· 6 min
Apple Wallet lets your customers keep your loyalty card on their lock screen without downloading anything. Here is how to set one up for your business in minutes.
Apple Wallet is the digital wallet built into every iPhone. Most people use it for boarding passes and bank cards — but it also supports loyalty cards that work exactly the same way, with no app download required for your customers.
A wallet-based loyalty card lives on the customer's lock screen. It shows their points balance, a QR code for scanning at your counter, and updates automatically every time they earn a reward. They add it with a single tap from a link you share — no account, no password, no app store visit.
What Apple Wallet loyalty cards actually are
A wallet pass is a lightweight file (called a .pkpass) that iPhone reads natively. It contains your business name, logo, the customer's points or stamp count, and a QR code. When the customer earns a new point, the pass updates in real time via a push notification — the same way a flight boarding pass updates when a gate changes.
The key distinction from a loyalty app: there is no software to install. The pass is a file, not an application. That single difference removes the biggest barrier to customer adoption.
How it works in practice
- Your loyalty platform generates a unique wallet pass link for your business
- You share the link via QR code at your counter, on your receipt, or by text
- The customer taps the link — their iPhone shows 'Add to Apple Wallet'
- One tap and the loyalty card is saved to their lock screen
- At each visit, your staff scan the QR code on the pass
- Points update automatically and the pass refreshes on the customer's phone
Google Wallet: the Android equivalent
Android users have Google Wallet, which works on exactly the same principle. A pass is generated via Google's API and added with a single 'Save to Google Wallet' tap. The customer experience is identical to Apple Wallet.
A loyalty platform that generates both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes covers 99% of smartphones — with no app required for either group. Loyenix does this automatically for every business on the platform.
What you need to set one up
- A loyalty platform that generates .pkpass and Google Wallet passes (Loyenix handles this for you)
- Your business name and logo
- A reward structure — for example, 10 visits earns a free item
- A QR code at your counter for customers to scan on arrival
Why wallet passes outperform standalone loyalty apps
A dedicated loyalty app for a single small business faces an almost impossible adoption problem. Studies show 71% of apps are uninstalled within 30 days, and most customers will not install an app for a business they visit occasionally.
A wallet pass bypasses all of this. There is nothing to install, no account to create, and no app to remember. Because it sits on the lock screen, it also acts as a passive reminder every time the customer picks up their phone — something a buried app icon cannot do.
3× higher reward redemption rates for wallet passes compared to paper stamp cards (Bond Brand Loyalty, 2024)
Common questions
Does the customer need internet to show their pass?
No. The pass is stored locally on the device. The QR code is always visible, even offline. Points sync the next time the phone connects.
Can I update the pass after a customer has added it?
Yes. Wallet passes support push updates. When a customer earns a point, the pass badge and balance update automatically — no action required from the customer.
Is there an extra cost for Apple Wallet?
Apple requires an €99/year developer account to sign passes. Loyenix absorbs this as part of the subscription — there is nothing extra for you to pay.
Set up your wallet loyalty card free
85% of UK iPhone users have used Apple Wallet at least once (Statista, 2024)