How to Create a Custom Apple Wallet Pass: What's Confirmed

iOS 27 now lets iPhone owners create their own Apple Wallet passes without a developer account.

Apple's new Create a Pass feature can build a pass manually from a template or, on an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, turn a photo or screenshot containing a barcode or QR code into a Wallet pass.

That makes it useful for membership cards, loyalty cards, library cards, tickets, and other items that have a scannable code but no official Add to Apple Wallet option.

It does not turn Wallet into a tool for cloning payment cards, digital keys, access badges, or other NFC credentials. Those still depend on support from the card issuer, business, or access system.

Check for an official pass first

Before building your own pass, check whether the issuer already provides one.

Look in the company's app, website, email, or ticket for an Add to Apple Wallet option.

An issuer-created pass can offer features a self-made version cannot, including server-side updates, changing balances, refreshed ticket information, location-based notifications, and other integrations.

A custom pass makes the most sense when the original item relies on a fixed barcode or QR code and no official Wallet version exists.

Keep the original card or ticket until you've confirmed the custom pass actually scans where you intend to use it.

How to create a pass manually in iOS 27

Manual creation does not require a developer account or Pass Type ID.

On an iPhone running iOS 27:

1. Open Wallet.

2. Tap the + button.

3. Tap Create a Pass.

4. Select Create Pass Manually.

5. Choose a template.

6. Tap the fields you want to edit.

7. Add the relevant information and scannable code.

8. Tap Done when the pass is ready.

Apple provides templates for different types of custom passes, including standard, membership, and event-style layouts.

After creating one, you can reopen the pass, tap the More button, and choose Edit Pass.

From there, Apple lets you change the background and color, add or remove fields, and edit existing details.

That means a pass doesn't have to be perfect on the first attempt.

How to create a pass from a photo or screenshot

iOS 27 also offers an Apple Intelligence-assisted option for cards and tickets that already contain a barcode or QR code.

Apple says you can take a photo or screenshot containing the code and use Add to Wallet to create a pass from it.

This method requires:

• iOS 27 or later

• An Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone

• Apple Intelligence enabled

• A supported language and region

Apple Intelligence currently supports iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, plus iPhone 16 models and later.

If the phone doesn't support Apple Intelligence, manual pass creation is still the option to use.

Apple also lets you view the original image after creating the pass, which can be useful if you need to compare the generated pass with the source card or ticket.

What a custom Wallet pass can replace

The native tool is best suited to items built around a scannable barcode or QR code.

Examples include:

• Store loyalty cards

• Gym or club membership cards

• Library cards

• Static gift cards

• Coupons

• Tickets with fixed barcodes

• Other membership or identification numbers presented as scannable codes

The important word is static.

If the original barcode stays the same every time you use it, reproducing it in Wallet can work much like showing the physical card.

If the original code rotates, expires, refreshes from a server, or changes after each use, a manually created pass cannot independently reproduce that issuer-side system.

Keep using the official app for dynamic tickets, rotating event codes, or other credentials that depend on live data.

What Create a Pass cannot clone

Creating a pass does not reproduce every type of card that can appear in Apple Wallet.

It cannot independently turn these into working Wallet credentials:

• Credit or debit cards

• Apple Pay payment credentials

• Hotel or home keys

• Car keys

• Employee access badges

• Transit credentials that rely on NFC

• Other secure contactless cards that require issuer integration

Those features use security credentials and relationships between Apple and the issuer rather than a visible barcode alone.

A photo of an NFC card is not enough to recreate it.

Custom passes and sensitive information

Treat the barcode itself as potentially sensitive.

A loyalty barcode can expose an account number. A gift card barcode may represent stored value. A ticket code could let another person redeem the ticket if they get a usable copy.

Avoid posting screenshots of custom passes publicly or sharing them casually.

The same caution applies when screen-sharing your Wallet or sending a pass image to somebody else.

If Create a Pass is missing

First check the iPhone's software version under Settings > General > Software Update.

Create a Pass is an iOS 27 feature.

If you're trying to create a pass automatically from a photo or screenshot, also check whether the iPhone supports Apple Intelligence and whether Apple Intelligence is enabled.

Manual pass creation has a lower hardware requirement because Apple documents the Apple Intelligence requirement specifically for the photo-and-screenshot workflow.

If you're still running an older version of iOS, third-party apps remain an alternative.

Pass2U Wallet, for example, can scan physical barcodes or import them from photos and create passes that can be added to Apple Wallet. Its current US App Store listing shows the app as free, with a $2.99 Pro upgrade.

Pass2U version 3.6 also added support for the new Code 39, EAN-13, Codabar, and Interleaved 2 of 5 barcode formats introduced in iOS 27.

For most users already on iOS 27, though, Apple's native Create a Pass option is the simpler place to start.

Apple's developer tools go much further

The consumer Create a Pass feature is separate from Apple's full Wallet Passes platform for businesses and developers.

Apple's WWDC26 Wallet session confirmed several iOS 27 additions for professionally created passes.

One is Poster Generic, a new pass style intended for items such as membership cards, loyalty programs, coupons, rewards, and gift cards.

iOS 27 also adds four barcode formats:

• EAN-13

• Code 39

• Codabar

• Interleaved 2 of 5

Those join Wallet's existing QR, PDF417, Aztec, and Code 128 support.

Developers can also add up to two Featured Actions to a pass, giving users quick links or actions directly from the pass.

Apple introduced Pass Designer for visually creating and previewing Wallet passes and Pass Builder for personalizing, validating, signing, and distributing them.

Developer-created passes can also support capabilities the simple consumer tool cannot reproduce, including remote updates and deeper issuer integration.

What to do right now

Start by checking whether the company or organization already offers an official Wallet pass.

If it doesn't, open Wallet, tap +, and choose Create a Pass.

Use manual creation for a straightforward fixed barcode or QR code. If you have a compatible Apple Intelligence iPhone, creating the pass from a photo or screenshot can make the setup faster.

Test the result before leaving the physical card or original ticket behind.

For a basic loyalty or membership barcode, a self-made pass can now fill a gap Apple Wallet couldn't fill natively before iOS 27. For payment cards, digital keys, rotating ticket codes, and other secure credentials, the issuer's own Wallet integration is still the one that matters.