Designing custom passes for Apple Wallet: a beginner’s guide

Published on 21st February 2025

If ever you’ve wondered how to design an Apple Wallet pass, we’ve got you covered. Your starting point when designing a wallet pass always depends on what you need it to do. There are so many possibilities, and remember, your wallet pass might need to do more than one thing.

Apple Wallet custom passes offer businesses a powerful way to connect with their audience while simplifying operations.

First up: design your mobile pass and how it will function

Wallet passes are digital versions of the cards we carry every day. But they're so much more than simple replacements for plastic and paper. They are dynamic digital tools which can update in real-time, send notifications based on time or location, and integrate seamlessly with your existing business systems.

A single pass can serve multiple functions - imagine a membership card that not only grants access to your building but also tracks loyalty points, displays upcoming events, and sends personalised notifications. This multifunctional approach isn't just convenient for users; it's a powerful way to keep your brand literally at your customers' fingertips.

Are you organising a festival? Do you own a gym and need to keep a track of who’s in the building? Maybe you have a membership club and want to create a digital membership card for access? Think about the basic features of the wallet pass. It could be:

To let people into a building
Register employees as they clock in to work
Collect loyalty points in a cafe
Verifying the identity of event goers

If you’re having trouble envisaging the true capability of wallet passes in your business, think about what you’re using at the moment and how a digital wallet pass could replace it. Do your members carry a card that they need to scan? Or a loyalty card that needs stamping? Or do they need to input a code to enter? These are all scenarios where a wallet pass is likely to provide a better and more secure replacement.

It doesn’t stop there….

What else does it need to do?

Consider the possibilities, is there anything else that would help the customer or employee experience?

Collect loyalty points
Access exclusive areas
Show reservation information

Which other systems does it need to integrate with?

The true power of wallet passes happens when they're properly integrated with existing business systems. Think of your pass as a bridge between your customer's phone and your business infrastructure. When done right, this integration creates a seamless experience for users without having to rely heavily on email or clunky apps.

Do you have a CRM where you want to control access from?
Maybe the ticketing and payment programme needs to be integrated?
Or how about the sports session booking system?

And what’s it going to look like?

When it comes to design, Apple's strict guidelines might initially seem limiting, but they're actually a blessing in disguise. These parameters ensure your pass will look professional and function seamlessly within the Apple ecosystem. Think of it as having a professional design consultant guiding your choices.

You will need to decide:

Pass identifier logo in the top left corner to identify the pass in the Apple Wallet stack
Pass background: an image or solid colour that appears on the front of the pass. It could be an image of the hotel, or the logo of the festival.
Icon: smaller version of the logo for push notifications

It doesn’t stop there

Once you've mastered the fundamentals, you can explore more sophisticated features to enhance the capability of your passes. Location-based notifications, for instance, can remind customers about their loyalty points when they're near your shop or cafe. Dynamic updates can adjust membership status in real-time based on customer activity.

How to get started

If you’d like to issue wallet passes in your office, hotel, venue or university...

We'd love to discuss your project - Book a Demo Today