Guide

How to turn a PDF ticket into an Apple Wallet pass

Your ticket arrived as a PDF, and Apple Wallet won't take it. Wallet only holds passes, so the PDF has to become one first. Here are the ways to do that: from the ticket seller, with a free tool that copies the ticket's code, by asking Claude, or on the phone itself. Plus what to check so it still scans at the door.

Last updated November 13, 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

Apple Wallet can’t open a PDF. It holds wallet passes (.pkpass files), so the ticket has to be turned into a pass.
Best: look for Add to Apple Wallet in the ticket email or the seller’s app. That pass is official and updates itself.
No button? Drop the PDF into a free PDF to wallet pass tool. It copies the title, date, seat and the ticket’s QR code or barcode into a pass for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.
Use Claude? Attach the PDF and ask Claude to make a wallet pass from it.

First: look for Add to Apple Wallet

Many ticket sellers send a wallet pass alongside the PDF, or offer one in their app. Look in the confirmation email for an Add to Apple Wallet badge, then in the seller’s app or account page under your order. Tap it on your iPhone, then tap Add.

An official pass is the one to use when it exists: it’s the ticket the venue expects, and the organizer can update it if the time, gate or seat changes. For how adding a pass works on each phone, see how to add a pass to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.

Turn the PDF into a pass, free

When there’s only a PDF, WalletPassBuilder’s PDF to wallet pass tool makes the pass for you. The PDF is read in your browser and never uploaded.

Open the tool and drop in the PDF, or click to choose it. If the PDF has several tickets, use Next to pick the page.
It reads the page’s text for the event name, date and details like seat, gate and order number, and copies the ticket’s QR code or barcode.
Check the preview for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. To change anything, open it in the builder.
Create the pass with a free account. You get a link and a QR code: open the link on your iPhone and tap Add.

Open the PDF to wallet pass tool

Ask Claude to make the pass

With WalletPassBuilder connected to Claude, you can do the same in a chat. Attach the PDF and ask:

Claude reads the ticket, creates a pass for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, and replies with its link. It can set the event time, so the pass comes up on the lock screen when it starts.

One thing to know: Claude reads the PDF’s text, but the QR code or barcode is a picture, and Claude can’t reliably read the value inside it. If the pass has to scan, give Claude the ticket number printed under the code, or use the free tool above, which copies the code itself.

Add to Claude

New to the connector? The guide to creating an Apple Wallet pass with Claude covers connecting it, step by step.

Make a copy on the phone itself

On iPhone (iOS 27 and later)

Open Wallet, tap + and choose Create a Pass. Pick the Event template, type in the details, and add the ticket’s barcode or QR code. Depending on your iPhone, you may be able to scan the code from a screenshot of the PDF.

On Android

In the US, open Google Wallet, tap Add to Wallet, choose Everything else and pick a photo or screenshot of the ticket. Wallet suggests the details; check them before saving. Elsewhere you may see a Photo option that works with a barcode or QR code.

Which way to use

	Official pass	PDF tool or Claude	Create a Pass on the phone
Who makes it	The organizer or seller	You, from the PDF	You, by hand
Copies the code from the PDF	Has its own	Yes (Claude: from the printed number)	If your phone can scan it
Works on iPhone and Android	Usually	Yes, one link opens the right wallet	One phone at a time
Updates if the event changes	Yes	Only if you edit it	No
Cost	Free	Free to make and preview	Free

Will it scan at the door?

Same code, same ticket. When the pass carries the PDF’s QR code or barcode value, the scanner reads the same ticket number as the paper or PDF.
A ticket usually gets in once. Copies of one code are the same ticket: at most venues the first scan is let in and later ones are turned away. Don’t make passes for friends from your ticket.
Some tickets only work in the seller’s app. If your ticket uses a code that changes every few seconds, or says it must be shown in a particular app, a copy won’t get you in.
Keep the PDF. Until you’ve been scanned in once with the pass, keep the original PDF or the email to hand.

For event organizers: send passes, not PDFs

If your attendees are asking how to get your PDF tickets into Apple Wallet, send them a pass instead. A wallet ticket shows on the lock screen when the event starts, updates when the time or gate changes, and lets you send a message to everyone holding one.

From a list: upload your attendee list and each person gets their own ticket with their own link and code.
From your ticketing or booking site: the WordPress plugin gives every ticket from Event Tickets, Events Manager, Event Espresso, WP Event Manager and others its own pass; Zapier and the API cover other platforms.
From a chat: paste the list into Claude and ask for a ticket for each person.

For what to put on a ticket and how check-in works, see digital event tickets.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add a PDF ticket to Apple Wallet?+

Not as a PDF. Apple Wallet only holds wallet passes (.pkpass files), so the PDF has to become a pass first. Check the ticket email or the ticket seller's app for an Add to Apple Wallet button; if there isn't one, a free PDF to wallet pass tool can make a pass with the same title, date, details and code to scan.

How do I turn an event ticket PDF into an Apple Wallet pass?+

Open WalletPassBuilder's free PDF to wallet pass tool and drop in the PDF. It reads the event name, date and details like seat and gate, copies the ticket's QR code or barcode, and shows the pass for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Create it with a free account and open its link on your iPhone to add it.

Will the wallet pass scan the same as the PDF ticket?+

When the tool finds the PDF's QR code or barcode, the pass carries the same value, so the venue's scanner reads the same ticket number. Some venues only accept their own app or tickets with a changing code; if your ticket says so, use the seller's app.

Can Claude turn a PDF ticket into a wallet pass?+

Yes, with WalletPassBuilder connected. Attach the PDF and ask Claude to make a wallet pass from it; Claude reads the details and creates a pass for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. For a code that has to scan, give Claude the ticket number printed under the code, or use the free PDF tool, which copies the code itself.

Can I add a PDF ticket to Google Wallet?+

The same pass works in both. Its share link opens Apple Wallet on an iPhone and Google Wallet on Android. In the US, Google Wallet can also make a pass from a photo of a ticket with a barcode or QR code, under Add to Wallet, then Everything else.

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?+

Not with WalletPassBuilder's PDF tool: the file is read in your browser. Nothing in it reaches our servers unless you open the pass in the builder and create it.

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.