Apple Wallet, or simply Wallet and formerly known as Passbook, is a

digital wallet A digital wallet, also known as an e-wallet, is an electronic device, online service, or software program that allows one party to make electronic transactions with another party bartering digital currency units for goods and services. This can ...

developed by

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...

and included with

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...

and

watchOS watchOS is the operating system of the Apple Watch, developed by Apple Inc. It is based on iOS, the operating system used by the iPhone, and has many similar features. It was released on April 24, 2015, along with the Apple Watch, the only dev ...

that allows users to store Wallet passes such as

coupon In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be redeemed for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in r ...

boarding pass A boarding pass or boarding card is a document provided by an airline during airport check-in, giving a passenger permission to enter the restricted area of an airport (also known as the airside portion of the airport) and to board the air ...

es,

student ID A campus credential, more commonly known as a campus card or a campus ID card is an identification document certifying the status of students, faculty, staff or other constituents as members of the institutional community and eligible for access ...

cards, government ID cards, business credentials, resort passes, car keys, home keys, event

tickets Ticket or tickets may refer to: Slips of paper * Lottery ticket * Parking ticket, a ticket confirming that the parking fee was paid (and the time of the parking start) * Toll ticket, a slip of paper used to indicate where vehicles entered a tol ...

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

ation passes, store cards, and – starting with iOS 8.1 –

credit card A credit card is a payment card issued to users (cardholders) to enable the cardholder to pay a merchant for goods and services based on the cardholder's accrued debt (i.e., promise to the card issuer to pay them for the amounts plus the o ...

debit card A debit card, also known as a check card or bank card is a payment card that can be used in place of cash to make purchases. The term '' plastic card'' includes the above and as an identity document. These are similar to a credit card, but u ...

s, and

prepaid cards A stored-value card (SVC) is a payment card with a monetary value stored on the card itself, not in an external account maintained by a financial institution. This means no network access is required by the payment collection terminals as funds ...

for use via

Apple Pay Apple Pay is a mobile payment service by Apple Inc. that allows users to make payments in person, in iOS apps, and on the web. It is supported on these Apple devices: iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac. It digitizes and can replace a cred ...

. Wallet was introduced as Passbook with

iOS 6 iOS 6 is the sixth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc, being the successor to iOS 5. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 11, 2012, and was released on September 19, 2 ...

on September 19, 2012. It was renamed Wallet with the release of

iOS 9 iOS 9 is the ninth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 8. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, 2015, and was released on September 16, ...

in 2015. Wallet is also the main interface for

Apple Card Apple Card is a credit card created by Apple Inc. and issued by Goldman Sachs, designed primarily to be used with Apple Pay on Apple devices such as an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac. Currently, it is available only in the United States, w ...

, Apple's credit card released in the U.S. on August 20, 2019.

History

Apple Passbook was announced at the 2012

Apple Worldwide Developers Conference The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is an information technology conference held annually by Apple Inc. The conference is usually held at Apple Park in California. The event is usually used to showcase new software and technologies in th ...

on June 11, 2012, and released with

on September 19, 2012. It was renamed Wallet with the release of iOS 9 on September 16, 2015.

Features

Wallet displays

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...

PDF417 PDF417 is a stacked linear barcode format used in a variety of applications such as transport, identification cards, and inventory management. "PDF" stands for Portable Data File. The "417" signifies that each pattern in the code consists of 4 ...

, and QR 2D barcodes and

Code 128 Code 128 is a high-density linear barcode symbology defined in ISO/IEC 15417:2007. It is used for alphanumeric or numeric-only barcodes. It can encode all 128 characters of ASCII and, by use of an extension symbol (FNC4), the Latin-1 characters ...

1D barcodes beginning with

. Each digital coupon or ticket is known as a "pass". When the user launches Wallet for the first time, a brief introduction screen appears with a button inviting users to browse apps on the

App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...

with Wallet integration. Passes can also be distributed online via Safari, sent to the user via email, or scanned using the built-in scanner in Wallet. Passes are synced between iOS devices using

iCloud iCloud is a cloud service from Apple Inc. launched on October 12, 2011 as a successor to MobileMe. , the service had an estimated 850 million users, up from 782 million users in 2016. iCloud enables users to sync their data to the cloud, inclu ...

, and OS X 10.8.2 and later also support opening passes to be sent to users' iOS devices. Although the app is available in

or later, it is only available on iPhone and

iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a music pl ...

, but not on

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...

. Wallet has the following features: *Displays 2D barcodes of following types: Aztec, PDF417 and QR. *Displays 1D barcodes of following types: Code 128 beginning with iOS 9. *Triggered by location. Up to 10 locations can be added to each Pass. A location is programmed as

GPS coordinates The World Geodetic System (WGS) is a standard used in cartography, geodesy, and satellite navigation including GPS. The current version, WGS 84, defines an Earth-centered, Earth-fixed coordinate system and a geodetic datum, and also descri ...

(longitude, latitude, and altitude) and/or

iBeacon iBeacon is a protocol developed by Apple and introduced at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in 2013. Various vendors have since made iBeacon-compatible hardware transmitters – typically called beacons – a class of Blueto ...

UUID A universally unique identifier (UUID) is a 128-bit label used for information in computer systems. The term globally unique identifier (GUID) is also used. When generated according to the standard methods, UUIDs are, for practical purposes, un ...

. (The UUID is a Universally Unique Identifier which is a 32

ASCII ASCII ( ), abbreviated from American Standard Code for Information Interchange, is a character encoding standard for electronic communication. ASCII codes represent text in computers, telecommunications equipment, and other devices. Because of ...

character code or a code automatically generated from a name using the PassKit API.) *Triggered by time of pass. *Localisation of the pass. Up to 35 languages can be stored for each pass in Wallet. *Pass changes can be pushed via the Apple Push Notification Service by the pass provider, or manually updated by the user themselves.

Ecosystem

Passes exist in a larger ecosystem, because passes are created as a package. The package is a pass template, that is created with a pass signer, along with relevant data and a private key. Passes can be updated at any time using the PassKit API and an iOS app can interact directly with passes stored in Wallet. Passes are presented and managed by Wallet. Systems and apps interact with passes via the PassKit

API An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how ...

. In its simplest form, an interaction (or transaction) between a pass and a system is facilitated by a 2D barcode or the modern QR code although it requires the customer to initiate the activity. Electronic boarding pass of Air China flight on iPhone 7

Electronic boarding pass of Air China flight on iPhone 7

In late 2014, the first known implementations utilizing the iBeacon wireless

geofencing A geofence is a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area. A geofence could be dynamically generated (as in a radius around a point location) or match a predefined set of boundaries (such as school zones or neighborhood boundaries). Th ...

started to appear in retail locations in the US. The iBeacon solutions allowed the retailer to broadcast an unsolicited lock-screen notice onto smartphones within

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

range. In 2015, Apple incorporated the ability to present a loyalty card in Wallet to a

point-of-sale terminal A payment terminal, also known as a point of sale (POS) terminal, credit card terminal, EFTPOS terminal (or by the older term as PDQ terminal which stands for "Process Data Quickly"), is a device which interfaces with payment cards to make electro ...

via

NFC NFC may refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychology * Need for closure, social psychological term Sports * NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game * NCAA Football Championship (Philippines) * Nati ...

Walgreens Walgreen Company, d/b/a Walgreens, is an American company that operates the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States behind CVS Health. It specializes in filling prescriptions, health and wellness products, health information, an ...

enabled this first with their Balance Rewards loyalty program; customers can add their card to Wallet through the Walgreens or

Duane Reade Duane Reade Inc. ( ) is a chain of pharmacy and convenience stores owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance. Its stores are primarily located in New York City, and known for high-volume, small store layouts in densely populated Manhattan locations. In 2 ...

mobile apps and tap their phone to the terminal when prompted for their rewards card. In 2016, Apple released the

iPhone 7 The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are smartphones that were designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the tenth generation of the iPhone. They were announced on September 7, 2016, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Fr ...

, along with Apple Pay support with Japan. This included IC e-cards like Suica to also be added digitally onto Apple Wallet. These cards work like a normal IC card, just on the iPhone, and Apple Wallet users can make normal transactions with their IC card using their iPhone, using the

FeliCa FeliCa is a contactless Radio-frequency identification, RFID smart cards, smart card system from Sony in Japan, primarily used in electronic money cards. The name stands for ''Felicity Card''. First utilized in the Octopus card system in Hong Kong, ...

NFC contactless technology to operate. Apple Wallet users can also reload their IC card just from their device using a debit or credit card added to Apple Wallet. To get a Suica, you could buy one digitally from Apple Wallet, or get a physical one from a

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

station and transfer the card balance to an iPhone. Japan's second main IC card,

PASMO is a rechargeable contactless smart card electronic money system. It is primarily used for public transport in Tokyo, Japan, where it was introduced on 18 March 2007. Pasmo can also be used as a payment card for vending machines and stores. ...

, would also be released later in 2020 with support with Apple Wallet. In 2018, support was added for contactless

s for select universities. Such credentials operate in a similar manner to physical

RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electromag ...

cards in that they can be tapped to supported readers. The power reserve feature on select iPhones and Apple Watches allows for continued use of the card even when the battery is depleted as long as Express Mode is enabled. In 2020, car keys were made available for the Apple Wallet, beginning with supported BMW vehicles. Such keys can be shared with friends and family, and permissions can be set per member, such as how fast they can go and whether or not some vehicle-specific features can be enabled/disabled or not. Such passes can also operate over UWB in addition to NFC. In 2021, Apple announced the ability to store government-issued ID cards, resort passes, home keys, and business credentials in Wallet. As of May 2022, two U.S. States offer the ability to store a

state identification card In the United States, identity documents are typically the regional state-issued driver's license or identity card, while also the Social Security card (or just the Social Security number) and the United States Passport Card may serve as nation ...

within the wallet app, those being Maryland and Arizona. In 2022, Apple announced a new feature to track your

orders in Wallet.

Distribution

Passes can be distributed anywhere a link can be embedded, such as via email, SMS,

RCS RCS may refer to: Organisations *Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace * Radio Corporation of Singapore *Radcliffe Choral Society * Rawmarsh Community School *Red Crescent Society *Red Cross Society * Representation of Czechs and Slovaks, a football t ...

, a webpage, an app,

NFC tag TecTiles are a near field communication (NFC) application, developed by Samsung, for use with mobile smartphone devices. Each TecTile is a low-cost self-adhesive sticker with an embedded NFC Tag. They are programmed before use, which can be do ...

s, or QR codes.

Availability

The Apple Wallet app is preinstalled on most iPhone and Apple Watch models worldwide, and developers from any country where Apple Developer resources are available can develop passes for Wallet. This is different from Apple Pay, which resides within Wallet, which currently has limited availability to a much smaller selection of nations.

Supported loyalty programs

These programs are conveyed through NFC via Apple Wallet's VAS protocol. Programs that support One Tap are conveyed at the same time as a payment card stored in Apple Wallet. Conversely, Two Tap programs are redeemed in a sequential manner, where a loyalty pass is scanned first, and then the payment can be presented.

Supported government identifications

These territories permit their residents to save their government-issued identification credentials in Apple Wallet. Unlike the equivalent physical credentials, mobile government IDs in Apple Wallet operate over NFC, so no barcode is scanned when presenting. Added credentials can also be requested by apps to present virtually. Available for iPhone 8 or later, and Apple Watch Series 4 or later.

Supported home & car keys

These home locks & car models can be unlocked via NFC with the iPhone XR, iPhone XS or later, and Apple Watch Series 5 or later. In addition, certain car models that support operation via UWB will require an UWB compatible device, such as the iPhone 11 or later or the Apple Watch Series 6 or later.

Supported campus identifications

References

External links

Wallet
apps in the

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

{{Payment service providers CS1 errors: missing title iOS software watchOS software iOS-based software made by Apple Inc. Online payments Mobile payments