Wallet (application)

Wallet

The Wallet app, with Apple Pay and cards configured
Developer(s)	Apple Inc.
Initial release	September 19, 2012 (iOS 6)
Stable release	iOS 9.1 / October 21, 2015
Development status	Active
Written in	Objective-C
Operating system	iOS 6 and later
Platform	iOS, watchOS
License	Freeware
Website	www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/#passbook

Apple Wallet (referred to as simply Wallet) is an application in Apple's iOS (previously known as Passbook in iOS 6 to iOS 8) that allows users to store coupons, boarding passes, event tickets, store cards and, starting with iOS 8.1, credit cards, loyalty cards, and debit cards via Apple Pay.^[1] The technology is designed by Apple Inc. and was presented at the 2012 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 11, 2012 under the name Passbook (now Wallet, as of iOS 9).^[2] The application was released as a built-in app for iPhones and iPod Touch devices alongside iOS 6 on September 19, 2012.

Features

The Wallet application displays Aztec, PDF417 and QR 2D barcodes and Code 128 1D barcodes beginning with iOS 9.^[3] Each digital coupon or ticket is known as a "pass".^[4] When the user launches Wallet for the first time, a brief introduction screen will appear with a button inviting users to browse applications on the App Store 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 the Wallet app.

Passes are synced between iOS devices using iCloud, and OS X 10.8.2 and higher also support opening passes to be sent to users' iOS devices. Although the application is available in iOS 6 or later, it is currently only available on iPhone and iPod Touch, but not on iPad.^[5]

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 (longitude, latitude, and altitude) and/or iBeacon UUID (The UUID is a Universally Unique Identifier which is a 32 ASCII 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 per each pass in Wallet.^[6]
• Pass changes can be pushed via the Apple Push Notification Service by the pass provider, or manually updated by the user themselves.

As Wallet is only officially provided by Apple for iOS, several third party developers have created unsupported applications for other operating systems, such as Pass2U Wallet or PassWallet for Android & BlackBerry, that support importing and viewing Wallet passes. Windows 8.1 Phone also^[7] supports Apple's pass format as well, although dynamic updates are not supported. Some issuers^[8] of passes also support viewing the passes through any web browser.

Wallet 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 the Wallet app. Systems and apps interact with passes via the PassKit API.

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.

In late 2014 the first known implementations utilizing the iBeacon wireless geofencing 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 Wi-Fi range, which is about one thousand feet.

Wallet Pass Distribution

Passes can be distributed via email, SMS, MMS, the web, social media, an app, and as QR codes ^[9]

References

1. https://developer.apple.com/passbook/
2. Trew, James (June 11, 2012). "Apple unveils iOS 6 at WWDC, launch apps with Siri, Facebook integration, Maps". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
3. http://www.passsource.com/info/new.php What's new in Passbook with iOS 9
4. "Apple Passbook and its potential impact on the travel industry". Tnooz. June 19, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
5. "iOS What's New: Passbook". Apple Inc. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
6. "PassLocales". Archived from the original on August 10, 2014.
7. http://www.imore.com/windows-phone-81-somehow-working-apple-passbook
8. https://www.passsource.com/info/#view New version of PassSource.com offers web views of passes
9. "Getting Started with Passbook" (PDF). Apple Inc.

External links

• Apple Wallet – official site
• Wallet apps in the iTunes Store