The 5 Types of Wallet Passes Every Business Should Know

Apple Wallet and Google Wallet each define a set of pass types — structured templates with specific layout rules, field positions and design characteristics. Choosing the right type is not purely aesthetic: the pass type determines which fields are available, how the pass surfaces on the lock screen and what contextual triggers apply.

There are five types you need to know. Most businesses will find themselves choosing between two of them, so understanding the full range makes that decision faster and more confident.

1. Store Card (Loyalty Card)

Store cards are the most commonly issued pass type — and for most retail, hospitality and service businesses, the one you'll start with. The layout centres on a wide strip image at the top of the pass, which gives you significant branding space. Below the strip, you display up to four data fields: typically a points balance, a stamp count, a tier name or a member number.

The store card is purpose-built for loyalty programmes. It's the digital equivalent of the stamp card in a customer's physical wallet — except it updates in real time after every purchase, surfaces on the lock screen when the customer is near your location, and can notify them when they're close to a reward threshold.

Ideal for: coffee shops, restaurants, independent retailers, salons, gyms, supermarkets — any business with a repeat-purchase loyalty scheme. The store card format also works well for gift card balances and prepaid accounts.

2. Event Ticket

Event tickets display the event name, date, time, venue and seat or section information. They include a barcode or QR code at the bottom that staff scan at the door using a handheld scanner or a phone camera. The layout uses a thumbnail image (typically a square event logo or performer image) alongside the primary event details.

The event ticket pass type has a time-awareness feature: Apple Wallet and Google Wallet both surface event tickets on the lock screen as the event approaches — typically on the morning of the event, and again when the customer is near the venue. No action required from the customer; the pass is simply there when they need it.

After scanning, the pass can be marked as used — the visual state changes to indicate the ticket has been redeemed, preventing reuse.

Ideal for: event organisers, concert promoters, cinemas, sports venues, theatres, conferences and festivals. Also useful for any business issuing time-and-place access credentials.

3. Boarding Pass

Boarding passes are the pass type most consumers encountered first — airlines were among the earliest adopters of Apple Wallet. The format displays departure and arrival locations, a flight number (or equivalent journey identifier), seat assignment, gate and boarding time. A barcode across the bottom is scanned at the gate.

The boarding pass template is tightly structured around the concept of a journey with a departure and arrival. Airlines use it literally. But the format is flexible enough for non-aviation scenarios: shuttle services, ferry operators, train bookings and coach travel all fit the departure/arrival model.

Ideal for: airlines (obviously), rail and coach operators, ferry companies, shuttle services and any transport booking that involves a named origin and destination.

4. Coupon

Coupons are promotional passes with a clear expiry and a redemption mechanic. The layout features an offer headline prominently displayed, with supporting fields for a discount amount, promo code, expiry date and relevant barcode or QR code. Like store cards, coupons use a strip image for branding.

Coupons have the strongest location-based relevance behaviour of all pass types. When a customer with a coupon in their wallet passes near your shop, the coupon surfaces on the lock screen — a timely nudge at exactly the moment a purchase decision might be made. For businesses with physical locations, this proximity trigger is a significant differentiator from email or SMS offers.

Coupons can be single-use (marked as redeemed after scanning) or multi-use. They can be issued as part of an acquisition campaign, delivered to lapsed customers as a reactivation offer, or distributed as a referral incentive.

Ideal for: retailers, restaurants, coffee shops, service businesses running promotional campaigns. Also effective for first-visit incentives distributed via QR codes at point-of-sale.

5. Generic Pass (Membership Card)

Generic passes are the catch-all template. Where the other four types have specific structural associations (a loyalty programme, a ticketed event, a journey, a promotional offer), the generic pass has no fixed semantic meaning. It's a flexible canvas: a header image, a primary field, secondary fields, a back panel and a barcode.

In practice, the generic pass is most commonly used for membership cards — gym memberships, club cards, subscription credentials, professional association cards and healthcare provider cards. It's also the right choice for access passes, staff ID cards (in contexts where security requirements don't mandate more secure solutions) and any custom credential that doesn't fit the other four types.

Google Wallet's generic pass is particularly flexible, supporting a full-width hero image and multiple text modules that make it visually rich without being constrained to a single purpose.

Ideal for: gyms, health clubs, professional associations, subscription businesses, co-working spaces, libraries and any organisation issuing membership credentials. Also the right choice when you need a custom format that other types don't accommodate.

Choosing the Right Pass Type

The decision is usually straightforward once you understand what each type is designed for.

For most businesses starting a wallet pass programme, the store card or generic pass is the right starting point. If you run a loyalty scheme with points or stamps, start with the store card. If you're issuing membership credentials without a points mechanic, the generic pass gives you more design flexibility.

Event businesses should go straight to the event ticket type — the time and location relevance features are too valuable to forgo. Businesses with a primary promotional use case should use the coupon type to take advantage of the location proximity trigger.

We support all five pass types in Issuepass. Our template editor makes it easy to design and preview passes before you issue them, and you can switch pass types without rebuilding your customer data.

Start free and create your first pass template today — no technical knowledge required.