Wallet passes
Digital Wallet Passes for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet
A wallet pass is a loyalty card, membership card, coupon or entry ticket that sits in the phone's own wallet, with no app to download. We run Shakewell Wallet, our own platform for designing, issuing and updating passes, and we build passes into the apps and sites we deliver, such as the membership cards in the Sporting Club of Sydney app.
What a wallet pass can do
Loyalty and stamp cards
Apple calls them store cards: loyalty, discount, points and gift cards, where the pass can show a current balance. Google has dedicated loyalty, offer and gift card types. A points balance, tier or stamp count lives on the pass and changes when the customer buys.
Membership cards
Apple lists a gym membership card as a generic pass, and Google covers membership with its loyalty and generic types. It is how the Sporting Club of Sydney app gives members a card on their phone. See the case study and our React Native work.
Event and entry passes
Apple has an event ticket style for concerts, sporting events and season tickets, and Google has an event ticket type. A single pass can cover one fixture or a whole season, and carries a barcode or QR code to scan at the gate.
Coupons and offers
Passes of any style can be updated after they are added, so a coupon can carry a new offer when the old one lapses. Google has an offer type. Because the pass is already on the phone, a new promotion replaces the old one without another email.
How a pass stays current
The reason to use a pass rather than a PDF or an image is that the pass can change after it has been added.
On Apple Wallet
A pass carries the address of a web service. When a customer adds it, their device registers with that service. When something changes, the server sends a push through Apple with an empty payload, the device asks which passes have changed and downloads the latest version. A field can define a change message, which notifies the customer, so it suits time-sensitive news rather than routine updates.
On Google Wallet
Passes are built from a class, which holds what is shared, and an object, which is one customer's pass. The Google Wallet REST API creates, retrieves and updates them. A pass is issued through an Add to Google Wallet link or button, which can sit on a website or in an email.
Location
Apple lets a pass specify locations so it can surface when the customer is nearby, and Google describes location-based notifications for retail passes. Both are controlled by the platform and the customer's settings, so we treat them as a helpful nudge rather than a guarantee.
What you need to issue them
Apple passes are signed files issued under a Pass Type ID certificate from an Apple Developer account. Google needs a Google Wallet API issuer account. Either way, someone has to run the signing, the web service and the update logic. We do that work when we issue passes for you.
Shakewell Wallet
Shakewell Wallet is our own platform for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet cards. You design a card with a live preview, choose the fields, colours, barcode and branding, distribute it by QR code, link or checkout, and update every issued pass from one place. Push updates reach passes without an app, location triggers can surface a pass near a store, and passes scan at an existing point of sale.
Behind it sits a points and rewards engine with earn rules, tiers and redemption, plus reporting on enrolment, engagement and redemption. It suits retailers and franchise networks wanting one programme across every store, venues and hospitality businesses offering membership passes and event access, and anyone replacing plastic cards.
With your online store
Wallet works with Shopify and other e-commerce platforms, so online and in-store loyalty are one programme. If you sell on Shopify, a checkout can issue the card. See our Shopify development and Adobe Commerce work.
With Maropost
We connect Shakewell Wallet to Retail Express, Maropost Commerce Cloud and Maropost Marketing Cloud for each client, through Wallet's REST API and webhooks. It is set up for you rather than switched on. More on our Maropost partner work.
With your app
If you already have a mobile app, Wallet works alongside it, and a membership card can be added from inside the app. If you do not, you may never need one. See React Native development.
Products overview
Shakewell Wallet sits with Booka, Jasper and the Content Portal on our products page.
Where wallet passes appear in our work
Some of this is delivered, some designed and scoped. We say which.
Venues and clubs
The Sporting Club of Sydney members app has digital membership cards members add to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, next to QR gate entry and live gym data. More in sports and venues.
Campaigns
For Skin Check Champions, a charity with a fixed launch date, we scoped and designed a mobile-first platform where supporters share personalised Apple and Google Wallet passes through QR codes and referral links.
Wallet pass or loyalty app
Most loyalty apps are downloaded, used once and forgotten. A pass skips the download, so the customer is one swipe from their card. An app earns its place when you need accounts, ordering or booking. The pass can sit alongside the app.
The proof
Work we have shipped, not a capability deck.
Common questions
Can you add loyalty cards to Apple Wallet?
Yes. Apple Wallet has a store card pass style for loyalty, points, discount and gift cards, and the pass can show a current balance. We issue them through Shakewell Wallet, our own platform, or build them into an app or site, and the same programme can also issue Google Wallet passes.
Do customers need to download an app to use a wallet pass?
No. The customer taps a link, scans a QR code or signs up at checkout, and the pass is added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, which are already on their phone. If you do have an app, a pass can sit alongside it. See our React Native development work.
How does a wallet pass update after it has been added?
On Apple Wallet the pass points to a web service. When something changes, the server sends an empty push through Apple, the device asks what changed and downloads the latest pass. On Google Wallet the pass is updated through the Google Wallet REST API. Either way, a points balance or offer can change without the customer doing anything.
Can wallet passes work for venue memberships and event entry?
Yes. Apple has event ticket and generic styles, and Google has event ticket and generic types, covering a single fixture, a season or a gym membership card. The Sporting Club of Sydney app puts membership cards in the wallet alongside QR gate entry. See sports and venues.
Does Shakewell Wallet work with Maropost?
Yes. We connect it to Retail Express, Maropost Commerce Cloud and Maropost Marketing Cloud for each client, using Wallet's REST API and webhooks. It is set up for you rather than switched on. See our Maropost partner page.
What do we need to start with wallet passes?
Agree what the pass is for, such as loyalty, membership or entry, and which customer data drives it. Apple passes are signed with a certificate from an Apple Developer account and Google needs an issuer account. We set those up with you as part of the project.
Trusted by
“Collaborating with Shakewell Agency on the Sporting Club of Sydney members app has been a pleasure. Michael and his team came on board at short notice and very quickly responded to our business needs to deliver an improved solution for members and their guests.
No task has been too big or too small, their proactive approach, clear communication, and passion for the work have meaningfully enhanced the digital experience. Their expertise is driving us forward with more robust and scalable solutions.
It’s rare to find an agency partner so deeply invested in our success. It’s a pleasure working with the Shakewell Agency team, and I’m excited to continue improving our solutions together in the future.”
Ryan Selvage
Digital Experience Manager of Venues NSW
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