Google Wallet Loyalty Card: How Shops Issue Android Cards

Shops issue a Google Wallet loyalty card by creating a digital pass through the Google Wallet API or a supported third-party loyalty platform, then delivering it to customers via a link, QR code, or app integration. Once added, the card lives in the customer’s Google Wallet on Android and can show points, rewards, or a member barcode at checkout.

See also: Location-Based Lock-Screen Reminders for Wallet Cards · Google Wallet Pass Creator for Loyalty Cards

This guide walks through the practical steps: preparing your loyalty program data, generating the pass, sending it to customers, and updating balances or offers over time. You’ll also learn what Google requires for approval, how to avoid common setup mistakes, and which no-code tools can help if you don’t have a developer on staff.

Understanding Digital Loyalty Cards

A digital loyalty card is a customer’s proof of membership stored on their phone instead of in a physical wallet. For a shop owner, the mechanics are simple: you create a digital pass, the customer saves it to Google Wallet, and your staff scan a barcode or QR code at the till. The card can hold a customer name, a member ID, a points balance, and a link to your website or menu.

Google Wallet supports this through a file format called a Google Wallet pass. You do not need to build an app. A pass is a small package of text, images, and a barcode that Google Wallet displays like a plastic card. The customer taps “Add to Google Wallet” from a link you send by email, SMS, or a QR code on your counter. Once saved, the card sits in their Wallet app alongside payment cards and tickets.

What the customer sees

A cafe can issue a Google Wallet loyalty card that shows the customer’s name, a simple “6 stamps, 4 to go” message, and a QR code. The barista scans the QR code at the point of sale, and your till or loyalty system updates the balance. The customer does not need to open a separate app or remember a login. If they lose their phone, they can restore the pass from their Google account on a new device.

A salon might use the same pass to show a prepaid visit count. The card displays “3 visits remaining” and the expiry date. When a client books an appointment, the receptionist scans the pass to deduct one visit. No paper punch card, no plastic card to laminate.

How it differs from a plastic card

A plastic loyalty card is static. If you change your logo, add a second location, or update your points rules, you reprint cards. A Google Wallet pass can be updated remotely. The next time the customer opens Wallet, the pass pulls the new balance or message from your server. You can also send a location-based notification when the customer is near your shop, reminding them to use their card.

For a car wash, this means a monthly pass can show the number of washes left. When the customer drives up, the attendant scans the phone. If the customer tops up online, the pass updates without a new card.

Where the data lives

The pass itself is not a database. It is a display layer. Your loyalty data still lives in your POS, spreadsheet, or loyalty software. The Google Wallet pass simply carries a unique identifier, such as a membership number, and displays whatever balance you push to it. This matters because it means you can start with a simple system: export customer IDs from your till, generate passes, and update balances manually or through a small script.

A restaurant could use a Google Wallet loyalty card for a “buy 9, get 1 free” coffee or lunch deal. The pass shows the current count. Staff scan it, the POS records the sale, and the pass updates at the end of the day. The customer never needs to carry a stamped card or remember a phone number.

The practical takeaway is that a Google Wallet loyalty card is not a marketing gimmick. It is a replacement for the physical card that reduces reprints, reduces lost cards, and puts your loyalty program one tap away from the customer’s payment cards.

Google Wallet Pass Basics

A Google Wallet loyalty card is a digital version of the plastic or paper punch card you already hand out. It lives inside the Google Wallet app on Android phones. Customers tap to open it, show a barcode or QR code at your counter, and you scan it the same way you would scan a physical card. The difference is that the card updates automatically when points change, a reward is earned, or an offer expires.

The technical name for this object is a Google Wallet pass. You create it as a JSON Web Token (JWT) file, which is a structured text file that tells Google what the card should look like and how it should behave. You do not need to build an Android app. You can generate a pass from a simple web server, a spreadsheet script, or a third-party loyalty platform that supports Google Wallet.

Each pass contains three layers of information. The first is the card design: your shop name, logo, brand colour, and the card title such as "Sunrise Cafe Rewards". The second is the customer data: the cardholder name, current points balance, membership tier, and a unique barcode value. The third is the update logic: what happens when a purchase adds points or when a reward is redeemed.

A practical example helps here. Imagine a car wash that offers a free wash after nine paid visits. The owner issues a Google Wallet loyalty card to each regular customer. When a customer pays for a wash, the cashier scans the barcode from the phone. The point-of-sale system adds one visit and sends an update to Google. Within seconds, the card on the customer's phone shows the new visit count. After the ninth visit, the card changes to show a "Free Wash Available" banner and a new barcode for redemption. The customer does not need to download anything new or remember a paper card.

Salons and barbershops use the same mechanic for appointment-based rewards. A salon could issue a pass that shows the number of visits remaining until a discount on a colour treatment. The pass updates after each appointment checkout. If the customer books through a booking app that integrates with Google Wallet, the loyalty card can even appear alongside the appointment reminder.

Gyms and fitness studios often combine a membership card with a loyalty component. A yoga studio might issue a pass that doubles as a check-in card and a class-count tracker. The barcode opens the door or checks the member in, and the same pass shows how many classes remain on a ten-class pack. When the member buys a new pack at the front desk, the pass updates with the new balance.

Restaurants and cafes benefit from time-based offers. A coffee shop can issue a pass that shows a "Double Points Weekend" message from Friday to Sunday. The message disappears automatically on Monday. This removes the need to print new punch cards or explain promotions verbally to every customer.

One important basic: Google Wallet passes are not static images. A customer cannot simply screenshot a card and keep using an old balance. The barcode can be configured to rotate or refresh, and the pass data is tied to the issuer's server. If a customer deletes the pass and re-adds it later, the current balance is restored from your system, not from the old phone file.

The setup path is straightforward. You need a Google Wallet API issuer account, a service account key, and a way to generate signed JWTs. Many small shops start with a Google Sheet and a free Apps Script that generates passes in bulk.

Understanding these basics matters before you choose a tool. The pass itself is just a container. The real work is deciding what data you put on it, how often you update it, and how your staff will scan it at the counter.

How Shops Create Loyalty Passes

A shop can issue a Google Wallet loyalty card without building an app or hiring a developer. The process starts with a Google Wallet API account, but most small businesses do not touch the API directly. They use a pass creation platform or a point-of-sale add-on that handles the technical side. The shop designs the pass, uploads its logo and brand colours, sets the loyalty rules, and then shares a link or QR code with customers.

The simplest route is a third-party provider. You enter your business name, upload a square logo, choose a card colour, and add fields like member name, points balance, or a barcode. The provider generates a secure link. When a customer opens that link on an Android phone, Google Wallet shows an "Add to Wallet" button. One tap saves the pass to the phone.

A cafe, for example, might create a pass that shows a QR code linked to the customer's account in the cafe's POS system. Each time the customer buys a coffee, the cashier scans the QR code. The POS updates the points balance. The next time the customer opens the pass in Google Wallet, the balance has changed automatically. This works because the pass is not a static image. It pulls live data from the cafe's loyalty database through the Google Wallet API.

Salons and barbershops often use a simpler version. They create a pass with a fixed stamp card design. The customer shows the pass at the counter. The staff member taps a button in the provider's app to add a stamp or mark a visit. The updated pass appears on the customer's phone within seconds. No physical card, no paper stamping.

Restaurants and car washes can issue passes through their booking or payment software. Many POS systems now include Google Wallet loyalty as a built-in feature. The shop owner enables it in the settings, uploads the logo, and chooses what information appears on the pass. The system then sends an "Add to Wallet" link in the booking confirmation email or on the receipt screen.

Gyms and fitness studios often link the pass to membership status. The pass shows the member's name, membership tier, and a barcode for check-in. When the member scans the barcode at the front desk, the system records the visit. If the membership renews or the tier changes, the pass updates automatically. The member does not need to download a new card.

The key point for shop owners is that they do not need to understand the technical details. They need three things: a Google Wallet API account, a provider or POS that supports Google Wallet passes, and a clear loyalty rule. The provider handles the rest. The shop's main job is to promote the pass. Put a QR code on the counter, in the window, and on receipts. Staff should mention it at checkout. The easier it is for a customer to add the pass, the more likely they are to use it.

One practical tip: test the pass on an Android phone before promoting it. Open the link, add the pass, and check that the logo, text, and barcode look right. Also check that the pass updates after a transaction. A broken pass frustrates customers and undermines trust. Fix any display or update issues before rolling it out widely.

Integrating Loyalty Programs with Android

A Google Wallet loyalty card works best when it plugs into the systems you already run. Most shops do not need to rebuild their loyalty program from scratch. You need a way to turn your existing customer records into a digital pass that sits in a customer’s Google Wallet on Android.

Start with your point-of-sale setup. If your POS already tracks points, stamps, or visit counts, check whether it can export a customer ID or membership number. Many modern POS systems for cafes and salons have a customer database with a unique code per person. That code becomes the identifier on the Google Wallet pass. When a customer taps their phone at the counter, your staff scans the barcode or QR code on the pass, and the POS reads the same membership number it would read from a plastic card or a phone number lookup.

For shops that run a simpler stamp-card model, the integration is slightly different. A car wash or juice bar might track eight visits before a free wash or drink. With a Google Wallet loyalty card, you can issue a pass that shows the current stamp count. The count updates through your loyalty platform or a small backend service. The customer opens the pass, sees their progress, and the staff scans it to add a stamp. This removes the need for paper cards that get lost in glove boxes or wallets.

Restaurants and gyms often tie loyalty to a booking or membership system. A gym can issue a Google Wallet pass that displays the member’s check-in barcode and membership tier. The pass updates when the member renews or upgrades. A restaurant can link a pass to a reservation or a table-ordering app, so the loyalty points accrue automatically when the bill is paid. The key is that the pass is not a separate island. It reflects data that already lives in your booking or billing software.

The technical path usually involves one of two options. You can use a third-party loyalty platform that offers Google Wallet pass creation as a built-in feature. These platforms handle the pass design, barcode generation, and update triggers. You connect your POS or e-commerce system to the platform through an API or a CSV import. Alternatively, if you have a developer, you can use the Google Wallet API directly. This gives you full control over the pass layout, colours, and update logic, but it requires more setup and maintenance.

Think about how the pass gets into a customer’s wallet. The most common method is a link sent by SMS or email after sign-up. A cafe might include the link in a welcome email. A salon might send it after a first appointment. The customer taps the link on their Android phone, and Google Wallet opens with the pass ready to save. You can also place a QR code at the counter that opens the same link. This works well for walk-in customers who sign up on the spot.

Updates matter more than the initial issue. A loyalty card that never changes feels static. If your platform supports push updates, use them. When a customer earns a new stamp or moves to a higher tier, the pass updates on their phone automatically. They may see a notification from Google Wallet. This keeps your shop top of mind without sending another email or text. For salons, a pass that updates after each visit with a new points balance is more useful than a static membership card.

One practical example: a coffee shop with a “buy nine, get the tenth free” program. The shop uses a loyalty app that supports Google Wallet. Each customer gets a pass with a barcode and a visual stamp row. After each purchase, the cashier scans the barcode, the POS records the sale, and the loyalty platform updates the pass. The customer sees the new stamp count the next time they open Google Wallet. No paper, no separate app to download, no phone number to recite at the till.

Integration does not have to be perfect on day one. Start with a simple pass that shows a membership number and a barcode. Get your staff used to scanning it. Then add dynamic fields like points balances or tier names once the basic flow works. Shops that treat the Google Wallet loyalty card as an extension of their existing program, rather than a separate project, see the smoothest rollout.

Designing a Customer Friendly Card

A loyalty card in Google Wallet only works if customers actually want to use it. The design decisions you make before issuing a single pass determine whether the card gets opened at the till or buried in a digital wallet and forgotten.

Start with the name. The card title appears in the wallet next to your logo, so it needs to say who you are and what the card does without extra words. "Brew & Bean Rewards" works. "BB Loyalty Program Card 2024" does not. Keep the title under 25 characters where possible. Longer titles get truncated on smaller phone screens, and a cut-off name looks careless.

The visual design should match your physical shop. If your cafe uses cream and forest green on cups and signage, use the same colours on the card. Customers recognise consistency. A loyalty card that looks unrelated to the shop creates a moment of hesitation at the counter, which is the last thing you want when there is a queue behind the customer.

Choose one clear image for the card header. For a salon, a photo of your interior or a simple branded pattern works better than a stock photo of scissors. For a car wash, a clean shot of a freshly washed car in your bay beats a generic shiny car image. The image should be at least 660 by 660 pixels for Google Wallet, but larger is safer. Test it on an Android phone before launch. What looks crisp on a desktop monitor can look soft on a phone screen.

The barcode area needs contrast. Google Wallet renders the barcode automatically from the data you provide, but the background behind it comes from your design. A dark background with a dark barcode is unreadable. Use a white or very light strip behind the barcode zone, even if the rest of the card is dark. The same applies to the card number or member ID. If a staff member needs to type that number manually because the scanner fails, it must be legible at a glance.

Text on the card should answer three questions: what is this, what do I get, and where do I use it. A gym card might say "10 visits = 1 free guest pass" and list the branch address. A restaurant card might show "Earn 1 point per £1" and the phone number for bookings. Do not try to list full terms and conditions on the card itself. Put a short line like "See in-store for terms" and keep the card clean.

Think about how staff interact with the card. If your point-of-sale system scans barcodes, make sure the barcode type you choose in the pass matches what your scanner reads. A QR code that works on one till system may not work on another. Test the card on at least three different Android devices before you start handing out the link. Screen sizes, brightness settings and wallet versions all affect how the card displays.

Finally, plan for updates before you issue cards. A cafe that changes its stamp reward from "buy 9 get 1 free" to "buy 7 get 1 free" needs to update the card design and reissue it. If your card includes an expiry date for points, put that date in the relevant field so Google Wallet can show it automatically. Customers notice when a card says one thing and the till says another. A card that contradicts itself gets deleted, and the customer goes back to carrying a paper stamp card or nothing at all.

Distributing Passes to Shoppers

Getting a Google Wallet loyalty card onto a shopper’s phone is not a single-step process. The right method depends on where the customer is, what kind of checkout you run, and how much staff time you can spend per visit. Most shops use a mix of two or three channels rather than relying on one.

At the counter

The fastest method for a busy cafe or salon is a QR code printed on a small stand, receipt, or till screen. The customer scans it with their Android phone camera, taps the link, and the pass opens in Google Wallet. They tap “Add to Wallet” and it is saved. No app download is needed.

Keep the QR code visible at eye level near the card reader. If you print it on receipts, place it away from the barcode area so scanners do not misread it. For a car wash or gym with a front desk, a laminated A5 card works better than a phone screen because the customer can scan it while staff handle payment.

Some point-of-sale systems let staff trigger an SMS or email with the pass link during checkout. This works well in restaurants where the server already asks for a phone number for booking confirmation. The message should say exactly what it is, for example: “Tap to add your loyalty card to Google Wallet. No app needed.” Avoid marketing language in that message; the customer is at the till and wants to move quickly.

After the visit

Email is still the most reliable channel for salons, gyms, and repair shops where customers book ahead or leave contact details. Send the pass link in the booking confirmation or a follow-up message the same day. The subject line should mention the loyalty card directly: “Your loyalty card for [shop name] is ready.” Inside, include one line explaining what the customer gets, such as “Collect a stamp each visit” or “Points are added automatically when you show this card.”

Do not bury the link in a long newsletter. A standalone email with a single button converts better than a monthly update with five offers. If you use SMS, keep it under 160 characters and link to the pass, not to your homepage.

On your own channels

A website or booking page can carry a “Save to Google Wallet” button next to your opening hours or contact details. The button links to the same pass URL you use for QR codes. For a restaurant or cafe with a strong Instagram presence, add the link to your bio during a launch week, then rotate it out. Social posts work best when they show the pass on a phone screen next to a physical stamp card, so customers recognise the replacement.

Staff prompts

The most overlooked distribution channel is the person behind the counter. A short script helps: “We have a digital loyalty card now. If you have an Android phone, scan this and it saves to your wallet.” Staff should not explain how Google Wallet works in detail. The QR code does the work. If a customer hesitates, offer the email option instead.

Managing Updates and Expiry

A loyalty card that shows an old point balance or an expired offer creates friction at the till. Staff waste time explaining why the screen is wrong, and customers lose trust in the program. Managing updates and expiry well keeps the card useful and the checkout smooth.

How Updates Reach a Customer's Phone

Google Wallet loyalty cards do not update themselves. The shop controls changes through the pass issuer account or API. When you change a balance, a tier, or an offer, the update is pushed to the customer's device the next time the phone syncs with Google's servers. This usually happens within minutes, but it depends on connectivity.

A cafe running a "buy 8 get 1 free" card should update the stamp count at the point of sale, not later. If a customer buys two coffees and the card still shows six stamps instead of eight, the next visit starts with confusion. Staff should see the same updated balance on their till system before the customer leaves the counter.

For salons and barbershops, a common pattern is a visit-based reward. Each appointment adds one visit. The update should happen when the appointment is marked as completed, not when it is booked. A customer who cancels or reschedules should not see a visit added to their Google Wallet pass.

Expiry Dates and What They Mean

Every Google Wallet loyalty pass can carry an expiry date. This is not the expiry of the customer's relationship with your shop. It is the expiry of that specific pass version. If a pass expires and no replacement is issued, the card may disappear from the wallet or show as expired.

Restaurants and car washes often use time-limited promotions, such as a free dessert after five visits within 60 days. In that case, the expiry belongs on the offer, not on the card itself. A better structure is to keep the loyalty card valid and attach a separate offer pass with its own expiry. The customer keeps their main card, and the time-limited reward expires cleanly.

Gyms and fitness studios face a different challenge. A membership card in Google Wallet may need to match a contract end date. If the membership renews monthly, the pass should be updated each month with a new expiry. If the membership lapses, the pass should be removed or marked inactive so the customer does not present an expired card at the door.

Practical Steps for Shops

Set a clear rule for who triggers updates. In a small shop, this is often the person working the till. In a larger operation, the point-of-sale system should push updates automatically when a transaction completes.

Test the update flow before launching. Issue a test pass to a staff phone, make a purchase, and confirm the balance changes on the phone within a few minutes. Repeat the test with the phone in airplane mode to see what happens when connectivity is poor. The pass should show the last known state rather than a blank screen.

Do not rely on customers to refresh their own passes. Most will not know how, and asking them to do so adds friction. The update should arrive without customer action.

For expiry, keep the pass valid for longer than you think you need. A loyalty card that expires after 12 months may frustrate a customer who visits every two months. If you use expiry to clean up inactive passes, set the expiry far enough out that regular customers never hit it, and issue a replacement pass automatically before the old one expires.

Security and Privacy Considerations

A Google Wallet loyalty card changes how you handle customer data. The pass itself sits in the customer's Google Wallet app, not in your till system. That simple shift removes a common risk: staff no longer need to search for a phone number, type in an email, or read a name aloud at the counter.

What the customer shares

When you issue a Google Wallet pass, the customer typically shares their Google account email with your business. That is the main identifier. You do not get access to their payment card details, their location history, or their other Wallet contents. Google keeps payment and loyalty data separate. If a customer pays with Google Pay in the same transaction, the loyalty pass and the payment card are processed independently.

For a cafe or salon, this means you can link a stamp or visit count to a Google account email without storing a phone number. If you run a car wash that previously collected number plates and phone numbers, a Wallet pass lets you drop the phone number requirement entirely.

Data you control

You decide what goes on the pass. A basic loyalty pass might show only the customer's name, a barcode or QR code, and a points balance. You do not need to request a date of birth, home address, or gender. Every extra field you add is data you must protect. A gym might want an emergency contact field; a restaurant almost certainly does not. Ask only for what the loyalty scheme actually uses.

The points balance itself is not stored inside the pass as a live database entry. The pass displays whatever value you send to Google's API when the pass is updated. If a customer's balance changes after a purchase, you push the new value. The pass then shows the updated number the next time the customer opens it. This means your own point-of-sale or CRM system remains the source of truth.

What staff can see

A Google Wallet pass is designed for quick scanning. Your staff see the barcode or QR code and the customer's name. They do not need to open a customer profile, scroll through past visits, or see purchase history to add a stamp. This reduces the chance of a bored employee browsing customer records during a quiet shift.

For a restaurant with a loyalty scheme, the server scans the pass at payment. The till records the visit. The server never touches the customer's email or account settings. If a customer asks what data you hold, you should be able to answer in one sentence: "We keep your name, email, and visit count."

Customer-side controls

Customers can remove a loyalty pass from Google Wallet at any time. The pass disappears from their phone. It does not automatically delete their record in your CRM. You should have a simple process for that: a short form on your website or a note to staff that the customer wants their data erased. Under UK and EU data protection rules, a removal request should be honoured without friction.

Customers can also see which passes they hold and review the issuer name. If your pass shows an unfamiliar company name because you used a third-party provider, that can confuse people. Make sure the issuer name on the pass matches the shop name customers recognise. A customer who sees an unknown developer name may delete the pass or report it as suspicious.

Practical risks to manage

The main risk is not the pass itself but the systems around it. If your loyalty app or POS integration stores customer emails in a spreadsheet, that spreadsheet becomes the weak point. A Google Wallet pass does not fix poor internal habits. Keep the customer list in a system with access controls, not a shared file.

Another risk is pass cloning. A screenshot of a barcode can be used by someone else if your staff do not check the name on the pass against the person presenting it. For high-value redemptions, such as a free car wash or a month of gym access, ask for the customer's name and compare it to the pass. Most customers will understand.

Finally, be careful with push notifications. Google Wallet passes can trigger location-based alerts. If you use that feature, do not send messages that reveal sensitive information. A notification that says "Your loyalty balance is ready" is fine. One that says "Your last visit was at 2:15 pm on Tuesday" is unnecessary and could feel intrusive. Keep notifications generic and useful.

Measuring Loyalty Program Success

A Google Wallet loyalty card only earns its keep if you can see it changing customer behaviour. Most shop owners skip this step, then wonder why the program drifts. Measuring is not complicated, but it does require you to track a few basics from day one.

Start with three numbers you already have access to: enrolments, redemptions, and repeat visits. Your point-of-sale system likely records redemptions automatically when a customer taps their Android loyalty card at the till. If your POS does not track Google Wallet passes natively, record redemptions manually on a simple tally sheet for the first month. A cafe owner might note that 40 customers enrolled in week one, 12 redeemed a free coffee by week three, and 9 of those 12 returned for a paid item within the following week. Those are the patterns that matter.

Enrolment rate tells you whether customers even notice the offer. If you promote the Google Wallet pass at the counter but only a handful sign up, the problem is usually the pitch, not the technology. Staff may be rushing through the explanation, or the QR code is not visible at eye level. A salon receptionist who says “we have a loyalty card if you want it” will get far fewer sign-ups than one who says “tap your phone here and your fifth cut is half price.” Track enrolments per shift to spot which team members need a better script.

Redemption rate is the clearest signal of perceived value. If customers collect stamps but never redeem, the reward is either too far away or not desirable enough. A car wash offering a free basic wash after eight visits may see almost no redemptions because eight visits takes most customers six months. Lower the threshold to five visits or switch the reward to a free premium wax upgrade, then watch whether redemptions rise within a month. Compare redemption rates before and after any change.

Repeat visit frequency is the outcome that actually affects revenue. A restaurant owner can compare the average gap between visits for loyalty members versus non-members. If members return every 11 days on average while non-members return every 19 days, the program is working. You do not need a statistician; a simple spreadsheet with visit dates per customer is enough to see the pattern.

One practical metric for gyms and fitness studios is attendance consistency. A member who checks in via their Google Wallet pass 12 times in a month is far more likely to renew than one who attends twice. If you notice a drop in check-ins for a cohort of members, send a targeted push notification or email before they lapse.

Set a simple review rhythm. Once a month, spend 20 minutes looking at enrolments, redemptions, and repeat visits. Write down one change to test for the next month, such as moving the sign-up poster next to the card reader or training staff on a two-sentence pitch. Small adjustments compound quickly when you measure them consistently.

How PassHive handles this

This site is published by the team that builds PassHive, so this section is written from that perspective. PassHive is a tool for shops, cafes, salons, car washes, restaurants and gyms that want to issue their own branded loyalty cards for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. It is not a POS, not an e-commerce plugin, and it has no official partnership with Google or Apple.

What PassHive does with Google Wallet loyalty cards

A shop creates a stamp card or a points card inside PassHive. The card carries the shop’s name, colour and logo. Customers open a link or scan a QR code at the counter and save the card to Google Wallet. There is no app download for the customer.

When a customer earns a stamp or points, the shop updates the card. The card on the customer’s phone changes to show the new balance. For a stamp card, a common setup is “buy 9, get the 10th free.” For a points card, the shop sets the number of points per visit or per amount spent.

How pricing works

That includes unlimited cards and unlimited customers. Yearly billing gives two months free.

Compare that with PassKit, a competitor that charges per pass. PassKit starts at $39.50 per month and includes 250 passes. After that, each extra pass costs extra. A cafe with 1,000 customers would pay about $73 per month on PassKit. On PassHive, the same cafe pays $10 per month. A business with 10,000 customers would pay about $341 per month on PassKit. Those figures come from PassKit’s published pricing pages.

What the card can do

PassHive cards can send push notifications to saved cards. A shop can send an offer or a message like “your reward is ready.” Google limits this to roughly three messages per card per day.

The card can also remind customers near the shop. PassHive can set location-based reminders. The phone decides when to show them. Apple supports up to 10 locations per card with a radius of about 200 metres. Google uses merchant locations from the business profile. The reminder appears on the lock screen when the customer is nearby.

What PassHive does not do

PassHive does not run your till. It does not process payments. It does not have named integrations with Shopify, Square or Toast. It issues and updates wallet cards, sends push messages, and sets location reminders.

For developers or agencies, PassHive has a public REST API with API keys. Documentation is at passhive.app/docs.

Getting started

You can design your card and preview it on iPhone and Android for free. You pay when you go live. You can start designing your card free and see the full PassHive pricing before committing. If a branch closes, you can turn it off at any time and its cards stop working immediately.

PassHive is a flat monthly plan for the whole business, not a fee per branch. The plan sets the maximum number of active branches you can run: $10 a month for up to 100 branches, $25 for up to 275, $50 for up to 600 and $100 for up to 1,250. Yearly billing gives two months free ($100, $250, $500 or $1,000 a year). A cafe with one branch pays $10 a month in total, whatever the number of cards or customers. That is what "pay for your branches, not your customers" means: the plan size follows how many branches you run, never how many people save your card.