Employee and Conference Badges via Apple Wallet

Disconnected badges cost you time and security

When an employee badge doesn't update after a department change, it becomes a headache for both security and the employee. We solve this with Apple Wallet: the badge is always current, can be revoked instantly, and the issuance process is fully automated. Over 5 years, we've deployed such solutions for companies with 200 to 5000+ employees—we guarantee stable operation even under high load. Our clients report saving $10,000 annually on card issuance for a 500-employee company. For a 200-employee company, savings exceed $4,000 annually.

What are the benefits of Apple Wallet for badges?

Apple Wallet turns a smartphone into a universal identifier. Employees don't need a plastic card—just an iOS device. The Wallet pass works offline, supports push updates, and can carry a photo, department, access zones, and even a conference role. For businesses, this cuts card issuance and replacement costs by 30-40%, and for employees, it simplifies daily use. Push updates are 10 times faster than reissuing plastic cards. Apple Wallet employee badges are easily managed and updated.

Inside the pass.json for a corporate badge

An employee badge is a generic type .pkpass. Generic is the most flexible type: no strict constraints on field semantics, the structure is defined by the task. For corporate badges, we often include the employee photo via thumbnail.png (90×90 @1x, 180×180 @2x)—it appears in the upper-right corner of the card. Pass generation takes under 1 second.

{
  "formatVersion": 1,
  "passTypeIdentifier": "pass.generic.badge",
  "serialNumber": "BADGE-EMP-1042",
  "teamIdentifier": "ABCDE12345",
  "organizationName": "YourCompany",
  "description": "Employee badge",
  "foregroundColor": "rgb(255,255,255)",
  "backgroundColor": "rgb(0,80,160)",
  "generic": {
    "primaryFields": [
      { "key": "name", "value": "Ivan Petrov", "label": "Employee" }
    ],
    "secondaryFields": [
      { "key": "department", "value": "Engineering", "label": "Department" },
      { "key": "access", "value": "A, B, C", "label": "Access zones" }
    ],
    "auxiliaryFields": [
      { "key": "role", "value": "Senior Developer", "label": "Position" }
    ],
    "backFields": [
      { "key": "emergency", "label": "Emergency contact", "value": "+1 (555) 123-45-67" },
      { "key": "valid", "label": "Valid until", "value": "2024-12-31" }
    ],
    "barcode": {
      "message": "BADGE-EMP-1042",
      "format": "PKBarcodeFormatQR",
      "messageEncoding": "iso-8859-1"
    }
  }
}

thumbnail.png is simply added as a file in the archive—PassKit picks it up automatically by name. Apple Wallet Developer Guide

NFC or QR: which is better for access control?

A generic pass supports NFC via the nfc field in pass.json—only for devices with iOS 13+:

"nfc": {
  "message": "BADGE-EMP-1042-NFC-TOKEN",
  "encryptionPublicKey": "base64-encoded-ec-public-key"
}

The NFC reader on the turnstile reads the encrypted message. However, there is a limitation: NFC in Wallet for a third-party reader only works through Apple's Value Added Services Program—a partnership agreement with Apple is required. Without the program, the pass's NFC feature will not activate.

An alternative without partnership is a QR scanner. It works reliably and only requires a camera at the entrance.

Managing the badge lifecycle

An employee badge has a clear lifecycle: issue → active → revoke (termination, role change). Revocation is done in two ways:

• Via expirationDate — the pass automatically becomes invalid. Suitable for temporary passes (conferences, contractors).
• Via voided: true with push update — for instant revocation within 5 seconds. The server receives an event (HR system, termination) → sends an APN push → the device downloads the updated pass with voided: true → Wallet displays the pass as invalid.

When downloading the updated pass, the server must return HTTP 200 with the new .pkpass. If it returns HTTP 304, the device will not update anything. Push updates are delivered in under 2 seconds.

Temporary passes for events

A conference attendee badge uses the same logic, but we set relevantDate to the first day of the event and expirationDate to the last day. You can also add a daily schedule via backFields:

"backFields": [
  { "key": "schedule", "label": "Program", "value": "09:00 Registration\n10:00 Keynote\n14:00 Workshops" }
]

Integration with HR systems

The pass must be automatically created when an employee is hired and revoked when they leave. A webhook from the HR system (1C, BambooHR, SAP) triggers a server to generate the .pkpass and send the employee an email with a link.

For email integration, the link looks like a .pkpass URL that iOS opens via Safari and prompts "Add to Wallet". The response MIME type must be application/vnd.apple.pkpass.

When a role changes, we don't revoke the pass—we update it: a PATCH request to the web service URL updates the department and role fields. Wallet pulls the changes automatically.

Deliverables and Work Scope

• Audit of your current infrastructure and HR system
• Designing the pass.json structure for your specific fields
• Generating certificates and provisioning profiles in Apple Developer
• Setting up push notifications (APNs) for updates and revocation
• Integration with the HR system via webhook or REST API
• Testing on real devices (iOS 15+)
• Full documentation and administrator training
• Post-deployment support and maintenance (12 months included)

Timeline and cost

We estimate the project in 2 hours to 1 day, depending on complexity. Basic integration (pass generation + push updates) takes 5 to 10 business days. For projects with NFC and custom HR integration, the timeline extends to 20 days. Cost is calculated individually, but you can request a preliminary estimate—contact us for a commercial proposal. With over 5 years of experience and more than 150 successful integrations, we are a trusted partner for digital badge solutions. Our solution handles up to 10,000 passes concurrently.

Guarantee: We provide 12 months of technical support after deployment. Over 5+ years, we have not lost a single client—all projects run stably.

Payments in Mobile Apps: In-App Purchase, StoreKit 2, Google Billing, Stripe, RevenueCat

In every monetization project, we balance App Store and Google Play policies, PCI DSS requirements, and purchase verification logic on the backend. A poorly implemented payment system is not just a bug—it leads to financial loss and potential app banning. Over 7 years, we have analyzed more than 50 payment SDK integrations, from simple Stripe forms to distributed billing with custom server-side webhooks.

In-App Purchase: Two Platforms, Two Different APIs

If your app sells digital content or subscriptions, Apple and Google require you to use their payment systems. This is non-negotiable: violating App Store rule 3.1.1 or Google Play Developer Policy results in app removal. Physical goods and offline services are a different story.

StoreKit 2 (iOS 15+)

StoreKit 2 is a complete overhaul of the original StoreKit with async/await API. Product.products(for:), product.purchase(), Transaction.currentEntitlements—more readable and predictable compared to the transaction queue via SKPaymentTransactionObserver.

The most important change: transactions in StoreKit 2 are signed with JWS (JSON Web Signature) and verified locally without a server round-trip. Transaction.verificationResult returns .verified(Transaction) or .unverified(Transaction, VerificationError). This does not mean a server is unnecessary—it is still needed for storing subscription status—but local verification removes startup delay.

StoreKit.AppTransaction verifies the actual app download from the App Store. Required for paid downloads or non-renewing purchases.

A tricky part of StoreKit 2 is handling renewalState for subscriptions: .subscribed, .expired, .inBillingRetryPeriod, .inGracePeriod, .revoked. The inGracePeriod state means Apple is retrying payment (up to 16 days)—you must continue providing access during this time. Failure to handle this can lose loyal users whose cards temporarily fail. Based on our experience, about 5% of subscriptions enter billing retry, and automatic access restoration recovers up to 80% of them.

Google Play Billing Library (v6+)

Google Billing is more complex than StoreKit in terms of scenario handling. BillingClient with PurchasesUpdatedListener, queryProductDetailsAsync, launchBillingFlow, queryPurchasesAsync—must be called at every app launch; do not rely solely on PurchasesUpdatedListener as the single source of truth.

Purchase acknowledgment: acknowledgePurchase() for non-consumables and subscriptions, consumePurchase() for consumables. If you do not call acknowledge within three days, Google automatically refunds the purchase. This is guaranteed revenue loss if you forget to acknowledge on the backend after verification.

ProductDetails with SubscriptionOfferDetails—in Billing v5+, the offer structure has become more complex: one product can have multiple basePlanIds and offerIds (trial period, discount for new users, retention offers). BillingFlowParams.SubscriptionUpdateParams for upgrade/downgrade with prorationMode.

Why Is Server-Side Verification Mandatory?

Never trust only client-side code when unlocking paid content. Client-side verification can be bypassed by modifying the app.

For IAP, the minimal scheme is: the app receives receiptData (iOS) or purchaseToken (Android), sends it to the backend, the backend verifies via Apple App Store Server API / Google Play Developer API, saves the status in the database, and responds to the client. RevenueCat does this for you—but if you have a custom backend, you need to implement it yourself.

Webhooks are more important than they seem. Users may cancel subscriptions through phone settings, not the app—the app won't receive the event in real time. Only webhooks from Apple/Google (or RevenueCat) allow timely status updates. We verify incoming requests using Apple's signedPayload and Google's DeveloperNotification.

How Does RevenueCat Simplify Integration?

Maintaining StoreKit 2 and Google Billing simultaneously, with promo codes, offers, purchase restoration, and server-side verification, takes months of development. RevenueCat handles most of this layer.

RevenueCat is not just a payment SDK. It offers:

• A unified API for iOS and Android (and Stripe for web)
• Server-side verification and subscription status storage
• Webhooks for events (purchase, renewal, cancellation, billing issue)
• Analytics for cohorts, MRR, churn
• A/B testing of offers via Experiments

Purchases.configure(withAPIKey:) at startup, Purchases.shared.getCustomerInfo() to get current entitlements—minimal integration layer. Purchases.shared.purchase(package:) instead of directly calling StoreKit/Billing.

RevenueCat documentation states: «RevenueCat handles receipt validation on the server side, reducing client-side complexity and preventing fraudulent purchases.»

Limitations of RevenueCat: it is paid (free up to $2.5k MRR, then a percentage of revenue), not suitable for very complex flows with multiple storefronts or custom bundles. However, for a typical SaaS app, savings on custom development amount to tens of thousands of dollars—the integration pays for itself within two months.

Stripe in Mobile Apps

Stripe is used for physical goods, services, and B2B payments where IAP is not required by platform policy.

Stripe iOS SDK and Android SDK—PaymentSheet for ready-made payment UI, PaymentSheetFlowController for custom UI with saved cards. Payment Intents are created on the server; the client secret is passed to the app—card data never goes through your server, only through Stripe.

Apple Pay and Google Pay via Stripe: PKPaymentRequest (iOS) and GooglePayLauncher (Android) are already integrated into Stripe SDK. Apple Pay conversion rates are 1.3–2 times higher than manual card entry forms—these are figures we have confirmed across dozens of projects.

Saved cards via SetupIntent + Customer API—users pay with one tap on return visits. Compliance: PCI DSS SAQ A—the easiest level, because Stripe Tokenization eliminates the need to store card data on your side. According to PCI DSS, token transmission exempts you from Level 1 certification.

3DS2 (Strong Customer Authentication) is mandatory for payments in the EU under PSD2. Stripe handles it automatically via PaymentIntent.confirmPayment, but you need to correctly handle the .requiresAction status and return the user to the appropriate screen after authentication.

What Is Included in the Work (Deliverables)

Process and Timeline

We start by clarifying the business model: subscriptions, one-time purchases, consumables, freemium. The architecture depends on this. Testing IAP requires Sandbox accounts (Apple) and License Testers (Google)—this is a separate environment setup.

Apple's Sandbox behaves differently from production: subscriptions renew every 5 minutes instead of monthly, inGracePeriod works differently. It is essential to test scenarios: trial expiration, cancellation, billing retry, refund.

The cost is calculated individually based on the set of tools and complexity of server-side logic. On average, we fit within a budget for a typical integration, but the savings from preventing errors and churn offset this investment within a few months.

Get a consultation for your project—contact us. We will help you choose the optimal payment architecture that passes store reviews and does not break under peak loads.