Documentation
Create a template
Basic Concepts
Gift to Wallet is an online tool to create and distribute passes that can be saved in the Wallet app on iOS (iPhone). To save these passes on Android or Windows Phone devices you’ll need third party apps, as Google Wallet or PassWallet.
A pass can be whatever you want it to be – a coupon, a store card, an event ticket, a membership card, a stamp card etc.
A pass can contain images and text which means you can apply your own corporate identity that people will recognize when they use the pass. Every pass that is created with Gift to Wallet is based on a pass-template.
How to create such a template is explained in this tutorial.
If you already have created a template and want to know how to create and distribute passes, got to Create passes
All Wallet passes that have been created using your own certificate can be updated after they have been saved on the customer’s smartphone. Means if you want to change the content or the look of your Wallet passes you can do so anytime and publish the changes to your customers smartphone’s. There’s no automatic publishing of changes which means you have to confirm it.
Create a Pass Template
When you log in on https://gifttowallet.com/sign-up you’ll be redirected to your personal dashboard. It contains information about the status of your bulk creation jobs and your existing pass-templates e.g. how many passes have been created for each of your templates.
To create a new template, click on create pass template.
After you’ve clicked on “Create new pass template” you’ll see the editor.
On the General-Tab you can select the type of your Wallet pass template.
You can select one of the following:
- Coupon
- Store Card
- Event Ticket (with full size background image)
- Event Ticket (with small background image)
- Generic
- Boarding Pass
You must also specify the following (Only fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory):
- Name – the name of your template
- Description – describe your pass. This will be used e.g. if a user has activated accessibility features.
- Organization name – the name of your company or the organizer of an event
- Logo text – Text that is shown right of the logo image. If no logo image is used only this text will be displayed in the upper left corner of the pass.
- Select certificate – the certificate that will be used to create passes from this template. If you don’t have your own certificate you can choose a demo certificate. As long as you’re using a demo certificate the created passes can’t be updated and will contain a gifttowallet logo
- Maximum number of passes – the maximum amount of passes that can be created using this template. 0 means an unlimited amount of passes can be created.
- Expiration date – if you specify a date the pass will be marked invalid after this date which means the barcode is greyed out and shows a hint that the pass has expired.
- Different expiration date for each pass – if this checkbox is set gifttowallet will ask for an expiration date for every pass that is created using this template.
Tab Front Fields
On this tab you can specify the data that is shown on the front of your pass.
There are several types of fields you can create. To create a new field, click on the edit button in the pass preview and enter the required fields. The pass preview will be updated as soon as you’re entering information.
The Barcode that is shown on the tab must also be specified. To change it, click on the edit button next to the barcode in the preview on the left.
Tab Back Fields
On the backside of your pass you can specify up to 20 text fields. As soon as you’re entering information in one of the fields the preview gets updated.
According to Apple every pass must contain contact information. At least a phone number or an email address. Please add some proper information here!
Tab Colors and Images
Depending what type of pass your template is you can upload a different number of images.
For every image that can be used an upload button will be shown. Wallet passes can be created without a logo or background image. If you want to do this activate the checkboxes.
You can also specify the colors that are used on your pass. As this is a live preview you’ll see the impact of your changes as soon as you’re changing the value in one of the fields.
Tab Lock Screen
A Wallet pass will be shown on the smartphone’s lock screen based on coordinates or a date. Means the smartphone will show a push notification as soon as the user is near a specified location or the specified date is reached.
A relevant date can only be defined for event tickets and boarding passes. A few hours before the date is reached the user will see the pass on the phone’s lock screen and can show it without searching for it.
The same principle is used for locations. If you specify a location (you can specify up to 10 locations), the user will see a notification on the smartphone’s lock screen if he’s near the specified location.
This can be used e.g. if you’re creating a store card that can be used in your shop. If you define the coordinates of your store the user will see a notification if near to your store.
Tab iBeacons
You can add up to 10 iBeacons to a Wallet pass. iBeacons are Bluetooth low energy wireless personal area network technology that work like a lighthouse: the beacon is sending out a signal. As soon as that signal is recognized by the smartphone where your Wallet pass is saved, the message you’ve defined is displayed on the lock screen.
iBeacon notifications are showed if Bluetooth of user’s smartphone is activated and the battery must be loaded more than 40%. Your user also must have allowed Wallet to display notifications on the lock screen.
Create and distribute Wallet passes
After you’ve created your template you need to create passes and distribute them. How to do this is described here: Creating and Distributing Wallet-Passes