Renewing or replacing an Apple certificate
Updated June 29, 2026
Apple Pass Type ID certificates have a fixed lifespan and eventually expire. Replacing one is the same exchange you did to set it up, and it's worth doing before the old one lapses rather than after.
What expiry affects
A certificate is used to sign passes and to push updates to installed Apple passes. When a certificate expires:
- Passes already installed on people's phones keep working as cards.
- Signing new passes and pushing updates with that certificate stops working.
So an expired certificate doesn't wipe out existing passes, but it does cut off new issuance and over-the-air updates until you replace it. That's why renewing ahead of the expiry date matters.
How to replace it
The process mirrors the original setup:
In Settings → Certificates, begin a new certificate. Passmint generates a fresh signing request and private key for it.
In the Apple Developer portal, create a new certificate for your existing Pass
Type ID and upload the new signing request. Download the .cer Apple issues.
Upload the new .cer. Once it activates, your live Apple passes are signed and
pushed with the new certificate.
Passmint emails organization owners 30, 14, 7, and 1 day before a certificate expires, and again on the day it lapses. The validity dates are also shown in Settings → Certificates.
Full step detail is in set up your Apple Pass Type ID certificate.