Why wallet passes are quietly becoming part of everyday life

Published on 9th May 2025

Wallet passes aren’t just replacing physical access and loyalty cards, they’re reshaping entire industries, from coworking spaces to transport systems.

From sidekick to silent superstar: digital [wallet] passes

When Apple launched Passbook back in 2012, it felt like a curious side project.

Apple demonstrated a new way to store your boarding pass or cinema ticket in a digital folder. It was neat, but not entirely revolutionary.

Fast forward a decade and a bit, and wallet passes are no longer nice-to-haves, they’re quietly becoming critical infrastructure.

They’re enabling how we enter buildings, prove our identity, get on buses, check into hotels, and access events.

Wallet passes slipped into the world without fanfare and now they’re everywhere.

What actually is a wallet pass?

In technical terms, a wallet pass is a structured file stored securely inside your phone’s wallet app. Apple and Google have their own wallet pass apps as a default on iPhone and Android respectively.

In practical terms, it’s your membership card, event ticket, hotel room key, transit pass, corporate ID, student ID and even a proof-of-age.

These passes can all be accessed without plastic and without the need to download a new app.

Each wallet pass supports:

Visual display (colours, logos, text fields)
Barcodes (for scan-to-enter)
NFC triggers (for tap-to-unlock)
Live updates (without user intervention)
Smart notifications (location-aware or time-based)

It’s frictionless, easy to use , and most importantly, it just works.

Why are wallet passes so popular?

Several megatrends have combined over the past few years to fuel the recent wallet pass boom:

Mobile-first expectations

In our post-pandemic world, mobile isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s now how people live.

If you’re a brand and you’re not accessible through a person’s phone, you may as well not exist.

Wallet passes meet that expectation perfectly: no separate app to download, no clunky sign-ins, no forgotten passwords.

Security as a baseline

Wallet passes leverage device biometrics (Face ID, Touch ID) and are locked inside highly-secure hardware-protected environments. What’s more, wallet passes can be issued, revoked and updated remotely in just a few clicks.

Economic pressure

Printing plastic cards, shipping them and issuing replacements carries a huge hidden cost, not to mention the admin time and hassle in programming and distributing them.

Wallet passes simplify this process significantly - issuing a pass is all done digitally, and for those in the know, issuance becomes part of the automated flow of onboarding.

All business look to make efficiencies and wallet passes deliver immediate savings and reduce clunky admin processes.

Environmental concerns

Going digital also means going greener. No longer do people have to walk around with a thick wallet of store cards, access cards and paper tickets.

Wallet passes are zero-waste by design, which is both convenient for customers and eco-friendly.

In which sectors are wallet passes stepping on the toes of traditional cards and passes?

Let’s look at some real-world examples where wallet passes are already forging ahead and explore why they’re so popular.

1. Coworking spaces: easy access for flexible work

The old model of coworking, of plastic fobs, reception desks and manual onboarding doesn’t scale for today’s world. Remote workers want to be able to book their desk from the pavement outside the building then join their call 5 minutes later from the desk they booked, without the need for human interaction, let alone having to wait at reception to be given a pass.

Wallet passes fit in elegantly with the modern day coworker

New members get instant access by and Add to Wallet button via email or within the coworking app.
A tap of their phone on the door reader brings up the right pass, and they’re in.
Need to revoke their access quickly? It can be done in one click.

Spaces like WeWork, Mindspace, and independent hubs are increasingly adopting wallet-based credentials for a better coworking experience.

2. Sports clubs and gyms: membership reimagined

Most major gyms have a dedicated app, but smaller gyms don’t have the resources to create their own. If you ask members, having to add yet another app to their phone screen is a hassle, especially when you need to find a password to login in every time and need a signal to actually use it.

Instead, wallet passes can take away the complication and allow fitness centres to:

Replace physical membership cards which can be lost or transferred.
Provide simple phone tap access at the entrance.
Send automatic reminders for booked classes or PT sessions.
Offer loyalty rewards and promotions directly onto the pass.

From boutique yoga studios to major chains like Pure Gym, wallet integration is quietly becoming the new Gold Standard.

3. Hotels and resorts: room keys in your pocket

How often have you had to frantically search through your pockets or bag at your hotel room door, trying to locate your misplaced keycard?

Well, not anymore.

The leading hotel brands are using wallet passes to:

Pre-issue digital room keys before you arrive.
Tap to unlock room doors, elevators, and facilities such as gyms and pools.
Embed resort maps, WiFi credentials, or concierge contact.

Plus, because wallet passes can expire automatically at checkout, it’s a seamless experience for both guest and hotel staff.

4. Schools and universities: modern campus life

The Gen Z of today are used to leaving the house with just a phone on them. Carrying plastic cards and passes is alien to most.

Wallet passes are bringing campuses into the future:

Students can tap their phones to enter dorms, libraries and labs.
They can use them for identity verification.
Push real-time timetable changes or emergency alerts straight to students’ phones.

Students today expect their campus experience to mirror the seamless, effortless interactions they have with their smartphones. Wallet passes can deliver precisely that level of convenience and integration.

5. Events and conferences: ticketing without the hassle

In the past, hosting large events often required a cumbersome process: printing physical tickets, mailing them to attendees, and then manually checking them at the venue entrance. This frequently resulted in long lines and delays as people waited to gain entry.

Wallet passes eliminate all of this hassle. Organisers can now:

Send out dynamic e-tickets (ahem wallet passes) to phones instantly.
Update venue maps, speaker lineups, or gate info live.
Scan entries faster than traditional barcode tickets using NFC.
Prevent fraud with more secure ticket distribution and verification.

From concerts to conferences and exhibitions, wallet ticketing is helping to reduce hold-ups and improve the overall experience for event-goers.

6. Public transport: tap and ride simplicity

Forget having to fumble for exact change or top up a card via an app or pay station.

With wallet passes for public transport:

Commuters tap their phone at the start and end of the ride.
Lost or stolen phones can instantly disable passes remotely.

Public transport is not always a stress-free way to travel. But wallet integration is helping to both improve traveller satisfaction and reduce operational costs for transport providers by making paying for travel smooth and seamless.

Use wallet passes in your business

Getting wallet passes into the hands of your users and customers is easier than you think. If you’d like to digitise your access, membership or loyalty experience, get in touch.

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