Guide

Wallet pass notifications: how they work

A wallet pass can do something an email can’t: put a message on your customer’s lock screen, from a card they chose to keep. This guide explains how Apple Wallet and Google Wallet notifications work, the limits each one sets, and how to use them without customers switching them off.

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

When you update a saved pass, Apple Wallet and Google Wallet can show a notification on the lock screen of every phone that has it. You don’t need an app or the customer’s email address. Google allows at most three such messages per pass in 24 hours, and Apple asks issuers to keep them to time-sensitive news - so they work best when they’re rare and useful.

Two kinds of notification

Messages you send. You change the pass - a new offer, a reward earned, a changed start time - and the wallet tells the customer.
Reminders the wallet shows by itself. A pass can carry a relevant date, locations and, on Apple Wallet, beacons, so the wallet can suggest it on the lock screen at the right time or place, without you sending anything.

How Apple Wallet notifications work

Apple Wallet doesn’t have a “send message” button. A notification appears when a pass is updated and a field that carries a change message changes. The flow:

You update the pass on your server and send a push signal through Apple.
The phone fetches the new version of the pass.
If a field with a change message has a new value, the lock screen shows that message.

The notification leads with your pass’s name, followed by the message. People can turn notifications - or automatic updates - off for any pass in its settings, and Apple notes that updates aren’t guaranteed to arrive, for example if the phone is offline.

How Google Wallet notifications work

Google Wallet lets issuers add a message to a pass and choose whether it triggers a push notification. The notification shows a header and body text. Google allows at most three notifying messages per pass in a 24-hour period; beyond that, messages may be delayed or not shown as notifications.

Apple vs Google at a glance

	Apple Wallet	Google Wallet
Triggered by	A changed field with a change message	A message added to the pass
Looks like	Pass name, then your message	Separate header and body
Published limit	None, but time-sensitive only	At most 3 per pass per 24 hours
Customer can turn off	Yes, per pass	Yes

What to send - and when

Good reasons to notify

A reward is ready - the moment a loyalty card fills up.
Something is about to expire - a reward, a coupon or a membership.
Plans changed - a new time, venue or gate for a ticket.
A genuinely limited offer - today only, members only.
It’s starting - doors open, the class begins, the event is live.

Timing

Send when the message is useful: during opening hours for an offer, the day before for a reminder, an hour before for an event. A message at 2 a.m. teaches people to switch notifications off.

Avoiding the off switch

Send less. One useful message a week beats one a day.
Lead with what’s in it for them - “Your free coffee is ready” rather than “News from Example Café”.
Keep it short. Lock-screen space is small; one sentence is enough.
Let the wallet do reminders - dates and locations surface the pass without a message.

Knowing if it worked

Wallets don’t report opens or reads. Measure the result instead: visits, redemptions or sales after the message compared with a normal week, and saves and removals of the pass. Our guide to mobile wallet analytics covers what you can measure.

Frequently asked questions

Can a wallet pass send push notifications?+

Yes. When the issuer updates a pass, Apple Wallet and Google Wallet can show a notification on the lock screen of phones that have the pass saved. Nobody needs to install an app.

How many notifications can I send to a Google Wallet pass?+

Google allows at most three messages that trigger a push notification per pass in a 24-hour period. More than that may be delayed or not shown.

Is there a limit on Apple Wallet notifications?+

Apple doesn’t publish a fixed number, but it advises using pass notifications only for important, time-sensitive changes, and people can turn notifications off for any pass.

Do people who haven’t saved the pass get the notification?+

No. Wallet notifications only reach phones where the pass is saved in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.

Can I see who read my notification?+

No. The wallets deliver notifications but don’t report which phones displayed them or whether anyone read them. Judge a message by what happens afterwards, such as visits or redemptions.

What are location-based wallet notifications?+

A pass can carry locations - and, on Apple Wallet, beacons - so the wallet can suggest it on the lock screen when someone is nearby. It’s the wallet deciding to surface the pass, not a message you send.

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.