---
title: "Push update"
url: https://getstell.com/glossary/push-update
description: "The mechanism that refreshes a pass already in a wallet, so balances, tiers and offers stay current without the member doing anything."
---

# Push update

A push update is what keeps a pass alive after it is added. When something about the member changes, a points balance, a tier, an active offer, the issuing platform pushes the change, and the pass in the wallet refreshes to match. The member never reinstalls or refreshes anything; the pass is simply current the next time they look.

The mechanics differ per wallet. On Apple Wallet, the platform sends a push notification scoped to the pass, the device fetches the new version from the pass's web service, and swaps it in place; this depends on the [device registration](/glossary/device-registration) created when the pass was added. On Google Wallet, the platform updates the pass object through the API and Google propagates it to every wallet holding it. A wallet platform drives both from one change.

Updates can be silent or visible. A silent update just changes the pass. A visible one pairs the change with a [change message](/glossary/change-message), so the wallet announces it on the lock screen: the pass itself becomes a messaging channel, without an app and without a notification permission prompt.

When evaluating a platform, the end-to-end path is what to verify: make a points change, a tier change and a message propagate to a real device, and check whether the platform can show you delivery, not just that an update was sent.