How to Add a Loyalty Card to Google Wallet on Android

You can add a loyalty card to Google Wallet on Android by scanning the card’s barcode or QR code, or by tapping a “Add to Google Wallet” link from the retailer’s app or email. Once saved, the card appears in your Wallet and can be scanned at checkout without digging through a physical wallet or a separate loyalty app.

See also: Wallet Pass Push Notifications: Reach Customers Without SMS · Google Wallet Loyalty Card: How Shops Issue Android Cards

This guide covers the main ways to add a loyalty card, including using the Google Wallet app’s built-in scanner, saving a pass from a link, and what to do when a card is not automatically supported. You will also learn how to find and open a saved card quickly when you are at the register.

Check Card Compatibility

Before you spend time building a pass or printing QR codes, confirm that your loyalty card format works with Google Wallet. Wallet does not accept every type of barcode or membership card. A quick check now prevents customer frustration at the counter.

Google Wallet supports loyalty passes built in the Google Wallet API format. These passes display a barcode, a card title, your business name, and optional fields such as member ID, points balance, or a reward expiry date. If your current loyalty card is a simple PDF, a screenshot, or a plastic card with a magnetic stripe, it will not import directly into Wallet. You need a digital pass file or a pass link.

Start by looking at the barcode on your existing card or app. Wallet reads common barcode types including Code 128, EAN-13, UPC-A, and QR codes. Most salon and cafe loyalty cards use Code 128 or QR, so they usually pass this test. If you use a proprietary barcode from an older point-of-sale system, test it with a free online barcode scanner before building the pass. A car wash that uses a custom 2D code on a key tag may need to switch to a standard QR code for Wallet compatibility.

Next, check how your loyalty data is stored. A pass can show a static barcode, such as a fixed member number printed on a gym tag. It can also show a dynamic barcode that changes with each visit, but that requires a backend system that updates the pass. Most small shops start with a static pass. For example, a restaurant can issue a pass with the customer's phone number encoded as a static Code 128 barcode. The cashier scans it at the till, and the existing POS looks up the account. No backend changes needed.

Some platforms, such as stamp card apps for cafes, generate a "Save to Google Wallet" button automatically. If you see that option, your cards are compatible without extra work. If not, you can still create a pass through a third-party pass builder or a developer, but you must export the member ID and barcode in a supported format.

Test with one real customer card before rolling out to everyone. Create a single pass, open it on an Android phone, and scan it at your normal checkout scanner. A salon should test the pass against the same barcode scanner used for physical cards. If the scanner reads the phone screen, compatibility is confirmed. If the screen is too dim or the barcode too small, adjust the pass design before printing any in-store signage.

Also check that your staff can look up a member without the physical card. Wallet passes show the member name and ID on screen, so a gym receptionist can type the ID manually if the scanner fails. This manual fallback matters for older scanners that struggle with phone screens.

Finally, confirm that your business has a Google Business Profile or at least a verified website. Wallet passes link to your business details, and customers see your name and logo on the pass. A shop without a basic online presence can still create passes, but the pass looks less trustworthy. Set up a simple profile first if you have not already.

Find Your Loyalty Pass Link

Google Wallet can store many loyalty cards, but it does not let you create a pass from a plastic card alone. You need a digital pass link from the business. This link is usually issued by email, SMS, a QR code at the till, or inside the shop’s own app. Once you have that link, adding the card takes less than a minute.

Check Email and SMS First

Search your inbox for the shop name plus words like “loyalty,” “rewards,” “pass,” or “wallet.” Many cafes and salons send a welcome email after you sign up for their loyalty scheme. That email often contains a button labelled “Add to Google Wallet” or “Save to Phone.” The same applies to SMS receipts from restaurants or car washes. If you booked a service online, check the confirmation message too. A gym that uses a booking platform may include a pass link in the membership confirmation rather than in a separate email.

If you find an old email, open it on the Android phone where you want to store the card. Tap the “Add to Google Wallet” button. The pass opens in a preview screen. Tap “Add to wallet” or “Save.” The card then appears in the Google Wallet app under “Loyalty cards.”

Look for a QR Code at the Counter

Many independent shops print a QR code on the receipt, on a tent card near the till, or on a sticker by the door. This is common in coffee shops, bakeries, and car washes that use a third-party loyalty platform. Point your Android camera at the QR code. A link appears at the bottom of the screen. Tap it. If the link is a Google Wallet pass link, the phone opens the pass preview automatically. Tap “Add to wallet.”

Some QR codes lead to a sign-up page instead of a pass. In that case, enter your details, submit the form, and check the confirmation screen. The pass link usually appears immediately after sign-up, often as a button that says “Add to Google Wallet.” Do not close the page before tapping that button, or you may need to wait for a follow-up email.

Check the Shop’s App or Website

If you already use the shop’s app, open it and go to the loyalty or rewards section. Many salon and restaurant apps have a “Add to Google Wallet” option on the loyalty card screen. Tap it and confirm. The pass moves into Google Wallet without you needing to copy a link.

On a website, log into your account and open the loyalty or membership page. Look for a button labelled “Google Wallet,” “Save to phone,” or “Add pass.” Some sites show a small “GPay” or wallet icon next to the loyalty card number. Tap that icon. If nothing happens, try a long press and choose “Open in new tab.” Some pass links only work when opened directly, not from inside a web view.

Ask Staff for the Link

If you cannot find a pass link, ask at the counter. Staff at many independent cafes and salons can print a receipt with a QR code or send the pass link to your phone number at the till. Give them the mobile number linked to your Android phone. You should receive an SMS within a few minutes. Open the link in that SMS and tap “Add to wallet.”

Some businesses still only issue plastic cards. If that is the case, there is no official way to convert the card into a Google Wallet pass. You can store a photo of the barcode in a notes app, but it will not scan reliably from Google Wallet. Ask the business whether they plan to offer digital passes. Many point-of-sale providers now include Google Wallet pass links as a standard feature, so the option may arrive with the next software update.

Save From a Retailer App

Many retail apps let you save a loyalty card directly to Google Wallet with a single tap. This works well for cafes, salons, gyms, car washes, and restaurants that use modern point-of-sale or loyalty platforms. The exact wording varies by app, but the process follows the same general pattern.

Start by opening the retailer’s app on your Android phone. Log in if you have not already. Navigate to your account, rewards, or membership area. Look for a button labelled “Add to Google Wallet”, “Save to Google Wallet”, “GPay”, or a wallet icon with a plus sign. Tap it.

The app will then generate a Google Wallet pass link. Your phone may show a confirmation screen with the card preview, your name, member number, and sometimes a barcode or QR code. Confirm the details and tap “Save” or “Add”. The card then appears in the Google Wallet app under “Loyalty cards” or “Passes”.

Some apps place the wallet button on the main loyalty screen, not inside a settings menu. For example, a coffee shop app might show your points balance at the top and a small “Save to Wallet” link below it. A salon booking app might show the button after you book an appointment or inside the “My Rewards” tab. A gym app often puts it in the “Membership” section next to your check-in barcode.

If you do not see a wallet button, check the app’s help or FAQ page. Some retailers only enable the feature for members who have completed a first purchase or reached a certain loyalty tier. Others require location services or Google Play services to be up to date before the button appears.

A few apps use a web-based flow instead of a native button. In that case, tapping “Save to Google Wallet” opens a browser page or a Google-hosted pass link. The page shows the card design and a blue “Add to Google Wallet” button. Tap it, choose the Google account you want to use if prompted, and confirm. The pass is saved the same way as a native app flow.

After saving, open Google Wallet to verify the card. Swipe through your passes and tap the new loyalty card. Check that the barcode or QR code displays clearly and that your name and member number are correct. Some cards also show a points balance, but that balance only updates when the retailer’s system syncs with the pass. If the balance looks outdated, open the retailer app and refresh it there.

You can also add a home screen shortcut for faster access. Open Google Wallet, tap the loyalty card, then tap the three-dot menu and choose “Add to Home screen”. This places an icon on your Android home screen that opens the pass directly. It is useful for gym check-ins or car wash visits where you want to scan quickly without opening the full Wallet app.

If the “Save to Google Wallet” button does not work, try updating the retailer app and Google Wallet. Clear the retailer app’s cache if the button appears but does nothing. On some phones, the pass link opens in the wrong browser or gets blocked by a pop-up setting. In that case, copy the pass link from the app if possible and open it in Chrome manually.

This method is the most reliable way to add a loyalty card because the retailer controls the pass design and data. The card stays linked to your account, and any changes to your member number or tier usually sync automatically when the retailer updates the pass.

Add a Card With a Barcode

Many loyalty schemes still rely on a barcode, not a QR code or NFC tap. Gyms, car washes, small cafes and independent salons often print a plastic card or a paper slip with a barcode on it. Google Wallet can store these barcodes, but the process is slightly less direct than adding a pass from a link.

Check What You Have

Look at the physical card or the email from the business. If you see a barcode made of vertical lines, you need to capture that image or the number beneath it. Some businesses also send a PDF attachment with the barcode. Save that file to your phone before you start.

Google Wallet does not scan a barcode from a photo and turn it into a loyalty pass automatically. You need a third-party app that converts the barcode into a format Wallet can read, or you need the business to offer a "Save to Google Wallet" link.

Use a Pass Converter App

Apps such as Pass2U Wallet, Stocard, or Catima can take a barcode number or a photo and generate a pass file. The steps vary by app, but the general flow is the same.

Open the converter app and choose the option to add a loyalty card. Type the card name, for example "Rosewood Car Wash" or "Northside Gym". Enter the barcode number printed under the lines. If the app asks for a barcode type, common options are Code 128, EAN-13, or Code 39. The card itself or the business website usually states the type. If you are unsure, try Code 128 first, as many loyalty cards use it.

The app then shows a preview of the barcode. Check that the number matches the original card exactly. A single wrong digit means the scanner at the counter will not recognise you.

Tap the share or export button in the converter app. Choose "Add to Google Wallet" or "Save to Google Wallet". A Google Wallet preview opens. Tap "Add" or "Save" at the bottom. The card now appears in your Wallet app under "Loyalty".

When the Business Offers a Wallet Link

Some cafes and restaurants send an email or SMS after you sign up for their loyalty scheme. That message may contain a button labelled "Add to Google Wallet" or "Save to Wallet". Tap it from your Android phone. Google Wallet opens with the pass already formatted, including the barcode. Tap "Add to Wallet". No converter app is needed in this case.

If you have a paper card with a barcode and the business also has a website, check the site for a "digital card" or "mobile pass" page. Many salons and gyms now host a Wallet link there, even if they still hand out plastic cards at the counter.

Using the Card in a Shop

Open Google Wallet and tap the loyalty card. The barcode appears on screen, usually with the card name and your member number. Hold the phone under the scanner at the till, just as you would with a plastic card. If the screen is dim, the scanner may struggle. Set the phone brightness to at least 70 percent before you reach the counter.

For businesses with older scanners, the barcode may need to be larger. Tap the barcode on the screen to expand it to full size. This helps in cafes and car washes where the scanner sits behind glass or in low light.

If the scanner still does not read the barcode, show the number beneath it. Staff can usually type the number into their till system manually. Keep a note of that number in a separate notes app as a backup.

Scan a Physical Card

Google Wallet can read the barcode or QR code printed on many plastic loyalty cards and turn it into a digital pass. This works well for cafes, salons, car washes and independent shops that still issue physical cards with a printed code.

Open Google Wallet on your Android phone. Tap the "Add to Wallet" button at the bottom right. Choose "Loyalty card" from the list of options. If you do not see it immediately, scroll down and tap "Loyalty card" under the "More" section.

The app then shows a camera view. Hold your plastic loyalty card steady and point the camera at the barcode or QR code. The code is usually on the back of the card, but some businesses print it on the front. Make sure the code is well lit and not creased or faded. Google Wallet scans it automatically when the code fills the on-screen frame.

After a successful scan, Google Wallet tries to match the code to a known loyalty programme. If it finds a match, it fills in the business name and card details. Check that the name is correct. If the programme is not in Google's database, the app still creates a generic loyalty pass. You can then type the business name yourself, such as "Rose Street Salon" or "Corner Cafe".

The next screen asks for your member number or account details. This is the number the cashier would normally type in if the barcode did not scan. You can find it on the physical card or on a recent receipt. Enter it carefully. A wrong digit here means the pass will not link to your account at the till.

Tap "Save" or "Add to Wallet". The pass now appears in your wallet alongside your payment cards. Test it on your next visit. Ask the staff to scan the barcode from your phone screen. Most modern POS scanners read phone screens without trouble. If the screen is dim or scratched, increase the brightness before scanning.

Some physical cards use a magnetic stripe instead of a printed barcode. These cannot be scanned with the camera. If your card only has a stripe, look for a barcode on the business website, in their app or on an email receipt. You can photograph that code from another screen using the same "Loyalty card" option.

A scanned pass does not update your points balance automatically. The pass only stores your member number and barcode. You still earn and redeem points at the till when the code is scanned. The balance shown in Google Wallet, if any, comes from the business's own system and may not refresh in real time.

If the scan fails, clean the card with a dry cloth and try again in brighter light. Hold the phone about 10 to 15 centimetres from the card. If the code is very small, move the phone closer until the code fills the frame. Some older dot-matrix barcodes are hard to read. In that case, create the pass manually and type the member number instead.

Keep the physical card in a drawer at home once the pass works. You can add the same card to Google Wallet on more than one phone, which is useful for a partner or family member who also visits the same shop.

Open Cards From Wallet

Once a loyalty card sits in Google Wallet, staff and customers need to know how to bring it up quickly at the till. The process takes a few seconds, but it is worth practising so nobody fumbles during a busy lunch rush or a queue at the salon desk.

Unlock and open the app

The customer unlocks their Android phone and taps the Wallet app icon. On most phones, the app opens on the last card used. If that card is a payment card, the loyalty card may be one swipe away. The customer swipes left or right through the stack until the correct shop logo appears. For a cafe with a bright green cup logo, this is easy to spot. For a gym with a plain white card design, staff may need to read the name under the image.

A faster route is to open Wallet and tap the search bar at the top, then type the first few letters of the shop name. This works well when a customer holds cards for ten or more businesses and does not want to swipe through all of them.

Tap to expand the barcode

The loyalty card usually appears as a small rectangle with the shop name and a shrunken barcode. The customer taps the card once. The card expands to fill most of the screen, and the barcode or QR code becomes large and bright. The phone also raises screen brightness automatically on many Android models. This matters in a dimly lit restaurant or a car wash kiosk where a scanner needs a clear, high-contrast image.

If the barcode does not scan on the first try, the customer can tap the screen again to keep it awake. Staff can also ask the customer to turn the phone sideways. Some scanners read a vertical barcode better when the phone is in landscape mode.

Show the card without unlocking the phone

Google Wallet lets customers access loyalty cards from the lock screen in many cases. The customer swipes down from the top of the lock screen, taps the Wallet tile, and selects the loyalty card. The phone may ask for a fingerprint or PIN before showing the card. This is a security step, not a fault. For a quick coffee order, this method saves the customer from fully unlocking the phone and opening the app drawer.

Not all Android phones show the Wallet tile by default. The customer may need to add it in the quick settings menu. A shop owner can keep a short printed note at the counter: “Android users: swipe down from the top of your lock screen to find your loyalty card.” This reduces repeated verbal instructions.

What to do when the card is missing from the stack

Sometimes a customer opens Wallet and cannot see the loyalty card. The most common reason is that the card was archived. The customer taps the “Archived” section at the bottom of the app, finds the card, and taps “Unarchive.” The card returns to the main stack.

Another reason is that the customer added the pass on a different Google account. A salon owner may hear this when a regular client says, “I added it last week but it is gone.” The client should check which Google account is active in the Wallet app settings. Switching accounts usually brings the card back.

If the card was issued through a link that expired, the customer needs a fresh link. The shop can resend the Google Wallet pass link by email or SMS from the loyalty platform. This is common for car washes that send passes after a booking.

Staff-side checks

Staff do not need to touch the customer’s phone. They can ask the customer to hold the phone steady under the scanner. If the scanner is behind the counter, the customer can place the phone flat on a tray or hold it six to eight inches from the scanner glass. For gyms with a front-desk scanner mounted on a stand, the customer simply holds the phone under the red light and waits for the beep.

A printed backup remains useful. If a phone battery dies, the customer can give a phone number or show a physical card. Google Wallet does not replace the need for a manual lookup option at the till.

Use Your Card at Checkout

Once your loyalty card sits in Google Wallet, the next step is using it without slowing down the line or fumbling through a separate app. The process is straightforward, but a few habits make it feel effortless at a till, counter, or drive-through window.

Open Google Wallet before you reach the front of the queue. Tap the loyalty card you want to use. The screen shows the barcode, QR code, or membership number, depending on what the business uploaded. Hold the phone so the cashier can scan it. If the scanner sits behind the counter, turn your brightness up to full and keep the phone steady. Some older scanners struggle with curved or cracked screens, so a flat angle works best.

Many cafes and salons now use camera-based scanners at the point of sale. The staff member may ask you to place the phone under a reader or hold it above a counter scanner. Follow their instruction rather than guessing. If the first scan fails, wait for the beep or confirmation on their screen before moving the phone. A common mistake is pulling the phone away too early.

For gyms and car washes with self-service kiosks, look for a barcode reader built into the machine. Open the pass, enlarge the barcode by tapping it, and hold it a few centimetres from the scanner window. Some kiosks need the barcode facing up, while others read it vertically. If the machine has a camera icon, position the code inside the on-screen frame.

Restaurants with table service often ask for a loyalty number instead of a barcode. Google Wallet shows this number below the barcode on many passes. You can read it out or show the screen to the server. If the number is long, zoom in by pinching the screen so it is easier to read.

A useful trick for shops you visit weekly is to set the card as a priority pass. Open the card in Google Wallet, tap the three-dot menu, and look for an option to pin it or move it to the top. This does not make it appear automatically at checkout, but it saves a few seconds when you open the app.

Some businesses send a Google Wallet pass link by email or SMS after you sign up. If you have not added the card yet, the link opens a page with an "Add to Google Wallet" button. Tap it once, confirm, and the card appears in your wallet. This works on any Android phone with Google Wallet installed.

If the scanner does not recognise your screen, try cleaning the display and removing any privacy screen protector. Matte protectors reduce glare but can blur fine barcode lines. In rare cases, a very old scanner cannot read phone screens at all. Ask the staff if they can type the membership number manually. Most point-of-sale systems allow manual entry.

After the transaction, check the receipt or the cashier's screen to confirm the points or stamps registered. If they did not, ask for a manual adjustment before you leave. It is easier to fix a missed scan at the counter than to chase missing points later by email or phone.

Fix Missing or Failed Adds

A card that refuses to appear usually fails for one of three reasons: the pass link was opened in the wrong app, the phone’s default wallet is set to something else, or the pass file itself is malformed. Work through these fixes in order.

Check the Default Wallet Setting

Android phones often ship with more than one wallet app. Samsung devices have Samsung Wallet, many Chinese brands have their own payment app, and Google Wallet may not be the default. When a customer taps your loyalty pass link and it opens in the wrong app, the add fails silently or shows an unsupported file error.

On the phone, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Wallet. Set Google Wallet as the default. Then ask the customer to tap your pass link again. If the phone is a Samsung, also open Samsung Wallet settings and turn off “Use Samsung Wallet as default” if that option is present. This step fixes a large share of “nothing happened when I tapped the link” reports from cafe and salon customers.

Open the Link in Chrome, Not a WebView

If you send the pass link through Instagram, Facebook Messenger, or a QR code scanned inside a third-party camera app, the link may open in a built-in browser rather than a full browser. Google Wallet pass links need a real browser session to hand off to the Wallet app.

Ask the customer to copy the link, open Chrome, paste it into the address bar, and tap Go. For a QR code, use the Google Lens app or the built-in camera scanner that shows a Chrome icon, not an in-app scanner. Restaurants that print QR codes on table tents should test the code with a stock Android phone and an iPhone before printing a batch. A code that works from the camera app on one phone may fail from a WeChat scanner on another.

Clear a Stale Pass or Duplicate Entry

Sometimes the pass is already in Google Wallet but hidden, corrupted, or attached to a different Google account. Open Google Wallet and scroll through the “Passes” section. If the loyalty card appears with a faded design or an error badge, tap it, tap the three-dot menu, and choose Remove. Then tap the pass link again. If the customer has multiple Google accounts on the phone, tap the profile icon in Wallet and confirm the active account is the one they want the card saved to.

For gyms and car washes that issue a new pass every month, stale passes pile up. Removing old passes before adding the new one prevents a “pass already exists” message that gives no useful detail.

Re-Generate the Pass Link

If the link worked for some customers but not others, the pass file may have an issue with a specific field. Check the pass generator you used. Common problems include a barcode value with spaces or special characters, a missing logo file, or a pass expiry date set in the past. Regenerate the pass with plain alphanumeric barcode data, a logo under 1 MB, and no expiry date unless you intentionally rotate passes.

Send the new link to yourself and open it on an Android test phone before sending it to customers. If the pass opens in Google Wallet and shows the correct barcode, the link is good. If it opens a blank screen, the pass generator is the problem, not the customer’s phone.

When the Phone Is Too Old

Google Wallet requires Android 7.0 or newer and Google Play services installed. A customer on an old Android 6 phone cannot add any pass. Do not spend time troubleshooting. Offer a physical card, a barcode in an email, or a phone-number lookup at the counter. A salon or car wash with a mixed customer base should keep a paper fallback ready rather than forcing every customer onto a digital pass.

Remove or Update a Pass

Loyalty cards change. A cafe switches its stamp card from paper to digital. A salon moves to a new booking system and issues fresh passes. A gym rebrands and updates its logo, terms, or member ID. When that happens, the old pass on a customer’s phone needs to be replaced or removed. Google Wallet gives you two ways to handle this: the customer can delete the pass themselves, or you can push an update through your pass issuer account.

How a Customer Removes a Pass

This is the simplest path and works for any pass, whether it was added from a link, an app, or a QR code. Tell your staff to walk a customer through these steps if a pass is no longer valid:

1. Open the Google Wallet app on the Android phone.
2. Find the loyalty card in the main list. If it is not visible, tap View all or scroll down to the “Loyalty” section.
3. Tap the card to open it.
4. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
5. Select Remove and confirm.

The pass disappears immediately. If the customer later taps an old link or scans an old QR code, Google Wallet may show the pass again. That is why you should also retire the pass at the source.

How a Business Updates a Pass

If you use a pass issuer platform such as PassKit, Loopy Loyalty, Stamp Me, or a wallet API provider, you can update a pass without asking the customer to do anything. The updated version replaces the old one on the phone, usually within minutes, as long as the phone has an internet connection.

Common updates you might push:

• New stamp balance after a purchase was recorded incorrectly.
• New expiry date for a seasonal offer.
• New member tier, such as moving a customer from “Regular” to “Gold”.
• New shop name, logo, or contact details after a rebrand.
• New terms, such as a change from “Buy 9 get 1 free” to “Earn points per dollar”.

To push an update, log in to your pass platform, open the specific pass or the campaign that issued it, edit the relevant fields, and publish the change. The platform sends the update to Google Wallet automatically. You do not need to generate a new link.

A real-world example: a car wash runs a “10 washes, get one free” loyalty card. The owner decides to change the reward to “5 washes, get a free interior vacuum”. Instead of asking every customer to delete the old card and add a new one, the owner edits the reward text and the required count in the pass platform. Customers open their wallet and see the new terms on the same card. No re-adding, no confusion at the counter.

When a Full Replacement Is Needed

Sometimes an update is not enough. If you move to a completely different loyalty system, the old pass format may not support the new fields. In that case, issue a new pass with a fresh link or QR code and ask customers to add it. Then remove the old pass campaign from your issuer account so old links stop working. If you leave the old campaign active, customers may keep two versions of your card on their phone and scan the wrong one.

A salon that switches from a simple stamp card to a points-based system should do this. The old stamp card cannot show points, so the salon creates a new pass, prints a new QR code at the front desk, and deactivates the old campaign. Staff can also help regular customers delete the old pass during their next visit.

Staff Cheat Sheet

Keep this short guide near the till or reception:

• Customer wants to remove a pass: open Wallet, tap the card, tap the three-dot menu, tap Remove.
• Customer has an old pass after you changed the reward: check your pass platform and push an update.
• Customer has two passes for your business: delete the old one, keep the new one, and make sure the old campaign is deactivated in your issuer account.
• Customer’s pass shows the wrong balance: correct it in the pass platform and publish the change. Do not create a new pass.

Removing or updating a pass takes less than a minute when you know where the control sits. The key is to keep the pass issuer account tidy and train staff on the basic wallet steps. That prevents the most common problem: a customer standing at the counter with an outdated card and no easy way to fix it.

How PassHive handles this

This site is published by the team that builds PassHive, so you should know our angle before reading on. PassHive exists to solve the exact problem this article describes: getting a loyalty card into Google Wallet without building anything yourself.

PassHive lets shops, cafes, salons, car washes, restaurants and gyms issue their own branded loyalty cards that customers save to Google Wallet and Apple Wallet. You get a stamp card or a points card. A stamp card works like the classic "buy 9, get the 10th free" model. A points card works like a running balance. Both update themselves on the customer's phone when you add a stamp or points.

The setup path is short. You design the card with your shop's name, colour and logo, and you preview it on iPhone and Android for free. You pay only when you go live. Customers join by scanning a QR code at the counter or opening a link. There is no app download on their side.

Yearly billing gives you two months free.

The comparison that matters for a Google Wallet loyalty card is against per-customer pricing. PassKit, for example, starts at $39.50 per month and includes 250 passes, then charges per pass after that. A cafe with 1,000 customers would pay roughly $73 per month on PassKit versus $10 on PassHive. A business with 10,000 customers would pay about $341 per month versus $10. Those are PassKit's published rates, not our estimates.

Once a customer saves your card, you can send push notifications to saved cards, such as an offer or a "your reward is ready" message. Google limits this to roughly three messages per card per day. You can also set location-based reminders. Apple supports up to 10 locations per card with about a 200 metre radius, while Google uses merchant locations. These are reminders, not guarantees: the phone decides when to show them.

If you have a developer or an agency, PassHive has a public REST API with API keys. Documentation is available. PassHive is not a POS, not an e-commerce plugin, and has no named integrations with Shopify, Square or Toast.

You can start designing your card free and see how it looks on Android and iPhone before paying. Full details are on the PassHive pricing page.

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.