Select one of the following pass verticals to learn more about how it can be used.
The Google Pay API for Passes allows you to engage with users through loyalty cards. The concepts discussed in this guide should help you better understand the capabilities of saved loyalty cards.
The following use cases are available only for the Loyalty vertical:
- Update passes.
- Scan in the Google Pay app.
- Linked offers.
- Geofenced notifications.
- Handle expired passes.
- Link to a saved pass.
- Link out from a saved pass.
- Enrollment and sign-in.
Update passes
If there are changes to a pass after it's created, use the REST API to deliver those changes to users. If the changes affect only classes, you can also use the Google Pay Merchant Center. Pass updates are an important way to engage with your users.
To update the way passes are displayed, such as when the
logo changes, you only need to
update
or patch
the LoyaltyClass
or use the
Google Pay Merchant Center.
Google propagates this information to all LoyaltyObject
s associated
to the updated LoyaltyClass
. This is the case for all fields defined
at the LoyaltyClass
level.
To update a single pass, such as when the loyalty card points balance changes, you need to
update
or patch
a single LoyaltyObject
. This is the case for all fields defined at
the LoyaltyObject
level.
Sometimes, you might not know when a change happens, or when to trigger an update
or
patch
request. In cases like that, periodically schedule update
or
patch
requests for each and every class and object. You can find all classes of a
particular issuer account if you call the LoyaltyClass
list
method.
You can find all objects of a particular class if you call the LoyaltyObject
list
method.
Scan in the Google Pay app
Users can add some loyalty card to their Google Pay app when they
either scan or manually add the loyalty card details. The Google Pay API for Passes creates a
LoyaltyObject
that doesn't reference a LoyaltyClass
you've previously defined. No action is required on your part to create the new object or class.
However, the LoyaltyObject
created by the Google Pay API for Passes can't be updated
and behaves like a static pass.
Linked offers
Linked offers allow existing offers to appear within the loyalty card view, making
relevant content easier for the user to discover. The writable list field
linkedOfferIds
in a LoyaltyObject
indicates which
offers are associated with the loyalty card.
Creating the offer before linking
To link a linked offer, the offer classes and objects linked to the loyalty card
must already be created. To learn more about creating offers, see
Offers. Unlike
standalone offers, linked offers do not require a user to explicitly save the offer. The
id
field found in the OfferObject
is used to point to the
LoyaltyObject
.
Link offers to a loyalty card
The existing offers can be linked to a loyalty card
using the REST API calls
insert
,
or update
,
or patch
,
or modifyLinkedOfferObjects
.
When offers are linked to a loyalty card upon creation
of the loyalty card using the
insert
call or when offers are both linked and unlinked to an existing loyalty card using the
update
call, the field linkedOfferIds
can be written with the rest of the
LoyaltyObject
using the established format:
{ "id": "2945482443380251551.ExampleObject1", "classId": "2945482443380251551.ExampleClass1", ... "linkedOfferIds": [ "2945482443380251551.OfferObject1", "2945482443380251551.OfferObject2" ] }
When offers are linked and unlinked to an existing loyalty card using the
patch
call, the field linkedOfferIds
can be the only field in the request:
{ "linkedOfferIds": [ "2945482443380251551.OfferObject1", "2945482443380251551.OfferObject2" ] }
However, in order to avoid mistakes when dealing with arrays, specify which linked offers need
to be added and which need to be removed, and be able to omit the linked offers that should remain
untouched. We recommend to use the
modifyLinkedOfferObjects
method as in the following example:
{ "linkedOfferObjectIds" { "addLinkedOfferObjectIds": [ "2945482443380251551.OfferObject1", "2945482443380251551.OfferObject2" ], "removeLinkedOfferObjectIds": [ "2945482443380251551.OfferObject3", "2945482443380251551.OfferObject4" ] } }
Designing loyalty card with linked offers
Linked offers will appear in a loyalty card view between the card section and the details section, as shown below. Only a maximum of 5 linked offers are displayed in the carousel. If more offers are linked to the loyalty card, the user can click on the "More" button at the end of the carousel to display them all.
When clicked the linked offer uses a simplified offer design, as shown below.
Geofenced notifications
Google can trigger notifications related to a consumer's saved Object based on the consumer's proximity to a location you've defined.
There are two ways geolocation information is added:
- Geolocation information from Google Maps is used when a Google Pay API for Passes Merchant Center account is created.
- Coordinates can be added to the object or class through the REST API.
For instructions on adding coordinates to objects or classes, see Add geolocation information using the REST API.
Geofencing concepts
Using geolocation information in Google Maps, Google algorithmically determines if the user is physically in the store or area. This detection applies to all classes and objects developed under the Google Pay API for Passes Merchant Center account.
The algorithm considers GPS, Wifi, Bluetooth, movement, dwell time and other factors. When the user is determined to be physically present, a geofenced notification is triggered.
If coordinates are manually specified in the Object
, the geofenced notification is
triggered when they are 150 meters from the coordinates.
Frequency, throttling, and user opt-out of geofenced notifications
At maximum, a user receives up to four notifications per day.
When there are multiple saved objects within the geofence, a single (per Google Pay API for Passes Merchant Center account), unmodifiable notification with a carousel appears. Objects are cyclable within the carousel:

For geofenced notifications to work, the user must enable Updates about your items in the Google Pay app’s notification settings and must have location services turned on for their device.
Add geolocation information using the REST API
You can specify an array of locations (latitudes and longitudes) in your classes or objects. Google checks the user's current geolocation against the list of locations associated with a class or object and notifies the user if they are within 150 meters of one of the locations. The following are code samples showing how to specify locations in your classes or objects:
Resource
{ ... //Class or Object content "locations": [{ "kind": "walletobjects#latLongPoint", "latitude": 37.422087, "longitude": -161446 }, { "kind": "walletobjects#latLongPoint", "latitude": 37.429379, "longitude": -121.12272999999999 }, { "kind": "walletobjects#latLongPoint", "latitude": 37.333646, "longitude": -122.884853 }] }
Java
List<LatLongPoint> locations = new ArrayList<LatLongPoint>(); locations.add(new LatLongPoint().setLatitude(37.422087).setLongitude( -122.161446)); locations.add(new LatLongPoint().setLatitude(37.429379).setLongitude( -121.12272999999999)); locations.add(new LatLongPoint().setLatitude(37.333646).setLongitude( -122.884853)); yourClassOrObject.setLocations(locations);
PHP
$locations = array( array( 'kind' => 'walletobjects#latLongPoint', 'latitude' => 37.442087, 'longitude' => -122.161446 ), array( 'kind' => 'walletobjects#latLongPoint', 'latitude' => 37.429379, 'longitude' => -122.12272999999999 ), array( 'kind' => 'walletobjects#latLongPoint', 'latitude' => 37.333646, 'longitude' => -121.884853 ) );
Python
offer_class_object = { # class or object content 'locations': [{ 'kind': 'walletobjects#latLongPoint', 'latitude': 37.442087, 'longitude': -122.161446 },{ 'kind': 'walletobjects#latLongPoint', 'latitude': 37.429379, 'longitude': -122.12272999999999 },{ 'kind': 'walletobjects#latLongPoint', 'latitude': 37.333646, 'longitude': -121.884853 }] }
Handle expired passes
Under the "Passes" tab of the Google Pay app, there's an "Expired passes" section that contains all archived or inactive passes. A pass is moved to the "Expired passes" section if at least one of the following conditions is true:
-
object.validTimeInterval.end.date
expires. The pass moves to "Expired passes" anytime up to 24 hours afterobject.validTimeInterval.end.date
expired. -
The
object.state
field is marked asExpired
,Inactive
, orCompleted
.
Link to a saved pass
Once a user has a pass saved, reference its objectId
in order to link to the
pass.
Use the following link to reference the pass:
https://pay.google.com/gp/v/object/{<issuerId>}.{<ObjectId>}
The pass can be viewed with the Google Pay app or a web browser.
Link out from a saved Google Pay pass
You can link to your app or website below the header of a saved Google Pay pass. This feature is available for all types of Google Pay passes.
Request access
Request access with the support form for in-store merchants. Keep the following in mind:
- You must share your issuer ID in the form.
- Under Issue type, select "Technical/API Integration."
- Select Link your app or website below the Google Pay pass.
Set the app link on your Google Pay pass
For a given Google Pay pass, define appLinkData
to set the URI of your app or
website. The URI can be any format, but we recommend that you use a
dynamic link.
The format and context of the appLinkData
field can be seen in the following source
code:
{ "id": string, "classId": string, … … … "appLinkData": { "androidAppLinkInfo": { "appLogoImage": { "sourceUri": { "uri": string } }, "title": { "defaultValue": { "language": string, "value": string } }, "description": { "defaultValue": { "language": string, "value": string } }, "appTarget": { "targetUri": { "uri": string, "description": string } } } } … … … }
Enrollment and sign-in
The loyalty enrollment and sign-in feature lets users to search for your loyalty program and join or sign-in to their account from Google Pay. For more details, read Enrollment and sign-in.