The barcode won't scan or looks dim

A barcode that won't scan is usually one of two things: a display issue on the phone, or a pass that's no longer valid. Here's how to tell them apart.

If you're showing the pass

• Turn up your screen brightness. A dim screen is the most common reason a scanner struggles. Phones usually brighten the screen automatically when you open a pass, but bright sunlight or low power mode can work against it.
• Hold the phone flat and steady, a comfortable distance from the scanner, and let it focus.
• Clean your screen. Smudges and a heavy screen protector can scatter the laser or camera enough to matter.
• Open the pass fully rather than glancing at a lock-screen preview, so the whole barcode is on screen.

If it still won't scan

If the display is fine and it still won't read, the pass itself may no longer be valid:

• It may have already been redeemed. Many passes are single-use and won't scan a second time.
• It may have expired. Check the pass details for a valid date or time.

In either case, contact the business that issued the pass. They can confirm its status and re-issue it if it should still work.

If you issued the pass

• Confirm the format matches your scanner. A scanner set up for one barcode type won't read another. Check your template's barcode format against what your hardware expects. See barcodes on passes.
• Check the encoded value. If the barcode message references a field that was empty when the pass was issued, the barcode may encode the wrong value. Mark fields that feed the barcode as required.