately accessible by integrating them with the lock screen. To take advantage of this feature, you simply add information about where and when the member’s pass is relevant (note that this can be the same or different information for each customer).

A pass’s relevancy can be based either on the time or the place where the user can actually utilise it. You simply provide a point in time and points in space via PassKit. The Wallet application then determines whether the pass should appear on the smartphone lock screen based on these settings. It calculates when the user is close enough to the specified time and locations based on the pass stored in the wallet application. You therefore don’t need to program any of this logic in your application.

Note that relevance information is passive; it helps users find passes when they need them by putting relevant passes right on the lock screen. It doesn’t present alerts or post notifications. This is in contrast to the notification posted when a pass updates (e.g. more rewards points are collected, or points are redeemed).

Notifications are the messages that appear on the lock screen of a device. They will display at a relevant location, relevant time or when the Pass is updated.

In very basic terms, once you (or your system) tell us what needs to change, PassKit confirms the Pass is still active (i.e. still in a user's mobile wallet) and then pushes the update to the device, which automatically updates the Pass. If you have selected a notification message, the user will be informed that something has changed in their Pass. A quick swipe of the notification will open the Pass and they will quickly see what has changed.

Nope, you do not need an app. Passes can be distributed by any channel that can present a URL. You can send the link to the pass via email, or from a web page, via social media channels, or from within an app.

No, alerts will only show on devices that have the pass installed in their mobile wallet.

Simple! Just sign up for free here

Have a play around and if you ever get stuck check out the PassKit Support Centre

Please note that we are currently updating a lot of our articles and videos, so if you can't find what you need either send us a message using the chat app (in the bottom right of your screen) or send an email to support@passkit.com

Yes! We offer advisory, integration and development services. If you would like us to help you and your business integrate PassKit into your existing systems please send your RFP (Request for Proposal) to support@passkit.com

As a guidance for our bespoke development services fees, refer to Optional Extras (Page 3) on our latest price list.