Barcodes on passes
Updated June 29, 2026
Most passes carry a barcode so they can be scanned at a door, till, or gate. In the designer you pick a format and write the message the barcode encodes.
Supported formats
- QR — the square code everyone recognizes. The safe default for most uses.
- PDF417 — a tall rectangular code, the standard for boarding passes and many ticketing systems.
- Aztec — a compact square code common in transit and rail.
- Code 128 — a traditional 1D barcode, useful when a scanner expects a classic linear barcode rather than a 2D one.
If you're unsure, ask whoever scans the pass which format their scanner expects. The barcode is only useful if their hardware can read it.
Writing the message
The barcode message is a template, so it can change for every pass without you editing the design. Insert dynamic values with double braces:
{{serialNumber}}inserts the pass's unique serial number.{{fieldValues.code}}inserts the value of the field whose key iscode.
For example, a message of {{fieldValues.ticketCode}} produces a different barcode
for every ticket you issue, drawing from each pass's own field value.
The keys you reference must match the field keys in your template exactly. If a referenced field has no value on a given pass, that part of the message comes out empty, so mark fields that feed the barcode as required.
Test before you print
Always scan a real issued pass with the actual scanner before you go live, especially if a third-party system reads the barcode. A QR code that looks fine on screen is no guarantee the scanner is configured for the value you encoded. Issue one test-mode pass and try it end to end.