Glossary

The language of
wallet passes.

Every term you meet when evaluating, building or running a wallet pass program, defined in plain language.

Pass formats & distribution

Add to walletThe moment a pass is offered to a phone, typically a button or link that delivers a PKPass on iPhone or a save link on Android.

ArtworkThe full-bleed image behind an Apple Wallet poster pass, filling the pass with fields laid over it.

Featured actionsUp to two tappable tiles on the face of an Apple Wallet pass, introduced in iOS 27, deep-linking into rewards, benefits or membership details.

Hero imageThe wide banner image on a Google Wallet pass, set on the class or the object and shown across the card.

LocalizationShipping a single wallet pass with labels, values and images in several languages, so the wallet shows each member the pass in the language their phone is set to.

Manifest and signatureThe two files in every PKPass that prove it is genuine; manifest.json lists a hash of every other file and signature is a detached signature over the manifest, made with the pass type ID certificate.

Certificates & identifiers

Authentication tokenThe per-pass secret baked into an Apple Wallet pass that a device presents when talking to the pass web service; without it a pass cannot update.

Class IDThe identifier of a Google Wallet class, the shared template every pass object in a program is built on.

Class review statusThe state of a Google Wallet pass class in Google's review, draft, under review, approved or rejected; a class is submitted for review when it is ready to issue real passes.

Device registrationThe link an iPhone creates between an added pass and the issuer's web service, which is what makes push updates to the pass possible.

Issuer IDThe Google Wallet account identifier that owns a program's pass classes and objects, Google's counterpart to Apple's pass type identifier.

Pass objectOne member's pass in Google Wallet, an API record holding their identifier, balance and state, built on a shared class.

Identification at the till

Account bindingBinding an NFC pass to the member's own account so it cannot be shared, making the pass a personal credential rather than a transferable card.

Apple VASApple's NFC protocol for presenting wallet passes such as loyalty and membership cards to a contactless reader, often in the same tap as payment.

Auto-presentmentThe wallet surfacing the right pass on its own when the phone or watch nears a compatible reader, with no searching or unlocking by the member.

Aztec codeA compact two-dimensional barcode with a central bullseye finder, common in rail and transit ticketing and supported by both major wallets.

Card acquisitionThe payment terminal step that reads what the shopper presents, payment card and wallet pass alike, before any payment is processed.

CodabarA legacy numeric linear barcode still used by libraries, blood banks and photo labs, and one of the formats a wallet pass can render.

Lifecycle & messaging

APNs (Apple Push Notification service)Apple's push infrastructure; for wallet passes it carries the silent nudge that tells a device to fetch an updated pass.

Associated appThe merchant app a wallet pass can point to, shown as an install or open link on the pass; optional, and absent on programs that run entirely from the pass.

AutomationA trigger-based message that fires per member when something happens, such as a pass being installed, a birthday, or a tier change.

BeaconA small Bluetooth transmitter whose identifier an Apple Wallet pass can list, so the pass appears on the lock screen when the member is within range of it, indoors where GPS is not enough.

CampaignA one-time or scheduled push message sent to a chosen audience of pass holders, appearing on the lock screen through the pass.

Change messageThe per-field template in an Apple Wallet pass that turns a value change into a lock screen notification, such as announcing a new points balance.

Programs & enrollment

App ClipA small, installation-free slice of an iOS app that opens instantly from a QR code, NFC tag or link to handle one task.

App Clip CodeApple's circular scannable marker, readable by camera or NFC tap, that launches an App Clip on iPhone.

CredentialA pass that proves who someone is or what they are entitled to, usually presented at a reader: a gym check-in, a members-only area, a staff benefit.

GDPRThe EU's data protection regulation, which governs how loyalty programs collect member data, the consent captured at enrollment, and members' rights over it.

Hosted onboardingA hosted enrollment flow that turns a new prospect into a member, ending with a brand-new pass in their wallet.

KYCKnow your customer, the regulated process of verifying who a customer is, and the looser retail idea of actually knowing who is buying from you.

Next step

See what this looks like on a pass.

The glossary defines it. The next pages show it on the terminals merchants already run, and the merchants running it.

Explore every pass type Book a demo

Explore every pass typeLoyalty, membership, tickets, coupons and more, in both wallets Customer storiesMerchants that put the loyalty program in the wallet

The language ofwallet passes.