Loyalty Card Template Configuration
Personalize a loyalty card template for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet: colors, images, barcode, header and front fields, back-of-card content, and the iOS 27 poster layout.
Whether you are a new client who needs to create the template for the passes that will be distributed to customers, or a master of The Wallet Crew who needs to update an existing template, this article is a guided tour of the template designer. The goal is to configure a pass template that reflects the brand identity, displays the right information to customers, and ensures a seamless experience across Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.
Architecture
Apple and Google have their own loyalty pass templates as you can see below.
Apple pass
Apple pass
Apple pass
Google pass
Google pass
Google pass
Apple:
Android:
How to configure it on The Wallet Crew
The Wallet Crew provides a template designer that is used to personalize the loyalty cards distributed to customers. Let’s see in detail how to personalize each section.
Apple
Let’s take a look at the different sections of the Apple template designer.
General section
The general section has two mandatory fields:
Description: a brief description of the pass, that will appear on the back of the card
Organization name: the name of the company or brand issuing the pass
It is also possible to put a text next to the logo, activate the sharing of the pass so that customers can pass it on to other people, the “void feature” for the coupons, and a relevant and expiration date that are used for event tickets.
The section also defines the distance from a relevant latitude and longitude at which the pass is relevant, for geofencing notifications.
Barcode
Choose the type of barcode that is compatible with the point-of-sale software. The barcode value corresponds to the identifiers that allow the card to be identified by the terminal in the store. Finally, the alternate text can be used to display the barcode data in case the barcode cannot be scanned.
Colors & Images
To change the background color of the card, simply add the color code in the fields provided for this purpose. To add an image, upload it from the device in use.
Header Fields
This section is particularly important in the Apple version, as the cards are stacked on top of each other. Only the header of the card remains visible. Therefore, it is important that this section catches the eye and encourages clicking on the card, especially by displaying the most important information such as loyalty points, or other relevant information.
Front fields
The front fields are the fields that are used to display information in the recto of the card, under the strip image. The label is the same for every user (per language), but the value can be customized to display the name of the customer or the number of points.
To personalize the front fields, ask the tech team which dynamic value to write.
Backfields
This section, located on the back of the loyalty card, includes several useful pieces of information for the customer:
How the loyalty program works
Available rewards
Receipts
Personalized offers and messages
The ability to add links, such as the location of their favorite store, a link to update their account and preferences, access to the terms and conditions, etc.
Other sections
On Apple, there are four other sections:
Locations: Used for geofencing notifications.
Beacons: Also used for geofencing notifications.
Associated store identifier: Used to link an application published on the Apple Store
NFC: A feature that allows customers to exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices with a touch.
Please contact The Wallet Crew to activate these features
Once the modifications are done, remember to click “save” at the top of the template designer!
Apple Wallet on iOS 27
iOS 27 gives Apple Wallet loyalty cards a new, image-led design called the poster layout. A full-card artwork replaces the strip image, a dedicated logo sits at the top, the main information is laid over the image, and up to two featured actions appear under the pass. The aim is a card that stands out in Wallet and gives end-users one-tap access to the most useful action, such as viewing their benefits.
The Wallet Crew builds the poster version and the classic version of the pass from the same template. iPhones on iOS 27 and later show the poster layout; older iPhones keep showing the classic layout described above. Nothing changes for existing passes until the template is switched to the new layout and the passes are refreshed.
Enable the iOS 27 options
The iOS 27 options are in beta, so they are hidden by default in the template designer. Each person who edits templates switches them on for their own account.
Open the profile menu at the top right of the back office and switch on Beta features. A BETA badge appears in the top bar.
Go to Wallet → Templates, open the loyalty template, then the Apple tab.
In the General section, tick Use new iOS 27 layout. Options marked with the iOS 27+ badge only apply to iPhones on iOS 27 and later.
iOS27 preview appears, along with new iOS27 fields
Configure the iOS 27 fields
The iOS 27 layout uses the same Apple template as the classic layout. There is no separate template to create or maintain.
The shared fields continue to configure the classic pass. Fields marked iOS 27+ configure the poster layout only. This keeps both layouts aligned while allowing iOS 27-specific content to be managed where needed.
Keep the classic content. The strip image, the logo and the primary field are still used by iPhones on iOS 26 and earlier. Do not empty them when moving to the poster layout.
Poster images
The poster layout adds two image positions in the Images section, both marked iOS 27+. The pixel sizes are three times the space Apple Wallet allots in points, so that images stay sharp on recent iPhones; the designer shows the allotted space under each image.
Artwork (Poster Background)
1074 × 1344 px (358 × 448 pt)
Full-card background. Keep the subject in the centre, as iOS crops the edges differently on each iPhone. Avoid text inside the image, and keep a calm, contrasted area at the bottom for the barcode.
Logo (Poster Layout)
378 × 90 px (126 × 30 pt)
Top left of the poster, in place of the standard logo. A transparent PNG in one colour, contrasting with the artwork, reads best.
The classic images stay in the template for older iPhones: the icon (261 × 261 px, required), the logo (1440 × 450 px) and the strip (1125 × 432 px). The Edit image option reframes the artwork without uploading a new file.
The artwork switches the pass to the poster. On iOS 27, a pass with an artwork is displayed with the poster layout. To go back to the classic look on every iPhone, remove the artwork as well as unticking the option.
Summary and footer fields
The poster does not display the primary field. Its main information comes from the summary fields, shown below the barcode, and from a single footer field at the bottom of the card. The header fields keep their role: they remain the only part visible when passes are stacked in Wallet.
Summary fields sit in the Front fields section, under Primary Fields, with the iOS 27+ badge. Only the first three are displayed. Each has an optional label and a required value, both translatable and compatible with dynamic values; the member name, tier, points balance or card number are typical content.
Footer fields hold one field only, with a value and no label. Add Footer Field is greyed out once the first field exists, and a long value is cut with an ellipsis after about 30 characters, so the footer works best for one short piece of information such as the programme name.
Colors and display options
The poster adds a few options next to Use new iOS 27 layout and in the Colors section. Use automatic colors lets iOS derive the text colours from the artwork; on the poster it overrides the colours set manually, so untick it to force the brand colours. Suppress header darkening removes the dark gradient iOS adds behind the header, which only makes sense when the top of the artwork is dark enough for the header to stay readable. The footer background colour sets the colour of the footer band; left empty, the artwork shows through.
Featured actions
Featured actions are buttons displayed directly under the pass on iOS 27. They shorten the path to the most useful action of the loyalty programme, without opening the back of the card.
The Featured Actions section sits at the bottom of the Apple tab. Each action has an Action Type, chosen in a list, and a URL, which can be a web page, a deep link into the brand app, or a tel: link, and accepts dynamic values. Two actions at most are displayed, in the order of the list. Apple Wallet sets the icon and the wording from the action type, so the text cannot be customised.
For a loyalty card, the most relevant types are View Membership Benefits, View Offers & Rewards, Shop Online or In-App, Order Delivery or Pickup, and Book an Appointment. Taps are tracked like other pass links, with details on where it comes from (back of the card or featured actions).
Test before rolling out
The back-office preview is a close approximation, but Apple Wallet controls the final cropping and rendering. Before pushing the new design to existing passes, install a test pass on an iPhone on iOS 27 and on an iPhone on iOS 26 or earlier, check the artwork cropping and the readability of every field, scan the barcode at the till, and tap each featured action. Once the template is saved, existing passes keep their current look until an update is pushed, ideally scheduled outside peak hours for large volumes.
Once the modifications are done, remember to click “save” at the top of the template designer!
The Google template designer is a bit different than the Apple one.
A few things worth knowing before configuring the Google template:
Some fields such as “issue” and “program name” are mandatory
Google preconfigures the fields based on their intended values, so it’s best not to enter the customer’s name in the loyalty points field, for example, even if that is how it should appear on the pass
Dynamic values (e.g., {{firstName}}) should be placed in dedicated dynamic fields. ‘Label’ fields are intended for static text only.
Let’s take a look at the different sections.
General section
The general section has three mandatory fields:
Issuer: the name of the brand or company that issues the pass
Program name: it appears on the front of the pass, and is typically the name of the loyalty program
State: the state of the pass (active, expired, completed, inactive)
Barcode
Choose the type of barcode that is compatible with the point-of-sale software. The barcode value corresponds to the identifiers that allow the card to be identified by the terminal in the store. Finally, the alternate text can be used to display the barcode data in case the barcode cannot be scanned.
Multiple devices and holders
Configuring a template means deciding whether the customer can share their pass or not. Google offers three options:
Multiple holders: it means that the customer can share their pass with anyone
One user all device: a customer but with several devices (a watch for example)
One user one device
Colors & Images
To change the background color of the card, simply add the color code in the fields provided for this purpose. To add an image, upload it from the device in use.
Account
The account section holds the name of the customer and their identifier.
Please note that it is an optional field and that a dynamic value cannot be used on the label field.
Additional links
This appears on the back of the card, and can carry the link of a store or a website.
Loyalty Points, Rewards and Rewards Tiers
Those fields are used to set up the loyalty points, and the rewards or rewards tiers (status of the loyalty program for example).
Messages
This section, located on the back of the loyalty card, includes several useful pieces of information for the customer:
How the loyalty program works
Available rewards
The ability to add links, such as the location of their favorite store, a link to update their account and preferences, access to the terms and conditions, etc.
Value added opportunities
This section adds a small section at the bottom of the loyalty card. This is used to display offers, or news.
Once the modifications are done, remember to click “save” at the top of the template designer!