Definition
An Apple Wallet pass is a small signed file, with a .pkpass extension, that sits in the Wallet app on an iPhone alongside boarding passes and tickets. A business card pass carries the person's details and a scannable code, works with no signal, and can be updated remotely by whoever issued it.
التعريف
بطاقة محفظة آبل ملف صغير موقّع رقمياً بامتداد .pkpass، يوضَع في تطبيق Wallet على الآيفون إلى جانب بطاقات الصعود للطائرة والتذاكر. وبطاقة العمل بهذه الصيغة تحمل بيانات صاحبها ورمزاً قابلاً للمسح، وتعمل دون اتصال بالإنترنت، ويمكن لجهة إصدارها تحديثها عن بُعد.
Why a wallet pass is not just another copy of the card
Two properties make it different from a link or a QR image saved to the photo roll. First, it works offline: the pass and its code are stored on the device, so it displays in an exhibition hall basement with no signal, which is precisely where a business card is most needed.
Second, it can be updated after it has been handed out. The issuer can push a change and every installed pass updates itself, which no printed card and no saved screenshot can do.
How it is put together
A pass is a small bundle containing a description of the fields to display, the images to draw, and a cryptographic signature. The signature is issued against a certificate held by the organisation that made the pass, which is what stops anyone from forging or silently altering one.
That signing requirement is also why wallet passes are a platform feature rather than something a website can generate casually. It requires a real developer identity behind it.
The Google Wallet equivalent
Google Wallet does the same job on Android through a different mechanism: instead of a signed file, the pass is described in a signed token that the Google Wallet service renders. The practical result for the person carrying it is the same, a card in the wallet app with a scannable code.
A platform worth using issues both, because the person you are handing your card to has already chosen their phone.
Common questions
Does an Apple Wallet business card work without internet?
Yes. The pass is stored on the device, so it displays and shows its code with no connection. Opening a web link from it would still need one.
Can a wallet pass be updated after someone adds it?
Yes. The issuer can push an update and installed passes refresh themselves, which is the main advantage over a screenshot.
Is there an Android equivalent?
Google Wallet. The mechanism differs but the result is the same: a card stored in the phone's wallet app with a scannable code.
Related terms
- Digital business card, بطاقة العمل الرقمية
- QR vCard, رمز الاستجابة السريعة لجهة الاتصال
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