Guide
Digital event tickets: how wallet tickets work
Paper tickets get lost and PDF tickets get buried in inboxes. A digital event ticket in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet is one tap away at the door, shows the details attendees need, and updates if plans change. This guide covers how wallet tickets work, what to put on them, how they’re checked at the entrance, and how to issue them.
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
A digital event ticket is a ticket saved on the attendee’s phone. In Apple Wallet or Google Wallet it shows the event name, date, venue and the attendee’s details, plus a QR code or barcode. Staff scan that code at the door with a check-in app or reader, and the ticket can be updated after it’s been saved, for example if the start time changes.
Apple Wallet has a dedicated event ticket pass style, and Google Wallet has its own event ticket type, so a wallet ticket looks and behaves like a ticket rather than a generic card.
Wallet tickets vs PDF and app tickets
| PDF or email ticket | Ticketing app | Wallet ticket | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needs a download | No | Yes, an app | No |
| Easy to find at the door | Search the inbox | Open the app and sign in | One tap in Wallet |
| Works offline | If saved | Depends on the app | Yes, once saved |
| Updates after sending | No, send a new one | Yes | Yes |
| Lock-screen reminders | No | App notifications | Wallet notifications |
Ticketing apps make sense for big promoters with repeat buyers. For most organizers, a wallet ticket gives attendees the same convenience without asking them to install anything.
What to put on a ticket
- Event name and image, so the ticket is instantly recognizable.
- Date and start time, including the time zone for online or touring events.
- Venue, and an entrance or room if the venue is large.
- Ticket details: the attendee’s name, ticket type, seat or section, or the number admitted.
- A QR code or barcode holding a unique ticket number.
Put everything else on the back: the full address, door times, age limits, the refund policy and a contact for help.
Checking tickets at the door
The code on the ticket is just a unique number. What makes entry secure is the system that scans it:
- A check-in app on a phone or tablet scans the code with the camera, checks it against your guest list, and marks it as used.
- Handheld scanners or gate readers do the same at bigger venues.
- A printed list works as a backup if the network or scanner fails.
Tips for a fast entry line
- Test your scanner with a few real tickets before the doors open.
- Tell attendees to have the ticket open before they reach the front.
- Use a QR code if you’re scanning with phone cameras; they read from any angle.
Stopping tickets being shared
A digital ticket can be screenshotted or its link forwarded, so protect entry in layers:
- One code per ticket, marked as used on the first scan.
- One save per link, so a forwarded link can’t add the ticket to a second phone.
- The attendee’s name on the ticket for events that check ID.
- An expiry after the event, so old tickets stop looking valid.
Reminders and last-minute changes
Because wallet tickets update after they’re saved, you can keep attendees informed without a single extra email:
- Change the details, such as a new start time or room, and every saved ticket updates.
- Send a reminder the day before or when doors open; it appears on the lock screen.
- Surface the ticket at the venue by adding the venue’s location, so it’s suggested when attendees arrive.
Keep notifications for things that matter. Google Wallet allows at most three notifications per pass in 24 hours, and Apple recommends using them for time-sensitive news.
How to issue digital tickets
- Design the ticket with your event image and the fields above.
- Personalize it with placeholders such as
@nameand@seat, so each attendee gets their own ticket from one design. - Create the tickets by uploading your attendee list, or automatically when someone registers or pays.
- Send them by email with an “Add to Wallet” button, or share a link or QR code.
- Scan at the door with the check-in app or reader you already use.
For layout rules and image sizes, see our wallet pass best practices guide, or get started for free.
Frequently asked questions
What is a digital event ticket?+
A digital event ticket is a ticket kept on a phone instead of on paper. The most convenient kind is a wallet ticket, saved in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, which shows the event details and a QR code or barcode that’s scanned at the entrance.
Do attendees need an app to use a digital ticket?+
Not for a wallet ticket. It’s saved in Apple Wallet on iPhone or Google Wallet on Android. On Android, the phone prompts the attendee to get Google Wallet if it isn’t installed.
How are digital tickets scanned?+
Staff scan the ticket’s QR code or barcode with a check-in app on a phone or tablet, a handheld scanner or a gate reader. The scanning system checks the code against your guest list and marks it as used.
Can a digital ticket be screenshotted and reused?+
A screenshot shows the same code, so the scanning system should mark each code as used on entry and reject it the second time. Limiting each ticket link to one save also stops one link being added to many phones.
Can I change the time or venue after tickets are sent?+
With wallet tickets, yes. Update the ticket and every saved copy updates. Apple notes updates aren’t guaranteed to arrive instantly, for example if a phone is offline, so send an email as well for big changes.
How many notifications can I send about an event?+
On Google Wallet, a pass can receive at most three messages that trigger a push notification in a 24-hour period. Apple advises keeping notifications to time-sensitive news. Plan the important ones, such as doors opening, rather than sending many.
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.
- Apple: Wallet Developer Guide, Pass Design and Creation
- Apple: Wallet Developer Guide, Updating Passes
- Google: Google Wallet event tickets
- Google: Trigger push notifications
- Apple Support: Add, use, and share tickets and passes in Apple Wallet
More guides
- How do digital gift cards work?What a digital gift card (an e-gift or virtual gift card) is, how it’s bought, sent and used, how to check the balance, and how it compares with a plastic gift card.
- 10 customer reward program examplesTen types of customer reward programs and loyalty reward cards, from punch cards and points to tiers and paid memberships: how each works, what it suits and how to run it.
- Customer retention with wallet loyalty programsPractical customer retention strategies for small businesses, and how a loyalty card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet helps bring customers back: rewards, reminders, timing and what to measure.
- Mobile wallet analytics: what you can measureWhat you can and can’t measure about Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes - views, saves, removals, scans and campaign results - and how to use those numbers to improve a pass program.