Guide

Best wallet pass builder tools for 2027

There are dozens of ways to put a card in your customers’ Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, from simple stamp-card apps to developer APIs. This guide compares the main wallet pass builders, explains what each one is best for, and helps you pick the right one for your business.

Last updated October 9, 2026. Facts about Apple Wallet and Google Wallet were checked against Apple’s and Google’s own documentation, linked in the sources.

The short answer

Only need a digital stamp card? A loyalty-focused tool such as Loopy Loyalty or Boomerangme is the quickest start.
Need several kinds of passes, automations or an API? Choose a general pass builder such as WalletPassBuilder, PassKit or Passcreator.
Building it into your own product? Look at API-first options, or build it yourself.
Just want your own gym or library card on your phone? Use Apple Wallet’s or Google Wallet’s built-in pass creation, free.

What to compare

Pass types: loyalty, membership, tickets, coupons, gift cards.
Both wallets: Apple Wallet and Google Wallet from one design.
Personalization: a pass per customer from a spreadsheet, a form or an API.
Updates and notifications: changing passes after they’re saved and messaging the lock screen.
Loyalty tools: stamps or points, a scanner, customer sign-up.
Integrations: connecting your store, forms or CRM without code.
Pricing model: flat, per pass, per user, or a mix.

At a glance

Tool	Best for	Type
WalletPassBuilder	Small and growing businesses wanting every pass type plus automations	General pass builder
PassKit	Businesses of all sizes, from freelancers to enterprises	General pass platform
Passcreator	Teams wanting a visual editor, scanning app and API	General pass platform
PassNinja	Developers adding passes to their own product	Developer API
Loopy Loyalty	Small businesses that just want a digital stamp card	Loyalty tool
Boomerangme	Local businesses, agencies and franchises running loyalty	Loyalty tool
Pass2U	Creating many kinds of passes, including for personal use	Pass app and service

The tools

WalletPassBuilder

A no-code builder for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes: loyalty and stamp cards, memberships, event tickets, coupons, gift cards and business cards from one visual editor. Personalized passes come from a spreadsheet, a sign-up form or the API, and automations connect Shopify, Stripe, Square, WooCommerce, Jotform and Typeform through a webhook URL. Loyalty includes a sign-up form, a staff scanner and an in-store kiosk.

Good to know: one plan with every feature, $49 a month or $490 a year with 1,000 pass credits; free credits to start.
Less suited to: businesses that need a native point-of-sale integration for redeeming rewards at the till.

PassKit

One of the longest-established wallet pass platforms, for creating, distributing and managing Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes, with real-time updates, analytics and a wide range of integrations. Its customers range from freelancers to large enterprises.

Passcreator

A wallet pass platform with a visual editor and templates, lock-screen messages, location and beacon triggers, landing pages that can sell passes, and a Smart Scan app for checking passes. A REST API covers creating and updating passes, notifications, statistics and webhooks.

PassNinja

A developer-focused service for creating, updating and managing passes through an API, with client libraries such as a Ruby gem. A good fit if passes are a feature inside your own app or platform rather than a marketing tool.

Loopy Loyalty

A loyalty platform built around stamp cards in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, aimed at small businesses that want to reward repeat customers without an app or changes to their point of sale.

Boomerangme

A digital loyalty card designer for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, used by local businesses, marketing agencies and franchise chains.

Pass2U

A service and app for creating and managing many kinds of passes - loyalty cards, memberships, boarding passes, coupons and tickets - including an Android app that can open Apple Wallet pass files.

Free options for personal cards

If you just want your own gym, library or store card on your phone - rather than issuing cards to customers - you may not need a tool at all:

Apple Wallet (iOS 27 and later): tap + in Wallet and choose Create a Pass, then pick a template and add the card’s barcode or QR code. Depending on your iPhone, you may also be able to scan the card or a screenshot to fill it in.
Google Wallet (US): the “Everything else” option creates a pass from a photo of a card or barcode.

Is there free loyalty software?

Searching for free loyalty software turns up plenty of options, but “free” usually means one of these:

A free tier with a cap on customers, locations or features, or with the tool’s branding on your card.
A free trial that becomes a paid plan after a few weeks.
Free with your POS - some point-of-sale systems include a basic loyalty program, tied to that system.
Paper punch cards - cheap to print, but they get lost and you learn nothing about who your regulars are.

Before you choose, check what happens when you pass the free limit, whether the card works in both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, and whether you can export your customer list if you move. WalletPassBuilder doesn’t have a free plan, but new accounts get free pass credits to build and test a real loyalty card first. For help designing the program itself, see how to build a customer loyalty plan.

Building passes yourself

You can skip a builder entirely: join the Apple Developer Program, create a Pass Type ID, generate and sign .pkpass files, run a web service and push notifications for updates, and set up a Google Wallet issuer account and API integration for Android. It’s flexible, but it’s an ongoing engineering project. Our guide to the .pkpass file format shows what’s involved.

How to choose

If you…	Look at
Run a café or salon and only need a stamp card	A loyalty tool, or a general builder’s loyalty cards
Need loyalty, memberships and tickets in one place	A general pass builder
Want passes created automatically from your store or forms	A builder with no-code integrations or webhooks
Are adding passes to your own software	An API-first service, or building it yourself
Just want your own card on your phone	Apple Wallet or Google Wallet’s built-in pass creation

Whatever you shortlist, try the free trial with your real design and a few test passes on both an iPhone and an Android phone before you commit, and compare the total cost at the number of passes you expect.

Frequently asked questions

What is a wallet pass builder?+

A wallet pass builder is software for designing, issuing and updating passes for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet - loyalty cards, memberships, tickets, coupons and gift cards - without writing the signing, update and Google Wallet code yourself.

Can I create an Apple Wallet pass for free?+

For personal use, yes: since iOS 27, Apple Wallet can create a pass from a card’s barcode or QR code, and Google Wallet can do something similar from a photo in the US. Those passes are snapshots for your own use. A business issuing passes to customers needs a pass builder or its own Apple developer account.

Is there free loyalty software for small businesses?+

Yes, but free usually means limited: a free tier capped by customers or locations, a free trial, or a paper punch card. For a small business the useful test is whether the free option covers your real number of customers on both iPhone and Android, and what it costs once you outgrow it. WalletPassBuilder has no free plan; new accounts get free pass credits to try it.

Do I need an Apple developer account to use a pass builder?+

Usually not. Most builders sign passes with their own Apple certificate. Some, including WalletPassBuilder, also let you use your own Pass Type ID certificate if you want passes signed in your company’s name.

Which wallet pass builder is best for loyalty cards?+

If a stamp card is all you need, a loyalty-focused tool is the simplest. If you also want memberships, tickets, automations or an API, pick a general pass builder that includes loyalty features.

How much do wallet pass builders cost?+

Pricing models vary: monthly plans, per-pass or per-user fees, or a mix. Compare the total at the number of passes and users you expect, not just the starting price. WalletPassBuilder is $49 a month or $490 a year with 1,000 pass credits included, and new accounts get free credits.

Sources

Apple’s newer developer pages load dynamically, so where a number comes from Apple it is taken from its Wallet Developer Guide and support pages. If Apple’s or Google’s current documentation differs, follow theirs.