How Google Wallet passes work on Passmint

Google Wallet passes work differently from Apple Wallet passes under the hood. Knowing the model makes the rest of the Google setup, and the occasional quirk, much easier to understand.

Apple sends a file, Google sends a link

• Apple Wallet passes are a signed file (a .pkpass) that contains everything, images included. The file is downloaded and added to Wallet.
• Google Wallet passes are a save link. Tapping Add to Google Wallet opens Google, which reads the pass details and saves it to the holder's Google account. The card then lives in their Google Wallet across their devices.

Because a Google pass is tied to a Google account rather than a single file on one device, it shows up wherever that person is signed in.

The role of your issuer

Google passes are created under a Google Wallet issuer, which is your organization's identity in Google's system. Every live Google pass you send is issued under your own issuer, which you connect once. See connect your Google Wallet issuer.

In test mode, Passmint can fall back to a shared issuer so you can try Google passes before connecting your own. That shared issuer has an important catch covered in test issuer vs your own issuer.

Images load from a URL

Apple embeds images in the pass file. Google fetches your logo and hero image from a public URL when the pass is saved. Passmint hosts those images for you, but it's why a brand-new Google pass can show its artwork a moment after the rest of the card. See Google Wallet image requirements.