Apple and Google Wallet passes for hotels: the complete guide

What Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes are

Apple Wallet and Google Wallet are the native credential stores built into iOS and Android respectively. They were originally designed for payment cards, but both platforms now support a broader category of passes – structured digital cards that can hold variable data, update dynamically and trigger contextual notifications.

Apple Wallet uses the PassKit framework. A pass is a .pkpass file: a signed, structured bundle containing layout instructions, data fields and optional images. Pass types include generic passes, loyalty cards, event tickets and boarding passes – hotels typically use the generic pass or loyalty card types.

Google Wallet uses the Google Wallet API (formerly Google Pay Passes). The structure is similar in concept – a pass object defined via the API, rendered natively in the Wallet app – and supports comparable pass categories. Both platforms allow the pass to be added via a link in an email, SMS or app notification, without the guest needing to install anything beyond the built-in wallet.

From the guest's perspective, the experience is the same as tapping to a boarding pass or a coffee shop loyalty card – it appears in their phone wallet, stays accessible offline and can display timely information without them having to open an email or navigate a hotel app.

Mobile key: how it works and what it requires

Mobile key is the most visible use case and also the most technically demanding. It replaces the plastic key card with the guest's phone, using either NFC (Near Field Communication) or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) to communicate with the door lock.

NFC-based mobile key works the same way as a contactless payment: the guest taps their phone to the lock reader. BLE-based systems communicate over a short wireless range, which enables hands-free unlock – the door can open as the guest approaches. Which protocol a property supports depends on the installed lock hardware.

The main hotel lock vendors with mobile key capability are ASSA ABLOY (VingCard), Dormakaba, SALTO and MIWA. Not all lock hardware within those vendors' ranges supports digital key – some installations require hardware upgrades to readers or firmware updates before mobile key becomes possible. This is a common sticking point: a property may already have ASSA ABLOY locks and assume mobile key is straightforward, only to find the installed reader generation doesn't support it.

On the Apple side, mobile key requires iOS 15 or later and an Apple developer account with the WWDR (Worldwide Developer Relations) certificate properly configured for the hotel entity. Google Wallet mobile key requires a verified issuer account in the Google Pay and Wallet Console. Neither platform approves these arrangements automatically – there's a review process, and larger chains typically work through certified integration partners rather than directly with Apple or Google.

Pre-arrival and digital check-in passes

Even without mobile key, a Wallet pass adds genuine value at the pre-arrival stage. A confirmation pass sent at booking gives the guest their reservation details in a format that's accessible offline, renders their room number and check-in time once assigned and displays a QR or barcode for desk check-in if they prefer a staffed arrival.

The pass can be issued at booking confirmation and updated progressively as the stay approaches. A typical sequence looks like: pass issued at booking with property address and dates; pass updated 48 hours out with online check-in prompt; pass updated on check-in day with room number and, if applicable, mobile key credential; pass updated at checkout with a loyalty points summary or return offer.

Each update arrives as a push notification – not an email the guest has to find – which makes it considerably more likely to be seen at the right moment. The pass itself updates in place; the guest doesn't need to download a new version.

This kind of phased pass serves hotels that aren't ready for mobile key but still want to improve the digital arrival experience. It's a lower-barrier entry point and useful on its own terms.

Digital loyalty cards and member credentials

For branded and independent hotels with a loyalty programme, a Wallet pass is a more accessible format than a dedicated app. Most loyalty apps struggle with download and retention rates; a pass lives in the phone's native wallet alongside payment cards, where guests are far more likely to open it without prompting.

A loyalty pass displays the member's name, tier, membership number and current points balance. Because the pass is dynamically linked to the loyalty platform via API, the balance updates in real time after each stay – the guest sees it change without doing anything. Tier status changes (from, say, Silver to Gold) trigger a pass update automatically.

The pass can also carry a scannable barcode or QR code for properties that use point-of-sale redemption at the bar, spa or restaurant. This is often a better solution for smaller independents than building a full loyalty app, given the cost difference is significant.

Push notifications and dynamic pass updates

Both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet allow passes to send push notifications under specific conditions. These notifications appear on the lock screen and don't require the guest to have opened an app – they're tied to the pass itself.

Geofence notifications trigger when the guest's device enters a defined location boundary – useful for sending a check-in prompt when someone arrives near the property, or surfacing a return offer when they're close to the hotel after departure. Time-based notifications work on a scheduled trigger – a room-ready alert, for example.

These work well when used sparingly. Guests who add a pass to their wallet are broadly accepting of relevant, timely notifications tied to a stay. They're not accepting of promotional noise. The distinction matters: a room-ready notification is useful; a mid-stay upsell notification is not.

On the technical side, push notifications for Apple Wallet passes require a persistent connection to Apple Push Notification service (APNs). The pass management platform handles this, but it means the platform needs to be running reliably – a stale or incorrectly configured APNs certificate will silently stop all pass updates.

PMS and lock system integration requirements

The pass doesn't exist in isolation. To function as described, it needs to be connected to the hotel's Property Management System and, where mobile key is involved, the lock management system.

The PMS integration drives the pass lifecycle: reservation created triggers pass issuance; room assignment updates the pass with the room number; checkout triggers a final pass update or expiry. This requires a two-way API connection between the pass management platform and the PMS. Most major PMS vendors – Opera Cloud, Mews, Apaleo, Cloudbeds – have public APIs or certified integration frameworks that support this. Some older on-premise PMS installations are more restrictive, and the integration complexity goes up accordingly.

For mobile key, the lock management system also needs to be in the loop. The pass platform generates a key credential, the lock system validates it against the reservation and room assignment, and the lock reader authenticates it at the door. Each vendor implements this differently, and certification requirements vary. A property that uses Mews as its PMS and ASSA ABLOY VingCard locks needs either a pass platform that has certified integrations with both, or custom middleware to connect them.

Pass management platforms that operate in this space include specialist hospitality vendors such as Allbridge and SKIDATA, as well as more general-purpose pass platforms like Passcreator and WalletPasses that sit between the PMS and the Apple/Google APIs. The right choice depends on whether mobile key is in scope, which PMS and lock vendor is installed and the level of customisation required.

Implementation considerations for hoteliers

A few practical points that often get underestimated at the scoping stage:

Lock hardware compatibility needs to be verified before anything else. It's not safe to assume mobile key works with your installed locks without checking the specific reader model against the vendor's mobile key compatibility matrix. Budget for hardware upgrades if they're needed.

Apple and Google have different approval processes. Setting up an issuer account on Google Wallet Console is relatively straightforward for most operators. Apple's process involves more steps, including certificate management via your Apple Developer account and, for mobile key specifically, coordination with a certified partner. Factor time into the project plan.

The pass needs a delivery mechanism. A pass that guests never add to their wallet is worthless. The pass link should appear prominently in the booking confirmation email, in the pre-arrival message and – if the property has an app – in the app itself. Adoption rates vary, but properties that surface the pass link clearly report materially higher take-up than those that bury it.

GDPR applies. Adding a guest to a pass programme requires consent, and push notification permissions require an explicit opt-in on both iOS and Android. The booking flow or pre-arrival communication needs to handle this correctly.

Which hotels should prioritise this

Branded hotels with a loyalty programme get the clearest return on investment. The loyalty pass alone – without mobile key – meaningfully improves the member experience and reduces the cost of driving app downloads.

Upscale and lifestyle independents that compete on guest experience have a strong case, particularly if mobile key fits their positioning. Guests who choose a design hotel partly for the experience will notice a well-executed mobile arrival; they'll also notice a clunky one.

Mid-scale properties with high volume and lean front desk staffing benefit from the operational efficiency angle. Every guest who checks in via a Wallet pass without queuing at the desk reduces pressure on the team at peak arrival times.

Budget and economy properties are less obvious candidates for mobile key – the infrastructure cost is harder to justify at lower ADR – but a pre-arrival confirmation pass costs relatively little to implement and still improves the guest experience over a PDF attachment in an email.

The technology is mature enough that the question for most branded hotels is no longer whether to do this, but how quickly and in what order. Mobile key is the headline capability, but the pass infrastructure that supports it also underpins loyalty, pre-arrival and on-property communication – and those benefits apply whether or not you're ready to replace the key card.